How do you handle candidate feedback?

I totally agree with you. Every interview candidate is like an expectant mother who believes something great is coming her way. The best a recruiter can do is to give feedback to the candidate. Feedbacks can be heart warning to candidates. Whether it's positive or negative, we should empathize when giving negative feedbacks. We should put ourselves in the position of the candidates!

Sometimes feedback that nothing has changed can be good feedback. If a hiring team is on PTO, moving buildings, or can only review resumes bi-weekly, letting the candidate know they’re still on your mind and what the status is can go a long way.

Our personal brands define us, and that brand perception is built on how we engage with others. Setting expectations and being transparent—essentially, taking a proactive approach—about processes and expectations for all parties is key to building a positive brand image for yourself as the interviewer and for the company brand you may be representing. Equally important is sharing what steps will be taken if the communicated process isn’t followed by either party. Additionally, let the candidate know what channels they can use to share their experience. For recruiters and hiring managers, whether you have two applicants or two hundred, it’s essential to honor the humanity of the candidate by proactively setting expectations.

I agree with this. As a consultant, one of the feedback I get the most from employees is the lack of transparency which should be provided by their own managers. This harms the agreement environment from the very beginning.

Effective handling of candidate feedback not only enhances the candidate experience but also helps your organization make data-driven improvements to its talent acquisition strategies. It demonstrates your commitment to candidates and reinforces a positive employer brand.

Most companies have a very slow feedback process. Every interview candidate with the expectation of positive feedback waits for days and days. It is the recruiter's responsibility to provide feedback as soon as possible, being specific and encouraging regardless of the result.

Timely response demonstrates respect for the candidate, their time, and efforts to engage with you regarding the opportunity/role. Job searches can be stressful; being timely and responsive can help mitigate some of the anxiety for candidates. While it is certainly understandable that recruiters are navigating many candidates, taking a long time to respond, follow-up, provide explanations, and insights can also impact the candidates' view of you, your consulting/ staffing firm, and may impact their willingness to engage or refer you to others. The process is bi-directional; they are interviewing you also. It's important that this is kept in mind.

I second this. I often met recruiters that didn't give an update or a closure to candidates and leave them hanging there clueless. As hiring manager I always give feedback, the final yes or no and asking to the recruiter PIC to pass on the news to the candidate. Better to update the candidates even before they are asking for the progress. And as a candidate, I will keep sending email or message asking the progress of the hiring. I have the right to also hearing the progress of my application process. Feedback should be mandatory and part of the SOP for hiring. This will also create a good image of the organization for the candidates. Maybe now the candidates are not fit but in the future? Who knows, right?

The legendary Aretha Franklin said it best: RESPECT! We all make time for what's important. If you're actively looking to fill a role but keep candidates waiting without a response, you're actually communicating several things to the candidate: 1) We/I am disorganized. 2) You are not a priority, which could translate to your experience if hired. 3) Your time and effort were not important. This messaging can negatively impact the perception of you and/or the company. Remember, we are all candidates/customers so the person you neglect today may be the person you need tomorrow.

In my experience, we need to demand feedback throughout the process. If it is slow in coming back then update the candidate but let them know you are trying to get it for them. The majority of clients will provide feedback if they value the candidate experience and their brand reputation, or they are just a decent human being, who knows the level of time, effort and investment candidates make in the process.

Giving constructive feedback is hard, especially when companies are concerned about legal aspects. And people SAY they want feedback and complain when they don’t get it, BUT we are all human and it’s no fun to hear what we didn’t do well. In the case of candidates I start with something like: I want to give you some honest and transparent feedback that could help you in your next interview because I think you are great and I want you to be successful, are you open to that? Of course I tell them the positives too, but this seems to work well in most cases.

Be honest, I agree with this. Sometimes it is not easy to share the feedback, need to prepare a note to help us stay focus on the conversation and make sure choosing the right words. We don't need to sugar coating the message but also mandatory for us to understand how to deliver the message without being too harsh or hurting their feelings. Need to practice of course. Remember to turns the "negative" message to be an encouraging room of improvement message.

No one enjoys the mental gymnastics of guessing and reading between the lines. One of the best pieces of advice I can offer regarding being specific and constructive is to ask the candidate about their preferred style of receiving feedback. It’s not just about being specific and constructive; it’s about understanding and aligning with what that means to the receiver.

Feedback is not easy to give for many, but if you have built a relationship and have a connection then you can be guided on best to frame it. It does need to honest, but the delivery is key here.

Providing feedback that may have a negative impact on a candidate can be a challenging task. It is crucial to choose the right words and maintain an empathetic tone throughout the process. Job rejections can be particularly tough on candidates, especially when they are seeking employment to meet their financial needs. Therefore, it is essential for the recruitment team to approach this task with empathy and sensitivity. In addition to delivering feedback, it is also valuable to offer constructive tips and suggestions that can assist candidates in improving their future performance.

This should happen all through out the process - beginning middle and end. Give people the best experience by being grateful for the feedback, provide them the opportunity to ask questions and an open space to explore the situation together. Feedback is not always negative - it can be a really positive experiences for everyone .

Delivering feedback should always maintain a consistent, respectful, and empathetic tone, whether it’s positive or involves rejection. Feedback is about sharing observations to support growth. Regardless of the content, it’s essential to acknowledge candidates’ effort and interest, express gratitude, and offer guidance where needed.

Being open and responsive to candidate feedback is vital for you. Encourage questions and dialogue. Actively listen and learn from their perspective. Respond promptly and respectfully, addressing concerns. Flexibility and adaptability are key and your (company /interviewer) ability to improve can only be shaped by the valuable input candidates provide.

Open mind is easy to say but difficult to be implemented. My tip is, always think that the candidate is our future business customer / partner as well. Because it is true, maybe not at the day we interview him/her, but maybe one day. Be open, be nice and empathetic when handling any feedbacks from the candidates.

Candidate feedback might be appreciative, constructive, or even corrective. Constructive or corrective feedback could be voiced out since there was a misperception. To avoid it (in the next interviews), recruiters undertake confirmation and re-confirmation exercises at various points throughout the recruiting process to ensure that both candidates and recruiters are on the same page. Hopefully, this will result only appreciative feedback from the candidates.

Be prepared to make changes based on the feedback. Listen to what people’s experiences have been without judgement and being defensive. Feedback is essential in always giving people the best experience and also will encourage people to come and work for you and your business.

In my experiences, if we can not set clear expectations as soon as possible, so, before set clear expectations, I have to make some short small survey quetionaire to candidates who follow the Training/Meeting,etc, to know their knowledge, limitation of skill related my material paper, etc what I will speak, train to them. After I know each answering of each candidates in the short small quetionaire paper, so, I can review again, revise again, all my material paper, etc explanation based on each candidates that have different quickly or slowly to understand what I will explanation to all of candidates, & finally I will know they will dirrect give feed back, etc. This is the Firstly before I do : Communicate with the candidates Dr Mariana S