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Interview Feedback: Should You Give Advice to Rejected Candidates?

Mohamad Danial bin Ab. Khalil
by Mohamad Danial bin Ab. Khalil
Feb 26, 2021 at 12:00 PM

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In your experience, is it easy to give interview feedback to rejected job candidates? 

Many interviewers are worried they will accidentally upset candidates or do it wrong. However, there are ways to give feedback correctly. 

 

Why you should give interview feedback

It's a must for interviewers to send a rejection email to candidates that did not make it. Otherwise, the rejected candidates will resent employers that never bothered to let them know that they are no longer considered for the job. 

Yet, providing interview feedback is different. At first glance, it does not appear productive. Is there a point to spend precious time to help rejected candidates develop?

In reality, providing feedback after a job interview can be a valuable long-term investment. When you are building a competitive employer brand, you should consider improving your candidate experience. Providing candidate feedback shows that you would not mind going the extra mile as a potential employer. These candidates will appreciate receiving a rejection email, and they will be grateful to know that you're spending your time to help them. 

These are some of the perks you will get when you improve your company's candidate experience:

  • Candidates who are unlikely to badmouth your organisation.

  • Candidates who will share their positive experience even though they did not get hired.

  • A deep talent pool with qualified candidates who still wish to work for your company and improve their interview performance.

Now that we know how important it is to provide interview feedback, here are some dos and don'ts, plus how to give useful feedback after a job interview. 

 

The dos of providing interview feedback

 

1. Be honest

The least that these candidates deserve is honesty. You will not earn their respect by telling them they were great when they know they flopped the job interview. Yet, there's no need to be brutally honest. You should not tell them that you were offended because they did not look into your eyes when speaking. Keep the feedback related to the job requirements. 

 

2. Be diplomatic

There's no need to be rude when providing feedback. For instance, if a candidate's body language hints they were too nervous, interviews might say, "we see that you're uncomfortable communicating face-to-face, so it's unlikely you'll succeed in the sales team."

What an interview should do is provide direct advice instead, for example: "When you practice pitching products and ensure your movements, you will successfully communicate your enthusiasm."

 

3. Be creative in writing

Many interviewers opt for cliche templates such as, "we are looking for someone with more relevant experience". But, the candidates will think you are trying to avoid giving feedback or just being polite. 

Don't give these empty phrases; provide details of real instances from the interview, and offer improvement advice. This is why it's useful to write notes during a job interview, as you can pinpoint where the candidate is lacking.

 

4. Aim to assist

Feedback should always be meaningful. You should not make a list of things you dislike about the candidate and avoid confusing feedback, such as, "Your answers were too short."

Think deeply about what they could improve for the next interview. This action is also good for your company; top candidates will improve their interviewing skills and give you more reasons to hire them in the near future.

 

5. Praise whenever possible

Avoid giving false praise. If there were things you actually liked about a candidate, you should point them out. Post-interview feedback should not have only negative things. You can soften the blow by giving positive feedback. Not only that, the candidates should know what they did right so they can keep doing it. 

 


A rejected candidate could use helpful advice so they can improve themselves.

The don'ts of giving interview feedback:

 

1. Don't give false hopes

A majority of interviewers always say they will keep candidates' resumes on file. However, they also get carried away when giving feedback, for example: "You will only need to improve on your C++; otherwise, you'd be the right person for the job." It implies that you might consider the candidate if they master C++. If it's true, then it's okay to send this message, but you should leave your options open. You cannot be confident that you will hire a candidate in the future. If you don't, this candidate will resent you. 

 

2. Don't be condescending

Mind your tone. Being "dismayed" or "shocked" by how little a candidate prepared for the interview can be unpleasant. It would be best if you used neutral language and positive framing. We should avoid criticising by sounding high and mighty. If you're unsure, you can always ask a coworker to review your feedback first. 

 

3. Avoid comparing to other candidates

Candidates understand that they did not get hired because you thought another candidate was better. There is no need to tell them this, mainly if it was a group interview. The candidates are not interested to know that someone else showed better management skills or has more advanced degrees. It will not help them improve, and some candidates might feel the comparisons rude. Other candidates might not even think the comparisons are accurate as they don't know anything about the other candidates you have interviewed.

 

 

Providing constructive feedback might take some time off your working hours, but you should understand the positive impact it can leave on your employer brand.

Source: Workable

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