Letter querying why I did not get job

genie

Hi, I'm hoping you can point me in the right direction. I've just been turned down for a job that I really wanted and I'm trying to draft a letter to try and find out why I wasn't selected so that I can try and learn from it but I'm having a hard time finding the correct phases.

Are there any websites that could help me draft the letter?

Many thanks.

leeroybrown

Have you phoned them asking for feedback?

genie

No, I would prefer to do it by letter. Besides, it's a Government Department and I'll only be passed from pillar to post.

AARRRGH

You might be waiting a long time for a response to your letter!

I would imagine their reply (if they bother to reply) will be a general, non-commital answer, so don't get your hopes up...

the_syco

If you remember who did the interview, send them a box of chocolates, and a formal style letter (with your address on the top right) saying you enjoyed the interview.

AARRRGH

That's a very good idea

leeroybrown

If it's a government department then they'll have an official scoring form that will more than likely have some feedback. Also, as a public job there will probably be an associated process that you may be subject to. Have a look on www.publicjobs.ie - the correct process for review in your case should be there somewhere. I'd still suggest that your first step should be a request for interview feedback via phone.

As for the chocolates, I'd say it's a very bad idea, particularly as this is part of a formal public selection process. If any of the candidates I was involved in interviewing recently sent on chocolates I don't think it would go down well.

Ivicia

You are entitled to 'meaniful feedback' under the Recruitment Codes of Practice - these codes were issued by the Commission of Public Service Appointmnets. If you have a look at the documentation you recived you should see reference to it. The link posted eralier has a link to their website.

Write to the person who advised you of the result asking for feedback on your recent interview. Give the title of the post you applied for etc..No chocolates required.

genie

Many thanks for your replies.

watna

Genie, I would try and get in touch with whoever interviewed you and ask for constructive feedback, that you'd like to know for future interviews.

You're entitled to it and any good recruiter/HR will give this to you. Send an email as well. I would highly doubt you will get a response to a letter and if you do, as the syco says it will be a standard template that will be of no help to you.

CK.1

If you can it is better to do it by phone as they won't be too willing to put anything in writing or if they do it will not be the truth as you might sue them!

rmhot

hi, i'm wonderin the same thing.
i applied for a job but didn't get to interview stage, just got a letter sayin that more people with "more suitable qualifications" applied for it etc.
this is annoying, since i have/will have got the relevant qualifications by the time the job is to start.

in ye're experience will they be bothered to give me a detailed response as to why i wasn't asked to the interview?

board om

rmhot wrote: »

hi, i'm wonderin the same thing.
i applied for a job but didn't get to interview stage, just got a letter sayin that more people with "more suitable qualifications" applied for it etc.
this is annoying, since i have/will have got the relevant qualifications by the time the job is to start.

in ye're experience will they be bothered to give me a detailed response as to why i wasn't asked to the interview?

you answered your own question. you didnt have the relevant qualifications yet and other candidates did. when recruiting you only look at what the candidate has already done, not what they have nearly done. otherwise they could give you the job and you could drop out of your course a month before it finishes and you wouldnt actually be fully qualified. they would have given you the position over other candidates who did actually have the qualifications.

Ivicia

Yes you are entitled to 'meaniful' feedback and this is usually in the form of a marking sheet which may have some comments. Most interviewers in this type of orgainistion interview in addition to their main job - they may have interveiwed 20 to 50 candiates so getting a cold call won't be welcome.

The HR dept may orgainise one to one feedback but the interview board member is not obliged to do it and it rarely happens.

If you are not happy with the feedback on the mark sheet - ask HR if you can have more feedback from the board member. I've given feedback myself on a one but I really could not do it for everyone I interviewed.

Ivicia

rmhot wrote: »

hi, i'm wonderin the same thing.
i applied for a job but didn't get to interview stage, just got a letter sayin that more people with "more suitable qualifications" applied for it etc.
this is annoying, since i have/will have got the relevant qualifications by the time the job is to start.

in ye're experience will they be bothered to give me a detailed response as to why i wasn't asked to the interview?

You would have been competing with candidtes who had the qualifcation at the time of interview. You usually must possess the qualifcation at the closing date.

cronos

Are companies legally required to give the interview score sheet for an interview. If so under what law?

leeroybrown

cronos wrote: »

Are companies legally required to give the interview score sheet for an interview. If so under what law?

No companies aren't but public sector jobs are subject to different (and more stringent) selection criteria than the private sector. Typically there is a scoring sheet where weightings are assigned to a set of standard criteria then each candidate is marked based on the same criteria. The scoring sheet will probably have a feedback section beside each section. This information must be communicated to the interviewee if requested.

On top of this the process is subject to FOI.

watna

Under the data protection act you are entitled to see any documentation about you.

If an interviewer writes on your CV or takes notes while taking an interview you have a right to see this. That's why you have to be careful what you write down!

board om

watna wrote: »

Under the data protection act you are entitled to see any documentation about you.

If an interviewer writes on your CV or takes notes while taking an interview you have a right to see this. That's why you have to be careful what you write down!

under the data protection act you are entitled to see any informtation any company has about you on file.

i know when i conduct interviews i take notes on the CV but 5 minutes after the interview this goes in the bin. i will enter the important information onto our database and the rest will never be seen by anyone again. and i would never put anything hegative about anyone on our database becuas i know it could come back to bite me in the ass.

so if you came to me asking for information about your interview under the data protection act, you will not find anything negative in there. and i can tell you that 99.9% of people who conduct interviews will do the same. that is unless they are very stupid.

cronos

board om wrote: »

under the data protection act you are entitled to see any informtation any company has about you on file.

i know when i conduct interviews i take notes on the CV but 5 minutes after the interview this goes in the bin. i will enter the important information onto our database and the rest will never be seen by anyone again. and i would never put anything hegative about anyone on our database becuas i know it could come back to bite me in the ass.

so if you came to me asking for information about your interview under the data protection act, you will not find anything negative in there. and i can tell you that 99.9% of people who conduct interviews will do the same. that is unless they are very stupid.

Is that not illegal, must a record be kept for a year or something like that (just made up that figure) If you saw the interviewer writing notes then you would know they have them and thus know they destroyed them. You should be getting a copy of the sheet and scores per each section I would have thought.

If the law says you should have access that is. As I dont know the official law for companies on this.

watna

cronos wrote: »

Is that not illegal, must a record be kept for a year or something like that (just made up that figure) If you saw the interviewer writing notes then you would know they have them and thus know they destroyed them. You should be getting a copy of the sheet and scores per each section I would have thought.

If the law says you should have access that is. As I dont know the official law for companies on this.

I was going to say something similar. If you write notes on a CV you need to keep them. That's why we take interview notes and then fill out interview feedback forms and there's sections on each where you score the candidate in specific categories. This is kept on the candidate's file.

If any candidate then asks for feedback I have very specific details to give them.

cronos

watna wrote: »

I was going to say something similar. If you write notes on a CV you need to keep them. That's why we take interview notes and then fill out interview feedback forms and there's sections on each where you score the candidate in specific categories. This is kept on the candidate's file.

If any candidate then asks for feedback I have very specific details to give them.

Thats what I would have expected/hoped was the case. I asked for copy of the interview notes taken once but I only got a call where I was told a couple of points about the interview. I knew they had taken them and she explained that they used the score system but I couldnt get them.

I just wanted to know how I scored in the interview but I got the next job I interviewed for anyway so it didnt really bother me too much. I would have liked to know though.

IanCurtis

the_syco wrote: »

If you remember who did the interview, send them a box of chocolates, and a formal style letter (with your address on the top right) saying you enjoyed the interview.

Are you serious? :eek:

board om

cronos wrote: »

Is that not illegal, must a record be kept for a year or something like that (just made up that figure) If you saw the interviewer writing notes then you would know they have them and thus know they destroyed them. You should be getting a copy of the sheet and scores per each section I would have thought.

If the law says you should have access that is. As I dont know the official law for companies on this.

no, its not illegal i am afraid. with the way offices are nowadays being paperless and all that, there are hardly any harcopies of anything anymore. it is all soft copies stored on databaes or spreadhseets etc.

we wouldnt use a score system when interviewing. the notes taken would be more pointers like salary expectations, do the candidate drive, have full license, etc. so nothing crucial that would make or break the interview. then after the interview all the crucial information would be added to our database and any hard copies would go in the bin.

so if you came looking for feedback all the important stuff would be there on our databaes and you would be welcome to it. the other stuff wouldnt really be relevant.

now if you were going for a job in say the civil service i would say they would have to hold onto everything. but i suppose it depends on the industry.

aligator_am

Best thing to do, if it's a Government position, is make sure you send you letter in a Brown Envelope, I hear they're all the rage...

Ivicia

The Data protection act allows anyone to see the data held by a comapny about them. The FOI act means a public body had to justify reasons for decisions for that person.

Where I work you must use 'note taking sheets' which must be handed up, writing on the C.V /Form is not allowed. You have to ask everyone the same questions and only questions that will help establish if the candiate is able to do the job. These questions will be kept on the file but are not issued to candidates.

You must take notes and yes you must be careful of what you write but writing down nothing isn't an option.

derry

get real your envelope was the wrong color and too light weight and your political affiliations to this one party state were not sufficiently nailed to the mast:eek:

and the more the economy starts to slow the more me Feiners who will sell their grandma for 10 cents will get the jobs :pac: island

and as for the letter redirect it to "Brown Envelopes INC." Public jobs for the lads rerun events DEPT
and dont bother with words just wrap the notes with two words DIG OUT on top of dirty well used untraceable non sterling cash which talks a lot better

But if you are still pissed then write a letter to Santa Claus or the European Union who run the biggest gravy train ever invented and that sometimes takes up lost causes just to corrupt them absolutely

derry

Serpentine

IanCurtis wrote: »

Are you serious? :eek:

I second this response! That just makes you look creepier or a real lick arse so why bother when you didn't get the job?