Yesterday, Business Insider.com asked me to comment on whether people should ask for feedback after an interview. I answered a resounding “yes” (read full article). If someone is willing to muster up the courage and take the time to give you constructive criticism for future interviews, it is a beautiful thing.
Many years ago I interviewed for a senior position with Allied Signal in Morristown, NJ. When I requested feedback from the HR Director he told me that people felt I was arrogant. Wow! Clearly I had missed the mark—rather than being confident I had gone off into the danger zone. Fortunately, he was willing to tell me the terrible truth for clearly there was a disconnect between what I thought I was conveying and what was being heard. Now I had the opportunity to moderate my approach and be more effective with the next company.
Don’t miss the chance to learn and improve, particularly today when there is so much competition. View feedback as an opportunity to grow and, who knows, it may even spill over into your personal life and help your relationships with family and friends.
Do you ask for feedback after an interview?
photo credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com via photopin cc