Your candidate reacts defensively to interview feedback. How can you effectively address their response?

When a candidate reacts defensively to interview feedback, address their response with empathy and clarity. Begin by acknowledging their feelings and affirming the value of open communication. Clearly and calmly explain the purpose of the feedback, focusing on constructive aspects and specific examples. Encourage a dialogue by asking for their perspective and listening actively. Reframe the feedback as an opportunity for growth and learning, highlighting areas of strength alongside areas for improvement. This approach can help defuse defensiveness and foster a more positive and productive conversation.

It's important to remember that applying for a job and going through an interview process is an emotional experience so when giving feedback good or bad, take the time to treat the person with the respect that they deserve. Giving them specific feedback that can enable them to improve on certain areas is not only helpful but meaningful. If the feedback isn't received well, again remember this is an emotional experience for them. Stay calm, remain professional. Having facts to back the feedback is key to this so that it shows that you are basing the feedback on the requirements of the role and that the feedback is not personal.

While giving a feedback which is not positive it is known that it may not be taken well. Hence, it requires a strategy. A well evaluated interview will always have pros to focus and cons to get evaluated. So it's always a good way to give feedback in a mix of things that have gone well and things that may need improvement on. There are high possibilities that a feedback will not be taken well if it narrates only negatives.

When I deliver any form of Feedback the first thing, I do is ask for permission..."Are your open to some feedback?". Seldom have I heard "No" and by gaining permission you set the foundation for the feedback session. The next question is..."What did you feel went well?" Listen and gain insight into the candidates/team members personal awareness of the situation. If you agree - support the candidates/team members view and build on the positives. If you disagree - acknowledge the perception and then expand their thinking to consider the situation from a different lens through a coaching dialog. Follow up with "What do you feel could have gone better?" You can't change behavior with behavior - you change behavior by changing awareness.

Stay calm, listen patiently, share growth opportunities, have a plan of action. Be very clear with intent. No one likes to walk away from feedback demotivated and discouraged - share a development plan or call to action with a time frame. It offers options and choices to be made for the better and in the future. Practice what you will say before you walk in to the meeting. It does not hurt to be over prepared. Lot depends on the body language and tone of voice - may attention to the words you choose.

Job search is a very exhausting process sometimes the candidates get defensive in taking the real feedback. We should stay calm and give them a good ear to listen them carefully. We should suggest them that this is not the end of everything and suggest to take practical steps to crack their next interviews in terms of the job knowledge, the areas which requires attention.

This can make a whole lot of difference. Post giving them the feedback, if we allow them to talk about it and actively listen. Usually they'll explain why certain things happened. All recruiters can do is to try to resonate with the person and suggest the next best course of action which is actually doable. Even if they don't stand a chance in your organization, it will not just help them in improvement of their overall performance but the recruiter and his/ her company in gaining a positive perception with aspirants.

When dealing with a defensive candidate, active listening is essential. Let them express their concerns and feelings without interrupting. This shows you understand and empathize with their perspective, which can help reduce their defensiveness. Summarize their points to confirm you understand and reassure them that their skills and experience are valued. This builds trust and makes them more open to your feedback.

In my experience, as an HR or interviewer we have to stay calm and listen to our 'friends' actively for their concern.. We need to be presence there and help them with anything we can. Long story short we need to give clear information about our feedback cause that could help them to grow.. Being rejected is not always form lack of knowledge, skill or even competency; but that could be from unmatched values..

More often than not, candidates aren't being provided any feedback at all. I would explain to the candidate that by giving them this feedback, we hope that they will make the necessary improvements and find the right role/company for them. I would also encourage the candidate to take the time to allow the feedback to set in. It is natural to be reactive, but feedback is an essential part of growth.

Explain the purpose of the feedback clearly and empathetically. Ensure the candidate understands that feedback is meant to help them grow and improve.

If I am working with an employer who has interviewed one of my candidates and gives me negative feedback I try and help the job candidate discover on their own what may have gone awry by going step by step through the interview with them. I know what happened, but people welcome constructive criticism better if they think they come up with the problem on their own. 9 times out of 10 they knew exactly what happened.

One particularly effective phrase I have found for this scenario is: "The customer is always right, even if I/we think they're wrong." Everyone cringes a little when they hear negative feedback, but particularly if they push back, I respond with 3 main sections: a) Don't shoot the messenger, it's never my favorite news to share but I'd rather close the loop than leave you hanging. b) It was their impression so either there's some truth to it or you're giving off that vibe somehow. c) Let's talk about how to fix or de-emphasize that moving forward for this and/or other companies.

Let them know that you understand and empathize with how they may feel in hearing negative feedback or constructive criticism. However, also let them know that this is an opportunity for them to learn and grow as a professional, and help them find a new way forward with new information. They could absolutely just disagree with it entirely and choose not to use it as a learning opportunity. The choice is theirs, but at least you attempted to ease the impact of the feedback and change their perspective for the better.

They key to landing productive feedback is to layer it like a sandwich. Start with a positive and then give some examples of why the interview didn't land or specifics about how they fell short in the interview. This can be challenging as self-awareness in our society seems to be at an all-time low. If you focus on how the applicant can improve for future interviews, most people will appreciate your help even if it is hard to hear it in the moment. Always end on a positive note especially if you would like to consider the applicant for other opportunities. This is the long game which will always produce better results and a better experience for everyone involved.

Providing example or sample scenarios would help the candidate gain more insights on what went wrong, or how they can improve on certain areas or skills that needs working on. Avoid vague situations or wording as it may appear misleading, and might not be helpful to those who receive the feedback.

Offer specific examples to illustrate the feedback points. Concrete examples can help the candidate see the areas for improvement more clearly.

Providing feedback to a candidate is a delicate balance. People can get emotional when they have put so much into a process. I find that if you are transparent through the process and provide feedback live and not by email that will help. I'm also right to the point and always offer to re-connect (if they could be good candidates down the road). That being said, this may not be popular, there are candidates you have to tread lightly with. If I thought a candidate would be unreasonable based on my experience with them, then it's better for them, myself and the company to not get into too much detail, let them know they were not selected, and we are moving in another direction. Be honest, professional, and communicate throughout.

Specific examples clarify what the candidate did well and where they need improvement,and Understanding Examples help candidates understand the context and relevance of their actions or answers, which can guide them in future interviews.with Detailed feedback with examples helps candidates learn from their experiences and develop the skills or competencies required for the role,and Motivation with Positive examples can motivate candidates by highlighting their strengths and contributions, encouraging them to continue improving.

It’s natural that some people might initially find it difficult to accept feedback, especially when it doesn't align with their expectations. As a good recruiter, it's important to improve the candidate experience and ensure they don’t feel disheartened. Explain to them that feedback should be seen as an opportunity for growth. Encourage them to view it as a chance to learn and enhance their skills. This mindset helps them not to fear failure, but to see it as a way to improve and become better every day.

Emphasize the potential for development and improvement. Frame feedback as an opportunity for learning and professional growth rather than criticism.

Encourage a Growth Mindset: Encourage the candidate to view feedback as an opportunity for growth. You might say, "Everyone has areas they can improve, and this feedback is meant to help you develop your skills further."

Using the Sandwich Model is clutch when dealing with a defensive reaction to feedback. Start with some genuine praise to set a positive vibe and make them feel valued. Then, slide in the constructive feedback by framing it as a chance to level up their skills and boost their career. Emphasize that this interview is a golden learning opportunity. Finish off with more positive reinforcement to keep their spirits high and motivated. This way, the feedback feels less like a hit on their past performance and more like a stepping stone to future awesomeness.

I would suggest doing this throughout the process. If you are knowledgeable about the role and invested with them during the process, you will be able to provide feedback throughout. I've told candidates up-front; you are lacking this skill but you bring other skills to the table that are also valuable, in the end it will depend on what the hiring manager may need most for the role. This way if the candidate is not selected you can encourage them if they are interested in this type of role, how to increase their chances next time. There are candidates you will want to stay in touch with because they may be good fits for the organization so this helps to build that connection and relationship.

Ask for Their Perspective: Invite them to share their thoughts and feelings about the feedback. This can help them feel heard and understood. For example, "I'd like to hear your thoughts on the feedback. Is there anything you would like to discuss further?"

Explain that self-awareness and continuous personal development are important in your organization, so they understand the feedback is not to be countered, but to be learned from..

Something to keep in mind is that we shouldn't feel entitled to receive feedback from a company that is not progressing with us. Yes we invested a lot of time preparing and interviewing but so they did. They mobilized managers and recruitment team members which also cost money in the recruitment process. Feedback is subjective, don't feel like any company owes you to provide you with feedback.

When offering feedback, underline the candidate's strong points, the things that you really appreciated about their experience and skills you observed. Continue by clearly saying what are the areas where you are not compatible. Examples are very important here. Be specific about where the candidate's profile doesn't match the profile you are looking for (include hard skills and soft skills that are missing). Finish in a positive note. Although this time it's not a fit, encourage the candidate to continue to grow in those areas, if he resonated with your feedback. And most importantly, be empathic, kind and supportive during the conversation. It's hard to be rejected and receive a constructive feedback at the same time.

Meet them where they are. Hear what they say. Deal with facts. Be honest and support them - these two things are not mutually exclusive. But it takes compassion, skill and experience. Be prepared to back up with examples and help them to understand what will help them.

Recently, I had a confrontation from a candidate who believed they should be considered for a new role after they were laid off from a previous role. He was persistent so much that the business owner asked him to see him during another interview selection process for new candidates. Instead of trying to tell him he was not qualified, we from establishing what his role was and the expected duties, then we started evaluating from there. He scored himself and we were able to reach an agreement that he should go and build a valuable skill that we need, then come back to present it to us. Then I might consider hiring him. We ended the meeting on good note