Giving feedback to candidates throughout the interview process is often the last thing on the minds of many recruiters and hiring managers. Whether or not you hire a candidate, however, you have abundant reasons to provide feedback to all candidates going through your interview process. Here are some reasons to provide feedback to all candidates after they interview with you.

1. To preserve an ongoing relationship

Just because you did not hire a candidate for one position does not mean you will not interview or hire that candidate for another position in the future. Not only will a candidate be more disposed to apply for a future position with your company if you give specific feedback after the interview, but the candidate may also use that feedback to improve and interview even better the next time.

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2. To encourage referrals by candidates who were not selected

Positive word of mouth about your company is a valuable way to improve prospects’ perceptions toward you along with their willingness to apply for a job with your company. You want the candidates you did not hire to tell their friends and colleagues that even though they did not get hired, it was a good candidate experience.

3. To get positive comments (or avoid negative comments) on job sites and social media

In the same way a candidate may comment on his or her experience to friends, he or she may also comment about the experience on job sites like Glassdoor or social media sites like LinkedIn. You may not be able to avoid all negative comments no matter how much feedback you give, but you will likely get positive comments if you treat candidates well, which includes giving them constructive and respectful feedback after an interview whether or not they are hired.

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4. Because it is the right thing to do

Doing the right thing has positive results; giving feedback will yield benefits in some form because it is the right thing to do. You can never go wrong treating others the way you would want to be treated. This includes the types and amount of feedback you give; being brutal or calloused will not be beneficial for either party. Constructive feedback is best when it is kind but truthful—in that order.

5. To help candidates get hired (even if not by you) 

Constructive feedback is helpful to the candidate, which may lead to improvements that get that candidate a future job with a company that may or may not be yours. There is certainly no harm in actions that can lead to an improvement in the overall career field, and you never know when in the future you will interact with that particular candidate or the company that employs them. These interactions are much more likely to be positive if constructive feedback helped the candidate get a job they like.

Taking the step of giving feedback after all interviews can be time consuming, but using software like ThriveTRM to manage candidate interactions can streamline the recruiting process and provide needed time for follow-up. Discover solutions for VC / PE firms today!