Asking for feedback after a rejection

Yes, you can ask, and in the public sector you usually get something back. Feedback after an interview is common and often detailed. Feedback after a failed shortlisting is rarer and shorter. Ask within a few days, keep the request brief and ask a specific question.

Who to ask and how

The rejection email normally names a contact. On NHS Jobs and Civil Service Jobs, the advert lists a recruiting manager or a named recruitment contact, and the rejection message often comes from the same address. Reply to that message rather than finding a new contact.

Schools usually reply from the school office or from the headteacher’s assistant, and the person who chaired the panel is the one who has the notes. For councils, the HR or recruitment team handles it, and the hiring manager may offer a call.

Send an email. A short request is easier to answer than a long one, and it leaves a record. Something like this works:

“Thank you for letting me know. I would be grateful for any feedback on my application, particularly on how my interview answers compared with the person specification, so I can improve next time.”

When to ask

Ask within about a week of the rejection, while the panel still remembers the day. Employers often keep interview notes for a limited period, so the sooner the better. If you are told the decision was close, ask whether they would consider you for similar posts later.

Wait a day or two after the rejection before writing. A reply sent in the first hour tends to read as annoyed, and annoyed requests get shorter answers.

What to ask

General questions such as “why did I not get it?” produce general answers. Specific ones work better:

• Which criteria on the person specification did my application not meet?
• Was the weakness in my supporting statement, my interview answers or my references?
• How did my interview score compare with the successful candidate’s?
• Is there experience that would have made my application stronger?

Do not ask who else applied or for details about the other candidates. Employers will not share them.

What you may get back

Interview feedback usually covers two or three points: where you scored well and where you lost marks. Panels in the NHS, schools and councils score each answer against the criteria, so the notes can point to a particular question. Civil Service feedback is often tied to the behaviours or Success Profile elements that were tested. The guides on competency-based interviews and the STAR method help you fix the commonest gap, which is answers with no clear result.

If you were not shortlisted, the answer is often that the application did not evidence enough of the essential criteria. The guide to how shortlisting works explains how that scoring is done, and the guide to NHS supporting statements shows how to answer each criterion.

Some employers send nothing. That is annoying, but it is not unusual, especially for large volume campaigns.

If the feedback is vague or the process looks unfair

Reply once, politely, and ask for a clearer example. If you think you were turned down because of a protected characteristic, such as age, disability, race, sex or pregnancy, you have rights under the Equality Act 2010, set out on GOV.UK. ACAS can explain the options, including early conciliation, and a union or Citizens Advice can help if you are a member or need guidance. The time limit for a tribunal claim runs from the act you are complaining about, so do not wait months before asking for advice.

Using what you get

Write the points down and match them to the next application. If the same criterion shows up twice, it is probably the thing to fix first, by taking a course, volunteering or adding clearer examples. Thank the person who replied. Recruiters remember candidates who were courteous, and the same panel may see your next application.