Giving candidates constructive feedback after an interview is not an easy task especially in the case they do not qualified for the job. However, your company can show high level of professionalism in the way HR department delivers the news.
Currently, there are two main ways to communicate and notify the candidate: via telephone or email/letter. You can choose your own way depending on which round of the interview process you want to inform the candidates.
Normally, email is applied for the early stages of the interview process. On the other hand, if the candidate has passed through a lists of stages, it is advised that HR manager give them direct feedback via telephone.
The advantage of providing feedback after an interview is making a positive impression, building engagement with candidate for future relationship. Here is some advice from Faro Recruitment Vietnam’s specialists on giving feedback after an interview:
Ensuring prompt feedback
Remember not to keep it too long to notify the candidate about the interview outcome. It is stressful enough looking for a job and you can make the situation worse by not giving them prompt respond.
As long as the applicants are notified of the results, they can continue searching for appropriate position. Your company may be linked with negative image if you make your candidates unsure of their future career. Therefore, you need to let them know if you need longer time to make decision and will give them constructive feedback later.
Be honest
Your honesty in providing feedback will always be appreciated by your interviewee. Sugar coated answers will give the feeling of insincerity while overly critical ones may be unprofessional. It is crucial that HR managers keep their feedback constructive within the area of expertise. Useful feedback should make some suggestion about how that person can improve in the future such as highlighting their strength rather than providing list of unsuitable traits.
Some personal preferences guiding people about how they conduct or act are unnecessary and irrelevant with company’s goals. Therefore, you should not point out any weakness just because you personally do not like it.
Smartly phrase your feedback
It is important to think carefully when you phrase your feedback to keep it both honest and polite. Do not say something like “you are not fit for our company”, you can say something nicer instead “while you process great experiences in…, we are searching for somebody who can do…”. In this way, you can better engage with them for future talent acquisition campaign. Moreover, this kind of feedback will positively help them find their ideal job.
In addition, never make false promise. If you are not going to consider the applicant for future recruitment, do not tell them about unreal intention.
Having a notepad in the interview
The last advice from Faro Recruitment Vietnam is to keep a notepad beside in the interview, thus letting you to write necessary details or feedback. In this way, you will have examples to show in your feedback email. Frequent practice of writing up your notes in/ right after an interview will help you to remember every important details.