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Challenging recruitment decisions

Andre
I wanted to ask that if as a candidate I either do not have full professional confidence in the person(s) making the decision, felt they let unnecessary personal / subjective factors influence their choice of candidate, or simply feel that they got it wrong, in terms I was the strongest candidate and they took the wrong or a weaker person etc. 
Although this can be a professionally sensitive and often a potentially embarrassing area for discussion, and I also recognise that legally, no one can force an organisation to take them (unless there is evidence of open discrimination which in case would be settled at an employment tribunal):
* Is it professionally and ethically  considered the right or moral thing to do to, to challenge the judgement of an interviewer(s) and ask to take the matter higher up to their superiors to either review their decision or offer me the opportunity of a second interview with a different person(s)? 
* Is it normally the case that once a company have decided that they do not wish to employ you (for whatever reasons), it is usually very difficult to try and get them to reverse that decision or have a change of mind? 
Answers I have received in the past in relation to this are:
 
Hi Andre,

To answer both of your questions:

1. There is no benefit in challenging the judgment of an interviewer and taking your case to their superior. Remember: you are the outsider in an interview situation. Companies will stand behind their employees' decision. And you will appear to be a troublemaker who will make their lives difficult should they hire you. 
2. Once they have decided not to hire you, it is impossible to get them to change their mind. The best you could hope for is that you get a call back, based on someone else not taking the position you applied for. In that case, you would be called back because they saw something they liked. Complaining about the process will not make you someone they like.

It's tough, but you have your take your knocks and move on to the next opportunity, hopefully having learned from each interview. And it's important to always remain courteous, not matter how you feel you have been treated because, as I say, you never know when someone else might turn down a job and it is then offered to the next preferred person in the queue.

Hope this helps. 
What are all thoughts on the matter, bearing in mind that we all have monthly outgoings to cover so if one does not get a job, it always has certain consequences and a knock on effect? 
Parents
  • Over the course of my career I have interviewed hundreds (thousands?) of people for many different roles. Like I'm sure you are aware, getting the best fit for a person and a role is not an exact science, and there may be many different factors at play that it would be impossible for any individual candidate to know.

    If you're asking whether experienced interviewers get it wrong, well of course they do - every day. However clear your criteria, objective your assessments and however much you try to control for different influences, an interview and selection day at best gives you a snapshot of what someone is like.

    However, it wouldn't change my position at all if another candidate challenged our appointment decision, after the event. By that point, I would almost always have made a contract with the person who was appointed, and I wouldn't breach that contract because the other candidate had a different view. The best you could hope for would be compensation from a tribunal - and unless there is some discrimination involved, the damages would be very small.

    A better approach, if this is an organisation you really wanted to work for, would be to get feedback and to listen to it. If you can have a conversation with the decision maker, all to the good. Send thanks for their time in seeing you, let them know that you like and respect their organisation, and keep a warm connection that might make them think of you for the next appointment.
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  • Over the course of my career I have interviewed hundreds (thousands?) of people for many different roles. Like I'm sure you are aware, getting the best fit for a person and a role is not an exact science, and there may be many different factors at play that it would be impossible for any individual candidate to know.

    If you're asking whether experienced interviewers get it wrong, well of course they do - every day. However clear your criteria, objective your assessments and however much you try to control for different influences, an interview and selection day at best gives you a snapshot of what someone is like.

    However, it wouldn't change my position at all if another candidate challenged our appointment decision, after the event. By that point, I would almost always have made a contract with the person who was appointed, and I wouldn't breach that contract because the other candidate had a different view. The best you could hope for would be compensation from a tribunal - and unless there is some discrimination involved, the damages would be very small.

    A better approach, if this is an organisation you really wanted to work for, would be to get feedback and to listen to it. If you can have a conversation with the decision maker, all to the good. Send thanks for their time in seeing you, let them know that you like and respect their organisation, and keep a warm connection that might make them think of you for the next appointment.
Children
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