How to Provide Constructive Feedback After Interviews

Most candidates just want feedback. This candidate wasn’t a fit so I let her know during our call. Afterwards, I sent her an email thanking her for her time and threw in some suggestions for her resume since she hadn’t been job searching for a while. ⇢ I didn’t spend more than 10 minutes on it. And here’s the gift I received back from her. ⤵ ⤵ “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your feedback, Lisa. I have wondered what I could be doing differently or better, and so far I have not had any feedback from anyone, so this means the world. I will absolutely take your recommendations and apply them to my resume. The on-line certifications is a great idea as well. It was an absolute pleasure speaking with you and you showed me what it is I am truly hoping to find, and that is good people to work with. I wish things could have worked out for me to be a part of your team but speaking with you was a true honor. Thanks again for everything and take care of yourself!!!” 👉🏽Not every company allows feedback. 👉🏽And not every candidate has easy-to-provide feedback that would actually be helpful for future applications. 👉🏽But when it works, taking the time to help can really give beat-up candidates hope. - - - - For those of you who haven't been jobsearching in a while... This may or may not pertain to you, but here’s what I suggested: ⤵ ⤵ ➡️ I'd move your skills section to the end of the resume and save all of that space on page 1 for experience. ➡️ I'd remove the years in the education section to avoid ageism (which shouldn't exist but still does). ➡️ To step it up a notch, you could add some accomplishments using numbers and specifics vs duties. Ex: Developed a program to xxxx, increasing efficiency of x by 45%. Ex: Designed and led 45 training classes for new hires, decreasing onboarding time by 25% and increasing efficiency by 30%. ➡️ I'd remove the Transcriptionist role as the recommendation is to only go back 10-15 years in experience and it isn't related to the roles you're applying to. ➡️ While searching, if you come across something that a lot of the jobs you're interested in require (like the AI you mentioned), go ahead and do some online certifications and add to your resume to stay up to date. - - - - - PS Let's help out some jobseekers. What are some other general tips that may help someone who hasn’t searched for a while? 👇🏽👇🏽

I've hired and led hundreds of people in my career. Feedback is not hard. What is hard? → Feeling qualified but left in the dark. → Replaying the interview with no closure. → Never hearing why you didn’t make the cut. → Not getting the job you knew you were perfect for. Recruiters: One line of feedback post-interview takes seconds of your time but lasts a career for the candidate. Here's how to do it: → Take notes during each interview as normal → Carry major themes to a separate section → In your master-candidate list, note major theme → With your decline, send a note of feedback. This could look like: "Next time, I suggest preparing questions to show that you've researched the role and to display curiosity and critical thinking skills." "You interrupted me a few times during questions. Just a note to keep this in mind next time while interviewing." "I'd suggest working on 'telling your story' more succinctly and in just a couple of minutes." Feedback is KIND. And often, it's just one *small thing* that sets a candidate apart. Recruiters: send just a line of feedback. It takes seconds and lasts a career. #recruiting #hiring #interviewing ♻ Share to help spread the message. 👋 Follow Maggie Olson for more leadership content.

🚀 Interview Feedback; By Phone 📞 or Email ✉️? Ensuring a positive candidate experience is not just about the interview process but extends to how feedback is communicated. Effectively sharing feedback with candidates, even when it involves delivering unwelcome news, is a crucial indicator of the strength of your candidate experience. In the past, though time-consuming, I chose to add a personal touch by making phone calls to offer detailed insights. However, our candidate surveys unveiled a surprising preference for feedback via email. 📧 Why the shift? Email offers candidates the flexibility to absorb feedback at their own pace, free from the potential discomfort of live conversations. Here are some other advantages: 🏡 Accessibility and Convenience: Candidates access feedback when it suits them. 📚 Written Record: Emails provide a reference for the future. ⏳ Processing Time: Allows reflection before responding. 🗂️ Documentation: Handy for personal records or seeking advice. 📊 Clear and Comprehensive: Detailed insights without time constraints. 🌐 Less Intrusive: Respects privacy, suits diverse schedules. 💭 Emotional Impact: Allows space for processing criticism. This realization prompted a complete shift in my approach, and now, all feedback is delivered via email. It's a testament to the importance of understanding and adapting to candidate preferences. This practice also underscores the significance of candidate experience surveys. (Link to my post about surveys in the comments below 👇) How do you approach delivering candidate feedback?

“You're Just not a good fit” This feedback is useless for candidates. Here’s what companies can do instead: A few months ago, I worked with a client who went above and beyond with feedback after a final-round interview. The candidate didn’t get the job. But instead of the usual vague “You’re not a good fit”... The client gave detailed, specific feedback about where they could improve. They broke down: What the candidate lacked for the role Which responses needed clarity And even coached how they could do better in the future Here’s where it gets interesting: Acting on this feedback landed them a new job within weeks. Constructive feedback is a win-win. And anyone in it for the long game knows: It helps candidates grow and improve It shows you value them and their time And it builds YOUR reputation Trust me - People remember the companies (and folks) that take the time to invest in their growth.

I don't think any candidate is "owed" feedback after they complete an interview. That said, I personally believe it's an important thing to do. Why? For companies, providing feedback in a thoughtful way can be very beneficial: 🏢 Credible hiring brand - rejected candidates often act as brand advocates because of their positive experience. 🏢 "Future" hires - candidates who apply the feedback provided become high-value targets. Here are the interview feedback "Do's / Don'ts" I personally live by which I believe maximize value to both candidates and company: 🎯 DO treat people like humans, provide empathy when delivering bad news 🎯 DO email to inform re: negative interview outcome, THEN offer feedback via phone/video call 🎯 DO be upfront that this is feedback, and not a negotiation of the feedback 🎯 DO give specific, tactical feedback that can be used to improve between interviews or to develop skills over time (I've hired many people 6-12mo after they applied the given feedback). 🎯 DO ask for the candidate's feedback on the interviewing team and interviewing process (I want that "user" feedback). 🛑 DON'T ghost candidates to avoid giving feedback - that's a coward's move. 🛑 DON'T ambush someone with a negative interview outcome and "surprise feedback" in the same conversation. 🛑 DON'T give feedback that is vague or nebulous ("You need to collaborate better" - wot?) 🛑 DON'T give feedback that is likely to create an argument ("You came off as an ego-monster / asshole in your interview") Anything I should add to my personal Do's and Don'ts? I would love to hear from people who are in the thick of job seeking about their experiences getting feedback.