Busy Bee Recruitment writes:
Do:
Be truthful –
If you are going to give the candidate constructive criticism ensure that your feedback is factual and truthful. This way they can understand not only why they weren’t the perfect fit for your company but also what they may want to change when attending another interview.
Candidates deserve honesty. Telling them they were great in an interview when they know they messed up not only will it not gain their respect but also gives them false hope. You don’t have to be too honest, such as going into as much depth as they did not look into your eyes as they were speaking. Keeping feedback tied to the job requirements however, is necessary.
Aim to be helpful –
Feedback should be meaningful. Making a list of attributes you didn’t like about a candidate is not helpful when going back to a candidate. It is also best to avoid confusing feedback such as ‘you’re answers were too short.’ Think specifically about what they could change to perform better in future interviews. Not only is this great for the candidate it is good for your company; great candidates will improve their interviewing skills and give you the reasons to hire them in the future.
Praise when possible –
False praise is never a good route to take your candidates down. If there were things that you truly liked about the candidate, say so! Feedback after an interview doesn’t have to be completely negative. Positive feedback not only softens the blow – it can be useful. Candidates need to know what they did well so they can ensure that they keep doing it.
Be tactful –
Hopefully, there aren’t many interviewers who would tell a candidate unwittingly rude remarks of themselves. If a candidate’s body language suggested they were overly nervous, interviewers may be tempted to tell the candidate that they would be unsuccessful in a customer facing role. Alternatively, an interviewer could give direct advice. For example giving the candidate examples of what they may want to better.
Don’t:
Don’t appear condescending -
Tone matters, being shocked, appalled or surprised by how little a candidate prepared for the interview can be off putting. Neutral language and positive framing can help. Sometimes it is difficult to criticize without sounding high and mighty, but it is crucial that you to avoid it. It may be useful to have a colleague review your feedback message before sending.
Don’t Compare -
In most cases a candidate will be aware that they didn’t get hired because you thought someone else was better. There is no need to tell them, especially if they went through a group interview.
The candidate is not interested nor in need of knowing does that someone else have a more advanced degree or showed better leadership skills. It does not help a candidate improve and some candidates might consider such comparisons rude and unprofessional. Others may not even believe they are true since they don’t know anything about other candidates your interviewed.
Don’t invite litigation -
Candidates could claim discrimination with evidence. When you provide them with written feedback, you should be extra careful. Even if you didn’t discriminate, your word choices could easily and commonly expose companies to legal risk. This may look like – “We were looking for a candidate with no obligations outside of the workplace and would be able to be on call constantly with out fail.” – If you’re rejected candidate is a working mother or pregnant this can lead to legal trouble. Avoiding this risk can be done by providing careful feedback via a telephone conversation. In that case, prepare to spend more time providing feedback to each candidate.