8 Seconds Could Cost You a Job - Why Feedback is Key for Small Businesses

Have you ever applied for a job and spent multiple hours of your valuable time in interviews with many team members only to never hear a reason for your rejection? It's rare even to get a personalized response, let alone any feedback on why you didn't get the job. Yea, me too.

So, what gives?

HR professionals spend an average of 8 seconds looking at your resume and judging you. That’s not enough time to truly assess an applicant's skills, so why don’t companies provide feedback to their applicants? Let’s explore why feedback is essential for small businesses and how it can benefit them.

The Benefits of Feedback

Giving feedback after a candidate has applied or been interviewed can be beneficial in several ways. First and foremost, providing constructive criticism shows that employers care about their applicants and value their effort. It also allows candidates to understand where they lack the necessary skills or experience so they can work on those areas before applying again in the future. Finally, giving feedback can help create relationships between candidates and employers; this could lead to referrals down the road or even future applicants from people who have already gone through the process.

Feedback Improves Retention Rates

Employers should recognize that one of the most important aspects of hiring is retention rates; if employees feel like their employer cares about them and values their work, they are more likely to stay in their position for longer periods of time. This means fewer recruitment costs associated with rehiring since employees will not need to be replaced as often. Giving meaningful feedback during the hiring process can help build relationships that lead to improved performance and higher retention rates among employees in small businesses.

Creating Connections Through Feedback

Providing timely, meaningful feedback during the hiring process helps build relationships between potential candidates and employers, as well as current employees and employers. This connection is beneficial because it increases job satisfaction among employees while also allowing potential candidates to better understand what it means to work at that particular company. The connections made through providing feedback also make it easier for companies to refer potential hires or find new ones since they already have established relationships with those individuals.

Conclusion

Small business owners should recognize that providing timely, meaningful feedback after an applicant has applied or interviewed is essential in creating successful teams within their organizations. Not only does it show appreciation for an individual’s effort, but it also encourages loyalty from current employees while creating connections with potential hires that might result in referrals down the road or even future applicants from people who have already gone through the process. Ultimately, taking just a few extra moments out of your day can help ensure success when recruiting new talent!