Why it’s important to provide feedback?
When it comes to feedback in the interview process, most people will automatically assume we are talking about the hirers feedback on the candidate. However, feedback should be a three-way exchange between the hirers, recruiters, and candidates. Each party will be able to offer unique and valuable insights that can dramatically influence the interviewing and hiring process.
Hirers
The hirers main feedback will be focused on candidates, whether this is on an initial CV submission or after an interview. When working with a recruitment partner, the feedback will be delivered directly to them. It is important that this exchange is as honest and detailed as possible, as further information around the requirements of the role and cultural fit will arise that may not have been mentioned previously.
Recruiters will use this additional information as assessment criteria for future candidate submissions, therefore the more detailed feedback the hirer can give the more accurate the candidates presented will be.
Of course, the biggest irritation for candidates is lack of feedback, so the hirer must ensure that they are feeding back to the recruiter in a timely manner, on all candidates.
"52% of job seekers said the number one frustration during the job search is a lack of response from employers".
Candidates that don’t receive feedback are not only highly unlikely to consider a job with that company again, but they are also 5x more likely to share a negative interview experience with their peers, than a positive one. Not providing feedback can quickly give you a bad reputation in the market.
Candidates
The feedback of candidates is vitally important, not just in the interview stage, but also when the recruiter initially goes to market. This is often undervalued. During the interview stage, recruiters should be continuously eliciting the candidate’s thoughts and opinions on the role and company. This gives the recruiter a better understanding of the candidate’s motivators, concerns, and situation, allowing time to address these and manage the stages correctly.
Feedback of the overall interview process is also important. If candidates feel it is particularly lengthy or they dislike the style of the interview, this can be useful for the company to know and potentially take onboard to make changes.
Recruiters
The role of the recruiter in the feedback cycle is incredibly important - they will be on the receiving end of fresh and raw reactions from both parties. It is their job to deliver this in a constructive way, but also offer advice, as they can be faced with some hard truths. For example, when initially going to market, recruiters might find they face some challenges regarding the perception of the company. The recruiter will then need to present this back to the company and perhaps help on how to address this at interview stage. Similarly, the feedback from the hirer on the candidate may not be great, so, the recruiter will need to present this in a way they can work on and improve this for future interviews.
A hiring process that takes the feedback from each party with equal importance and respect, is undoubtedly going to be most effective and successful. Even if the result is not a hire, everyone will come out with a positive impression and the opportunity to learn from it. Forming a close relationship with your recruiter and allowing them to become a trusted advisor is only going to make the hiring process better, but also strengthen the value and productivity of feedback.