Preparing for job interviews can be nerve-wracking, no matter how many you’ve gone through. Even if you think your answers were spot on, that impending feeling of being judged is hard to ignore.
Then comes the waiting: Did I make a good impression? Was I wearing the right outfit? Did I use the right phraseology and adequately emphasize my qualifications?
These eternal questions haunt us during those agonizing few days following an interview while we wait anxiously to hear back from our potential employer. But have no fear.
We’ve gathered some tips below to help make sure you get—and provide—feedback that’ll leave them begging you to start work tomorrow!
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What is Interview feedback?
Interview feedback is an important part of the recruitment process that offers insights into what made your company’s hiring decision.
From the employer’s point of view, providing constructive and effective interview feedback helps shape their brand and reputation as a good workplace.
On the candidate’s side, feedback also gives them insight into improving their technique when applying for future opportunities.
It’s important to remember that even for unsuccessful candidates, delivering helpful interview feedback can create a positive impression about your organization.
Why give interview feedback?
Interview feedback is invaluable in many ways. It’s a chance for candidates to receive an honest assessment of their performance and to know exactly where they stand in the process.
Similarly, it allows employers to determine if a candidate has the skillset needed for the role and will fit into the team. Neither party must take this process lightly – a good interview should benefit both sides.
Candidates can learn from their performance, and employers gain insight that might not have been obvious before – such as how well they think on their feet and how they present themselves. Interview feedback can help both get it right.
Why interview feedback matters?
Let’s cover a few reasons why it’s so important to understand why giving good interview feedback is great not only for the candidate but great for your business as well.
1. It’s a PR Opportunity
The interview feedback process is a two-way street.
It provides candidates with critical insight into how well their performance resonated with the interviewer and allows employers to highlight aspects of their organization and culture that could not be adequately addressed in a regular job posting or job interview.
By providing direct feedback to the candidate, employers can build valuable relationships and establish positive public relations for their organization.
Furthermore, candidates may feel more inclined to promote the employer’s company or brand through word-of-mouth marketing if they receive positive feedback.
In short, interview feedback is an invaluable PR opportunity that provides many benefits for both the candidate and employer alike.
2. It’s Respectful
It’s already a huge compliment when a company takes the time to select and interview a candidate for a role. Often, the person is the first choice for the adopted position.
So, regardless of how the interview process turns out, it’s a mark of respect if an interviewer provides feedback after an interview.
Not only will this feedback be useful to any future applications by the candidate, but being courteous enough to provide such information is an act of kindness in itself.
Candidates should hold personal value in knowing what they could have done differently or better as part of the process, and feedback helps to facilitate their learning – demonstrating growth instead of professional and personal stagnation.
3. Lead To a Better Economy
Interview feedback is essential to the health of our wider economy.
Effective feedback can benefit a single employer and the wider labour market. In helping employees understand their strengths and areas for improvement, feedback encourages them to strive for excellence and better career performance.
This, in turn, means that more highly skilled job seekers will start entering the labour market – a win-win situation for employers and employees.
Of course, this doesn’t just apply to interviews – effective feedback across all aspects of an employee’s journey is important at every stage, as it helps foster an environment where they can continuously grow and progress.
4. Protects Your Brand
Interview feedback is essential for protecting your brand. High-quality hires are critical to the success of any organization, so it’s incredibly important that the hiring process goes smoothly and results in a successful hire.
By incorporating interview feedback into your hiring process, you can ensure that all decision-makers thoroughly review each candidate, assuring you that the final hire was made wisely.
Additionally, collecting and responding to candidate feedback enables employers to refine their recruitment process for optimal results continuously.
With comprehensive interview feedback across your hiring process, you’ll be able to protect your brand and ensure that the right people are joining the team.
5. Improve Your Hiring Process
Getting great candidates is essential for any business to survive and win against competition. But this starts with hiring the best talent. So take this opportunity to sample positive interview feedback to hr (and negative feedback) so you can improve the recruitment.
You may even want to consider sending out candidate experience surveys to those you interviewed so they can provide feedback anonymously if they prefer.
Be sure to keep your candidate experience survey questions short and concise, this way you’ll maximise the chances of getting responses.
How to give interview feedback?
Giving interview feedback may seem daunting and difficult, but it’s ultimately beneficial for both parties. After all, providing constructive criticism allows the candidate to evolve their skillset and prepare better for future interviews.
It is best to use a positive tone when giving feedback. Focus on areas where the applicant demonstrated strength during the interview and any knowledge or experience they possess that could add value to the role.
Let them know what could be improved and offer advice on how they can develop in those areas. Offering help and strategy insight can set the candidate up for success and show the organization’s commitment to developing talent in a meaningful way.
What to do when giving interview feedback?
Here’s some really important tips to keep in mind when you next comment on interview candidate performance.
1. Keep Things Simple
Whether you’re the candidate or the interviewer in the recruiting process, the most vital thing to remember is to be straightforward and concise when interviewing feedback.
Keeping things clear and simple helps ensure that both parties have all the essential information they need and prevents time-wasting and the breakdown of communication, plus it’s a great way to ensure you’re best chances of providing valuable insights.
It’s not always easy, especially when discussing such a sensitive topic as an interview, but try to stay focused so you can make sure everybody involved gets what they need as efficiently as possible.
2. Give Feedback Properly and Timely
When it comes to interviewing feedback, it’s essential to give feedback properly and in a timely manner. Taking action quickly shows that you value the time and effort of all involved parties – the interviewer and the candidate.
If a decision isn’t made right away, follow up with a polite email that gives closure to the selection process and kindly acknowledges their contribution.
Furthermore, offer constructive praise or advice during feedback conversations; this will ensure that they leave feeling positive and empowered, regardless of the outcome.
Remember that proper and timely interview feedback can demonstrate respect for employers and candidates and ensure a great candidate experience overall.
3. Ask Questions And Give Examples
If you are a candidate or interviewer, another important ‘do’ when interviewing feedback is asking questions and giving examples.
This allows you to clarify topics which may have been discussed lightly during the interview, and it also helps determine who stands out among the candidates.
As an interviewer, asking thoughtful questions elicits more thought-provoking responses from the candidates.
Likewise, as a job seeker, giving specific examples of past experiences and initiatives taken helps set you apart from other applicants.
Interviewing is vital before getting a job for either party, so incorporate asking questions and providing real examples into your feedback process!
What to avoid when giving interview feedback?
1. Don’t Get Personal
Maintaining a professional approach and avoiding personal opinions are essential when providing interview feedback. While making comments, try to stick to the facts backed by evidence.
Even if one wishes to express their opinion, ensure that it is constructive and supported with evidence. The interviewer and the candidate should establish a rapport so that any assessment incorporates valuable inputs from both sides while being sensitive to both.
Therefore, allowing egoistic dynamics to cross over during an interview will have serious implications for both parties involved.
2. Don’t Be Too Critical
Giving feedback during an interview is a delicate situation. Candidates are there to showcase their skills, so employers shouldn’t overly criticize them, and interviews shouldn’t be discouraging experiences, either.
It’s vital to remember that criticism should only be constructive and offered with kindness, as this helps get favorable results from the interview.
Focusing on positive points rather than identifying weaknesses or lapses in understanding is the best way to create a nurturing learning environment for everyone involved.
When giving feedback, don’t forget about the positives; seeing successes can boost both candidates’ and the interviewer’s morale.
3. Refrain From Offering Generic Advice Without Examples
It can be tempting to provide easy-to-follow yet generic advice when giving feedback in the context of an interview, but it sadly doesn’t always help the situation.
When you’re in a position to give feedback – as an interviewer or as a candidate – make sure that any advice you offer is accompanied by specificity and examples so that the person receiving the advice has more guidance on how to act or what approach to take.
All participants should take ownership of their roles to move forward with a better understanding.
Positive interview feedback examples
While interviews can often be a nerve-wracking experience, receiving positive feedback afterwards is a great confidence booster. It’s important to interpret feedback accurately that encourages development and growth.
So here are some example interview feedback tips on how to phrase constructive criticism in an interview setting:
- “Interviewing you was a pleasure because of your positive attitude and friendliness.”
- “You demonstrated expertise in the field and spoke knowledgeably about the subjects we covered in the interview.”
- “I see good potential in your work.”
- “Your experience will help you tackle future tasks.”
- “You seemed confident and at ease during the interview.”
- “You communicated effectively and responded clearly and concisely.”
- “You arrived at the interview well-prepared and gave us the impression that you were sincerely interested in working with our organization.”
Negative interview feedback examples
Providing negative interview feedback can be a tricky business. As the interviewer, it’s important to provide an honest assessment without tiptoeing around or being hurtful.
To avoid discouraging the candidate, it is essential to phrase negative feedback respectfully and tactfully.
Here are some interview feedback sample for you:
- “Your performance in our interview exercises revealed a lack of understanding for this role.”
- “We cannot proceed with you as your educational background does not match what we require.”
- “I don’t think you did enough research before coming in for this interview.”
- “Your attitude was unprofessional.”
- “You portray yourself negatively and lack enthusiasm for the job.”
- “With your years of experience in this position, we are unfortunately unable to provide you with a fair salary with room for advancement.
- “We discovered during the interview that you couldn’t demonstrate familiarity with the technical skills required for this position.”
- “During the interview, we discovered that your values do not correspond with the company’s values.”
How to document interview feedback?
Documenting interview feedback is an important part of the recruitment process for any organization. It helps track how all of the candidates performed, creating a clear picture for HR professionals when it comes time to decide who is hired and who isn’t.
Moreover, documented interview feedback can help hiring managers be consistent when comparing applicants – this is particularly useful if multiple people are involved in the hiring process.
Besides, documenting and recording candidate feedback is vital due to these reasons:
1. Aids In Making Comparisons Among Candidates
Documenting interview feedback is quickly becoming the norm for many companies, and good reason. Keeping track of candidates’ interviews helps make better comparisons and choose the best fit.
Proper documentation allows recruiters to go back and review how a candidate has answered questions, their strengths and weaknesses, how well each question was answered, etc.
Having these comparisons recorded for each candidate makes it easier to recognize which candidate brings the most value to your team or company.
This information also means fewer mistakes are made during the hiring process – ensuring you get the right hire every time!
2. Helps To Make Informed Decisions
Documenting interview feedback is a great way to ensure you have all the information and details you need when making hiring decisions.
Even if you take notes during the meeting, having complete notes saves time and resources as it speeds up the decision-making process by allowing for data-driven and well-informed choices that help to preserve a positive reputation for your organization.
Documenting results allows for transparency, organized records of data, and documentation that can be referenced in the future to aid hiring practices.
It’s one of the best things an employer can do when looking to make decisions quickly and confidently.
3. Ensures Accurate And Consistent Communication
Documenting interview feedback is incredibly important for organizations, especially if you want to ensure consistent and accurate communication among your team members.
It’s essential for a healthy workplace culture that everyone has the same understanding of everyone else’s roles and goals. This helps teams work together more efficiently and know exactly how their contributions impact the larger company.
Documenting feedback can also help create an overarching plan that organizations can track more easily over time, giving everyone involved insight into the progress being made.
It’s not enough to mention these things in passing; make sure there’s a system to document it all!
4. Gives a Better Understanding Of the Applicant
Having a record of interview feedback is incredibly helpful when making a hiring decision, as it provides both the employer and applicant with a comprehensive understanding of their fit for the role.
Through these records, employers can gain valuable insight into the applicant’s opinions and technical skills relevant to their job.
Additionally, applicants can use feedback documentation to understand further how they performed in the interview process and how their qualifications match the needs of the open position.
This comprehension can benefit both parties and allow for more accurate final decisions and better communication skills.
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve read our tips and examples of interview feedback, you’re ready to improve your hiring process. By providing constructive feedback, you can help the candidate feel more confident and identify areas in which they need to continue to grow.
With these examples of interview feedback, you can provide detailed feedback that will help the candidate become a better interviewer. Thanks for reading.