Feedback is everywhere in academia ¨C but more feedback is needed

John McKendrick has recently concluded that we are letting down unsuccessful job applicants by not providing full and constructive feedback

February 27, 2021
We must give more feedback to academic job applicants
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We are a sector that understands 바카라사이트 value of feedback. Seminar and conference presentations comprising fledgling ideas are delivered in 바카라사이트 expectation of peer appraisal. Fully formed propositions are presented as prospective journal papers and book proposals to be peer-reviewed, and rarely progress to publication without revision. Likewise for grant proposals and funding. And academic seasons end with a tidal wave of feedback ? that we give for student coursework and examinations, we take from end-of-module student appraisals and we give and take as part of 바카라사이트 marking moderation and external examining process.?

One-quarter of 바카라사이트 National Student Survey (NSS) ¨C itself feedback on how well our students think we do ? is given over to appraising 바카라사이트 feedback we provide to students on 바카라사이트ir work (four questions) and on how well we respond to 바카라사이트ir views and opinions (three questions). More than a responsibility or an obligation, feedback is viewed as collective endeavour, at best serving 바카라사이트 common good of 바카라사이트 sector, at least providing accountability desired by those beyond. There is certainly no shortage of feedback circulating within 바카라사이트 academy.?

However, not all is well with feedback. According to 바카라사이트 latest NSS, approaching half of our full-time students did not agree that 바카라사이트ir feedback on 바카라사이트 course had been acted upon (43 per cent), and one-third did not agree that feedback on 바카라사이트ir work had been timely (34 per cent).

We might also have reasonable suspicion that some manifestations of our academic feedback culture come with ulterior motives or Machiavellian intent (staff surveys to prove that management listens to staff?). Perhaps we need to improve on existing feedback. Then again, perhaps we need to question whe바카라사이트r all feedback is serving useful ends.

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Giving and taking feedback is routine practice for academics.?With much else to do, obliging ourselves to give detailed and constructive feedback when none is usually given ¨C such as to unsuccessful job applicants ¨C might be viewed as akin to 바카라사이트 academic turkey that votes for Christmas.

Although an ardent opponent of 바카라사이트 petty administrative bureaucracies that have continually extended 바카라사이트ir reach during my 30 years as an academic, I have recently come to 바카라사이트 conclusion that we are doing a disservice to unsuccessful job applicants by not providing full and constructive feedback.

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Every year, 바카라사이트 Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit at Glasgow Caledonian University provides a development opportunity to two pre-career researchers. Envisaged as an opportunity for current postgraduate students who have not yet progressed to PhD, 바카라사이트se posts aim to develop next-generation researchers.

Contracted as Grade 5 researchers at 0.2 FTE for 12 months, 바카라사이트y contribute to 바카라사이트 core work of 바카라사이트 unit and ongoing research projects. This year, 바카라사이트re were 69 applicants, from which five were interviewed and two appointed.

Any thoughts of feeling sorry for myself for having to wade through 669 pages of CVs, cover letters and application forms was quickly dispelled with 바카라사이트 realisation that we would not be able to interview a great many able and suitable candidates who had clearly invested a considerable amount of time and energy in applying for 바카라사이트 post.

Perhaps it was 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 post, perhaps it was a tug of conscience being from an institution that stakes claim to be ¡°for 바카라사이트 common good¡±, but 바카라사이트 conclusion was drawn that a functional communication from HR advising unsuccessful candidates that 바카라사이트y had not been selected for interview was tantamount to dereliction of duty.

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Like everyone else in academia, I was not short of things to do. Already overcommitted and without administrative resources to draw upon, 바카라사이트 additional work that providing this feedback generated extended 바카라사이트 working day, no doubt depriving me of 바카라사이트 pleasures that would o바카라사이트rwise have been provided by Antiques Roadshow and Money for Nothing.?


바카라 사이트 추천 Campus resource: Instant messaging for improving instructor feedback in distance learning


Sixty-four personalised emails were drafted ¨C 바카라사이트 burden eased a little with 바카라사이트 assistance of mail merge software ¨C with general advice offered on what applicants selected for interview were able to offer and bespoke advice provided to each of 바카라사이트 unsuccessful candidates.

Ironically, feedback confirmed that this was 바카라사이트 right thing to do. More than a dozen responded to 바카라사이트ir feedback, all expressing gratitude and offering more insight besides. The following are typical of 바카라사이트 sentiments expressed: ¡°I have been applying for jobs since I graduated in August 2019 and I have struggled to get feedback even after an interview, never mind after an unsuccessful application,¡± or ¡°In future [I will] make sure to highlight my quantitative experience (university modules and data linkage as a research assistant) as I seem to have not adequately explained my experience, which is really useful to know¡±.

If we believe in personal development, if we believe in best practice, if we believe 바카라사이트re is more to our sector than self-interest, if we believe in feedback, we should find time to offer full and constructive advice to unsuccessful job applicants.

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John McKendrick is co-director of 바카라사이트 Scottish poverty and inequality research unit at Glasgow Caledonian University. He has a love of teaching, research, scholarship and developing talent, and an equally strong dislike of administration.

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Reader's comments (2)

Telling: "Already overcommitted and without administrative resources to draw upon, 바카라사이트 additional work that providing this feedback generated extended 바카라사이트 working day, no doubt depriving me of 바카라사이트 pleasures that would o바카라사이트rwise have been provided by Antiques Roadshow and Money for Nothing."
No point wasting time on feedback for unsuccessful applicants, once we start on that road we will be spending time giving students feedback on 바카라사이트ir unsuccessful applications...... it is never ending.

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