How Can We Effectively Analyze Candidate Feedback to Improve Our Interview Process?

What are the various ways to analyze the feedback of candidates who came for an interview? We want to evaluate the interview procedure/process. What type of questions can we include in the survey?

Interviewees are not your customers, so vying for their feedback may not be ideal. As a follow-up email, you may inquire about the quality of the interview. However, this approach comes with risks. If you send a detailed questionnaire or a simple email to request feedback from the job candidate, and they provide negative feedback despite being a good fit for the position, it could be awkward for the candidate to join the company or work with the interviewer. Depending on the number of employees hired each month or quarter, you could gather feedback from newly onboarded employees to assess the overall quality of the recruitment process.

To enhance the interview quality, consider recording the interviews and seeking advice from an external consultant on question quality, relevance, sequencing, and potential omissions. Including supporting or probing questions can also be beneficial. Constructive feedback like this can significantly enhance the interviewing skills of the interviewer.

The Holistic Job Interview Process

The job interview process is holistic, encompassing how candidates are treated before the interview and the quality of the questions asked. The former reflects your company culture, while the latter depends on the interviewer's skills. Have your managers received training in interviewing skills? I typically address these issues during training sessions on "Behavioral Interviewing."

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

I can't agree more with Dinesh. You cannot surely ask the candidates whether they liked the questions that were asked in the interview. Probably you want to know whether the candidates felt at home at the venue, liked the ambiance, or were well looked after by the support staff. As Dinesh said, this has more to do with the organizational culture.

If you still want to elicit feedback from the candidates to improve, you can give them a simple format with questionnaires on seating arrangements at the venue, the manners and etiquette of the support staff, and what they would like to be served, i.e., water, tea, and biscuits, etc. Additionally, you can ask about any other amenities they feel are missing at the venue, like a fan in the proper place (sometimes the chair will be in one place and the fan in another).

Regards, B. Saikumar

Interview Panel and Conduct

Before the interview process begins, the company should decide upon a panel of interviewers. They need to focus on conducting interviews, framing relevant questions to elicit answers and views from candidates, and relating them to the values the company is looking for.

Routine Arrangements and Candidate Treatment

Routine arrangements for candidates should be well planned and handled professionally. How the candidate is treated during the interview process can give a good impression to both those who succeed and those who do not clear the interview process.

Feedback and Videotaping

Views about the selection process can be taken from those who get selected and join, but keep in mind that the newly selected person may only speak positively and leave out other aspects. Videotaping the process is a good idea, provided we make the candidate aware of being recorded. It would be unfair to record the proceedings without formally informing the candidates, as it can lead to unintended consequences.

Analyzing Interview Success

Another way to analyze the success of the interview procedure is through the subsequent performance of the selected candidates. Though a one-hour interview or screening test cannot bring out the full potential of a candidate, it provides an adequate indication of whether the person will be the right fit for the job and the company as a whole.