My thoughts on providing candidate feedback

However far a candidate progresses in a recruitment process, we can be sure about one thing: a lot of time, effort and emotional energy will have gone into each and every application. It is a reasonable request that candidates should receive feedback as to why they were not appointed and how they might improve their chances next time. Indeed, even if they are appointed, feedback can still be useful. It is a common complaint from candidates that feedback is often lacking from a process. With that in mind, I wanted to set out some of the principles that have worked well for me and have been appreciated by candidates.

Ask if the candidate wants feedback. Not everyone wants feedback, of course. Some candidates just want to put the application and the process behind them. That is fair enough and to offer unsolicited feedback is as bad as offering none to those who want it. Other candidates want as much feedback as they can get. In your communication to candidates state that feedback is possible, at their request.

Avoid giving feedback during the same conversation as the rejection news.  A rejection can elicit an emotional response after a long and hard process. Many candidates want the feedback immediately – which is understandable – but the best feedback sessions happen in a separate conversation. The one exception to this rule is where the candidate has decided to withdraw from the process.

Give feedback at the end. I have learned to do this for several reasons. Firstly, you don’t know what the outcome of the process will be. What if, in hindsight, you wish you had shortlisted that candidate? That might shape the message you give them during the feedback. Secondly, time for the candidate to reflect on their performance is not a bad thing. Thirdly, recruitment is a comparative process and candidates are often keen to know the profile and experience of the appointed candidate.

Be prepared for the feedback. Obvious, I know, but it is important that you have gathered all relevant notes and thought through what you are going to say. Some candidates want the headlines whereas others want the nitty gritty. Be prepared to give as much detail as you can and have supporting evidence for the points you may want to make.  If you have done several recruitment exercises then you need to talk about each activity individually. Otherwise, the feedback will be too generic.  It is a useful exercise to think about which aspects of the person specification your feedback pertains to. 

Ask yourself how helpful you think the feedback is. Is it actionable? For example, if the feedback is that they did not inspire, why was that? Candidates need to be clear on how they can resolve the issues in the feedback. 

Giving feedback is a big time commitment but is a very important part of the process and, done well, reflects very positively on the school. So, set aside the time. In my experience, candidates want professional honesty from you at this point. Sometimes the feedback is a surprise but most of the time the candidate self-reflection is remarkably accurate. If anything, candidates tend to be harder on themselves than the panel.