We Explain How (and When) to Give Interview Feedback

We know nearly all (94%) of candidates want feedback after interviews. According to a Starred study, candidate feedback is the biggest driver of rejected candidates’ net promoter score (NPS).

Simply put, providing feedback makes candidates more likely to recommend your company, even if they didn't get the job. 

Ready to learn how to deliver effective interview feedback that leaves a positive impression? And what can you do in situations where you can’t give honest feedback? 

In this Willo guide, we give you a simple, repeatable process for delivering feedback to candidates after interviews.

Why Give Interview Feedback?

Providing interview feedback isn't just a courtesy—it's a strategic tool that benefits both candidates and your organization. 

Here's how:

Strengthens employer brand 

According to our 2024 Hiring Trends Report, 83.6% of recruiters agree that a strong employer brand is vital for attracting and retaining top talent. 

Providing interview feedback demonstrates respect for candidates' time and brings transparency to your recruitment process. These seemingly small gestures create a lasting positive impression of your organization and strengthen your reputation as an employer.

Builds a reliable talent pool 

It’s true, most applicants won’t get the role… but some might be perfect for future openings.

Providing thoughtful interview feedback keeps the door open for these potential hires. The numbers back this up—candidates are 46% more likely to stay connected with companies that provide feedback, and 47% more likely to refer others to your organization.

Helps candidates grow 

Interview feedback gives candidates clear insights into their strengths and areas for improvement, preparing them for future opportunities. 

Whether they receive an offer or not, this guidance ensures candidates leave with valuable insights they can apply to their career journey and a more positive impression of you, your company, and your industry than they otherwise would have.

4 Key Considerations for Providing Interview Feedback

1. Timing

Most companies take around 24 working days to respond after an interview. While your timeline may vary based on candidate volume, team size, and workflow complexity, aim to stay within this window.

When should you provide feedback? Focus on these key stages:

• After each interview round (for shortlisted candidates): Keep candidates engaged by sharing feedback after each stage, especially for those moving forward or on the borderline.
• Immediately after rejection: Once you've decided a candidate isn't moving forward, let them know promptly.
• Post-hiring decision (for final round candidates): Give detailed feedback to candidates who reached the final stages but weren't selected. They've invested significant time in the process and deserve comprehensive insights.
• Upon candidate request: Respond to specific feedback requests within a week.

If you anticipate delays, communicate proactively. A simple update to candidates with an estimated timeline maintains transparency and trust.

2. Potential feedback risks

Giving interview feedback may have some drawbacks.As you think about implementing a feedback process, here are three risks to consider (and how to manage them):

• Risk of misinterpretation: Candidates may misunderstand your feedback. To avoid this, keep it clear, specific, and based on observable facts rather than opinions. Interview scorecards can help maintain objectivity—but more on them later.
• Risk of discrimination: Feedback can inadvertently come across as discriminatory. Avoid this issue by focusing solely on skills, experience, and interview performance—never on personal traits, disabilities, or factors unrelated to the role.
• Risk of emotional reactions: Candidates may feel upset or disappointed after receiving feedback. It’s natural—we’re all human, and bad news can be hard to hear. You can minimize negative reactions by maintaining a professional yet encouraging tone.

3. Feedback structure

The way you structure your feedback is incredibly important. And the best structure is a repeatable one. It ensures consistency, reduces errors, and helps your team scale feedback efficiently as your candidate pool grows. 

Here's how to structure it:

Start with the positives. Highlight the candidate’s strengths or what they did well during the interview. This sets a positive tone and shows you appreciate their efforts. 

“We were really impressed with your presentation skills and your ability to clearly explain complex concepts. It showed your confidence and strong communication skills.”

Next, be honest about the areas that didn't quite hit the mark (if any). Be specific and offer actionable advice so candidates know exactly what to work on.

“We noticed that some of the technical questions were challenging for you, and the examples weren’t as detailed. We recommend reviewing specific case studies that showcase your expertise. This will help strengthen your responses in future interviews.”

If you’re rejecting a candidate, finish with some encouragement. Leave them with a supportive message or advice for their next application, so they leave with a positive impression, even if things don't go their way.

“We see your potential and encourage you to keep applying for roles that match your skills.”

For candidates moving on to the next stage, provide all the details they need for the next step—whether it’s about another interview round or the onboarding process—so they know exactly what to expect.

4. Let candidates share their thoughts too 

Feedback shouldn't be a one-way street. Asking candidates about their interview experience shows you value their perspective and helps you refine your hiring process. Yet 78% of candidates say that companies they apply to don’t ask for their input…. don’t be that employer!

Keep it simple with a post-interview survey that asks:

• “How satisfied were you with your interview experience?”
• “What could we have done better?”

You could also use an NPS (Net Promoter Score) survey with a question like: 

• “On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend this recruitment process to others?”

The data these simple questions generate becomes valuable over time.  

How to Deliver Interview Feedback 

1. Assess the candidates objectively 

Great interview feedback starts with solid assessment. When you standardize your evaluation process, you'll provide more objective, fact-based feedback and avoid many of the common feedback pitfalls we covered earlier.

The key is consistency—use the same criteria for every candidate.

Before interviews begin, identify essential skills for the role and design questions to evaluate them. This creates a clear framework for judging how well candidates demonstrate these skills in their answers.

Willo's Scorecard feature makes this process simple. You can create a Scorecard based on the skills you’ve identified and rate each candidate from “strong yes” to “strong no” depending on how well they meet your criteria.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what each rating means:

• Strong Yes — Absolutely endorse this hire
• Yes — Good fit, consider for hire
• Maybe — Need more information
• No — Probably not a fit
• Strong No — Oppose this hire

This helps keep everything objective and clear. 

2. Document feedback from interviewers 

Not every interviewer is a recruiter. Often, it's a peer or team member who isn't used to providing candidate feedback. That's why clear documentation of their observations is crucial.

For live interviews, ask interviewers to record their thoughts (whether digitally or on paper) for future reference. For async interviews, tools like Willo make the process even simpler—interviewers can add comments directly to a candidate's submission so everyone involved can see them instantly.

3. Gather and deliver the feedback 

Once you've reviewed the candidate pool, decide who moves forward and compile feedback for each person. With Willo, this is as simple as pulling together the interviewers' comments.

For high-volume hiring, crafting personalized feedback for every candidate isn't realistic. Consider using generative AI tools. Upload your feedback template, add the specific interviewer comments, and let AI create professional responses at scale.

Structure each message using the format we covered earlier, then send them off to candidates.

What to Do When You Can’t Deliver Detailed Feedback

Sometimes, you’re not able—or it’s not appropriate—to deliver interview feedback. For example, you may interview over 50 people for a single role, so it’s not feasible to produce in-depth comments for everyone. 

In these cases, here's how to manage the process effectively:

1. Set clear expectations upfront

In your job descriptions and recruiting communications, tell candidates exactly what feedback they can expect, if you’re able to provide it at all. This transparency builds trust from the start and saves time managing expectations later.

2. Create simple templates for different groups 

Consider sorting applicants into basic categories like "not qualified" or "qualified but not selected." Then, create template responses for each group. This approach lets you respond to everyone while effectively managing your time.

Consider adding one specific observation for later-stage candidates.

3. Handle special cases with care 

For candidates who performed poorly, focus on basic qualification gaps rather than giving a detailed critique. This is a great way to save time while still delivering honest feedback that’s of real value to the recipient. It also means you can build in time to give high-level feedback to finalists who invested significant time in your process. 

Have a standard response ready for candidates who explicitly request feedback.

4. Keep communication lines open 

When detailed feedback isn't possible, stay in touch. Send prompt updates about application status and clear timelines. Thank candidates for their time. Acknowledging their effort goes a long way in preserving your employer brand.

5. Scale your approach 

Consider using automated tools to help scale your communication while keeping it personal. The key is staying professional and transparent, even without detailed feedback. This approach shows respect for candidates and protects your reputation as an employer.

Delivering Impactful Interview Feedback

Interview feedback is a great way to build your brand, support candidates, and keep your talent pool strong. In this article, we’ve covered everything you need to know about timing, structuring feedback, engaging candidates, and how Willo can help with all of that.

Beyond scorecards and commenting features, Willo is a full-featured asynchronous interview tool that can streamline your interview process itself.

Ready to simplify your hiring process? Give Willo a try for free.