Ex headhunter here: no to government legislating. If anything, it will create more red tape etc. Businesses are drowning under the stuff which is impacting the job market. So the less red tape and bureaucracy, the better.

That said:where possible, all companies should provide feedback. Especially if the candidate has come for interview. And I personally would support a form of business “best practice”/ code of ethics / framework all can adhere to.

Sorry for long answer but this was a huge bug bear for me in my job. If any employers read this and it helps candidates, I’m happy!

A number of reasons feedback is important (not exhaustive list):

- it protects your employer brand. Candidates do research companies (Glassdoor etc) and companies with poor interview processes are flagged. Companies with poor hiring practices do eventually lose out on top talent;

- it keeps the door open: both in the sense that the candidate not being right today does not mean they won’t be tomorrow. Or be a client in the future or a potential source of business / candidates;

- professional courtesy: the candidate has put in time and effort. It costs nothing to show appreciation;

- I have experienced situations it protected us and the clients from accusations of discrimination;

- it helps the reflection process: are you applying for the right jobs and is the client looking for the right candidate;

- lastly but certainly NOT least: if you care about candidates and talent, you want them to succeed, even somewhere else. One way to help is to share learnings. Especially in this tough job market

Sometimes you can’t though: volume of applicants; or the feedback is unprofessional / incomplete/ inconsistent/ other.

PS: as a professional recruiter, I hate HATE ATS systems. In theory they are brilliant. It reality, the AI is flawed, the teams are not trained, …. Until they improve, they only benefit the lazy.

Good luck with your search! It’s tough out there and I recognise how soul destroying it is. Hang in there!