Gathering feedback after you have met the candidates in the qualifying meeting is important. Receiving and delivering candidate feedback helps you decide if the candidate is the right fit for the position. Do you move forward or reject the candidate? Does the candidate possess qualifying skills and aptitude for the position? Quality feedback will help you answer all of these important questions.
There are three essential areas to remember when you are gathering feedback.
1. Feedback should come from a place relatable to the job description
There should be a direct correlation between what a candidate says they have done related to the job and the requirement of the job. Sometimes the experience may not match 100% as two jobs cannot be the same, but the candidate should at least be experienced in the core requirements of the role. Any further relevant experience is considered a “nice to have”.
2. Feedback should be detailed
When delivering candidate feedback, you may realize that the details you jotted down during the meeting are not adequate. You are struggling to remember all the details of the conversation you had. It is helpful to have a list of focus areas and jot down all the relevant details during the qualifying meeting.
Jotting down the details is important as it helps you recall what the candidate actually did in their previous roles. If a candidate is explaining their role in generic terms, make sure to follow up and dig deeper. Follow-up questions are the most important ones in an interview.
For example, you could ask questions such as:
- What was the thinking behind the decision?
- How did you test the decision and define success?
- What specific challenges came up and how did you resolve the issue?
- When dealing with customers, how did you overcome pushbacks?
3. Feedback should be quantifiable
Why is the candidate the right hire? If you believe the candidate is right, you should be able to quantify it. Yes, there is a matter of gut feeling too, i.e. you liked the candidate and they seem to gel with the team. However, there should be a balance between quantifiable metrics and gut feelings.
Asking questions that involve data makes it easier for you to measure the aptitude of the candidate, and as a result, helps you make the right decision faster.
By using these simple steps next time you want to give or elicit candidate feedback, you can have a more insightful interview and make better hiring decisions.
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