We are agile in our development processes, especially in terms of striving towards continuous feedback. Why do we not allow for this same feedback loop to occur with interviews as well?
One of the key tenants of agile development is the idea of continuous feedback. The faster we learn where we deviate from the request the sooner we can correct course. And usually, the earlier we correct course means there is less effort required to do so. I don’t really need to continue on about the dev cycle here, do I?
Here’s the catch though: We don’t do this feedback loop often enough with each other as individuals.
Let’s skip the discussion over performance reviews for now. Depending on how often they are scheduled (quarterly, annual, only when things go wrong?) and how they are formatted, they qualify at some level as a feedback loop.
The key item here is that there is no standard or expected feedback loop in the interview process. It’s the rare manager and interview process that will give feedback to the candidate.
Let’s say you have three interviews, all for the same level position, and all three companies have the same interview style and code challenge types. After your interviews with Company A, you find out that you are no longer in the running. No big deal, right? You still have two more to go. Next thing you know, Company B rejects you. Both times it was right after the code challenge. Did you make the same mistakes on moth challenges? After all, they were both about creating a basic blog service from scratch. With a little feedback, even general commentary, you might have had the chance to study up and not make the same mistake the second time. Now you’re on your third try, and guess what, it’s that blog service again…
Had the earlier companies given feedback, you would know where your weaknesses were. It still may not help you get the next job, but it would at least give you the opportunity to improve your skills in areas others think you are lacking.
For example, if company A came back and told you your skills were great, but they didn’t like your attitude, you’d know to take a deep breath and be more personable and down to earth the next time. If company B told you they didn’t like how you named your variables in the code it may not help you much, but if they told you that you made too many database queries for the same data points you’d know that maybe you should look into how to better use the Objects you had built. You get the idea. A little feedback can go a long way sometimes…
There’s also the personal part here. Too often we treat our candidates as mere numbers. Did their resume check all the boxes of things we’re looking for? Did they show up for the interview on time? Are they local? Is there anything else we can use to weed them out because we have so many candidates and feel overwhelmed?
I know it’s overwhelming at times as the hiring manager to have so many resumes and candidates to sift through. It’s just easier to reject and move on, right?
Maybe.
But if you’re a company that prides itself on relationships with its customers and how great and communicative your culture is in the office, why wouldn’t you extend that communication and personal touch with all the candidates you interview and reject? If you can point to specific items, do so. If not, there’s nothing wrong with a “sorry, but another candidate was even more qualified than you.” At least the feedback loop has occurred and the candidate can move on.
As a hiring manager I do everything I can to make my candidates feel comfortable, and then to let those that were not selected know as soon as they are out of the running with a reason why. It’s not always in depth, but if they fail the code challenge, they get a general idea of what went wrong. If they’re not experienced enough after a discussion, I let them know. If the job requirements change mid-stream I let them know that too (Hey sorry, it’s not you, it’s us).
Agile isn’t just a development cycle or a catchy buzzword. It’s a mindset. I’ve been on both sides of that hiring desk, and the companies and candidates who have the Agile mindset always come out on top.