Mastering the Art of Constructive Candidate Feedback

23 of March, 2023

Interviewing and evaluating job candidates is no easy task. How do you know if a candidate is the right fit for not only the position but also your company culture? You need to ensure that you hire someone who will thrive in your company culture. It all comes down to the feedback you give—and receive—during the recruitment process.

Maintaining a positive and productive relationship with candidates is essential, especially in today’s competitive job market. But giving feedback can be tricky—especially if it’s negative!

You need to be sure that you’re providing constructive criticism and helpful advice, instead of making people feel judged or discouraged. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to provide helpful feedback after an interview.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the best practices for mastering the art of constructive candidate feedback. With a few simple tips and techniques, you’ll be able to give effective feedback every time!

Creating a Candidate Feedback System

As an HR manager, your job is to make sure that the organization’s recruitment process is effective and efficient. But it doesn’t end there. It’s also important to give feedback to potential candidates—and having a system in place to do that is key.

Whether you decide to leave feedback after every interview or only upon request, here are some tips that can help you create an effective candidate feedback system:

• Provide timely feedback. Try to send out your responses within 48 hours of the interview, if possible.
• Use data. Include numeric ratings or other analytical information when giving feedback so that candidates can better contextualize it.
• Personalize your response. Add a personal touch by using the candidate’s name in the message and expressing appreciation for their time and effort during the interview process.
• Draft and finalize a template. Prepare a standard template for delivering feedback so you don’t forget any key points nor over-personalize your responses unnecessarily.

Crafting Effective and Constructive Feedback

You’re well aware that effective communication is essential for success. This holds particularly true when it comes to providing feedback to candidates after a job interview.

Giving helpful, constructive feedback can be an art form, but it doesn’t have to be intimidating. Here are some tips on crafting effective and constructive feedback:

• Make sure to identify the positives and areas for improvement. Even if the candidate wasn’t the best fit for the role, make sure that you take the time to highlight what they did do right. Be specific and provide concrete examples of what was good, rather than providing a general assessment.
• Be empathetic and respectful in your language. Speak in terms of what could be enhanced in their skillset rather than focusing on their weaknesses. Frame your comments in a way that demonstrates you understand where they might have struggled or need more guidance or training.
• Focus on solutions rather than problems, offering up ideas or resources which can help them develop their skills if they choose to pursue a career in this field in future applications.

By following these tips, you can offer candidates helpful information that will enable them to improve their skills, even if they don’t get the job position this time around.

Timing of Post-Interview Feedback

Timing is everything. You should always aim to provide timely post-interview feedback to candidates so they can use it to better their job search and grow professionally.

But even more than that, feedback—especially constructive criticism—makes for a far better lasting impression. You must provide this feedback in a timely manner—even if the process took longer than expected. This ensures that the candidate feels respected and taken into account despite the outcome of the job interview.

Timely feedback also gives an applicant closure as soon as possible so they can quickly move on if they don’t end up joining your team. It’s an important part of being a good employer, and it helps you establish great relationships with prospective future employees.

When it comes time to give your post-interview feedback, make sure to be transparent and honest with the applicant, so they can learn from the process and understand why they weren’t selected for the role. That way, you’ll build a lasting trusting relationship with them in case they are an excellent fit for your team down the road.

The Benefits of Honest Candidate Feedback

Giving candidates honest feedback is essential if you want to keep your company’s reputation with them and the rest of the job market intact. Offering constructive criticism can help a candidate reflect on their performance, allowing them to make necessary improvements if they need to reapply for another position in the future.

Honest feedback also helps build trust between the interviewer and the candidate, making them more likely to recommend your business to peers or family members looking for new opportunities.

In addition, providing direct yet professional feedback can maximize a candidate’s learning. When someone receives clear and concise remarks about their performance, it helps them understand where they can improve during their next job search process—even if that isn’t with your company.

Post-interview feedback is one of the best ways to help the candidate understand what was lacking in their application or how they can better prepare for their next opportunity.

Conclusion

Ultimately, giving informative and constructive feedback to job candidates is essential for any company. It can help them improve in the future and can provide valuable insights for the company. It can also be a great way to boost morale in the office and provide a more professional experience for candidates.

Sesame offers tools that can help you give timely, effective feedback to job applicants. With Sesame, you can make sure the feedback process is smooth and professional, giving candidates and hiring managers the resources they need for the next step in the process.