Top 10 Practices for Effective Interview Feedback Forms
Updated: Sat, Aug 17, 2024
Adejoke (JK) Adekunle
The Role of Feedback Forms in Talent Acquisition
Interview feedback forms are not mere pieces of paperwork; they actually serve as instrumental tools for a company's talent acquisition. These forms encase vital parameters such as candidate feedback, interview assessment, and evaluation criteria, which aid in reviewing a candidate's performance objectively. They capture specific attributes and skills, allowing recruiters to compare and contrast diverse candidates in a nutshell. Business titans like Amazon and Microsoft, for instance, make extensive use of interview feedback forms to evaluate the qualifications, abilities, and potential of interviewees vis-à-vis the job requirements—ensuring they hire top-tier talent.
How Interview Feedback Forms Benefit Both Parties
The benefit of interview feedback forms isn't confined to just the organization; it extends to the candidates as well. When companies furnish constructive feedback using these forms, it gifts candidates with a clear understanding of their strengths and areas requiring improvement. This fosters professional development and better preparation for future roles. From the company's perspective, an effective feedback process is an opportunity to leave a positive impression on the interviewed candidates, thereby enhancing the organization's reputation. A practice that many industry leaders, like Google and Tesla, are well-known for. This overall equilibrium vitalizes a win-win situation for both parties involved in the hiring process.
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Practices for Effective Interview Feedback Forms
So, how do you create interview feedback forms that are not only functional but also effective? Let's dive into the top 10 practices that can help you design forms that will lead to better hires.
1. Keep It Simple and Focused
Interview feedback forms should be easy to understand and fill out. Keep the questions straightforward and avoid overly complex language. The goal is to capture relevant information about the candidate, not to test the evaluator's ability to navigate a convoluted form.
Why Simplicity Matters
When forms are simple, they reduce the cognitive load on the interviewer, allowing them to focus on the candidate rather than trying to decode the form. Simplicity also ensures consistency, as all interviewers will interpret the questions similarly, leading to more reliable data.
2. Use Structured Rating Scales
Rather than relying solely on open-ended questions, incorporate structured rating scales (e.g., 1-5 or 1-10 scales). This provides an easy way for interviewers to quantify their impressions of the candidate’s skills, experience, and cultural fit.
The Benefits of Rating Scales
Rating scales offer a more standardized way of assessing candidates, which helps in comparing them objectively. They also give a clear framework to ensure that interviewers are rating based on specific criteria, not vague impressions.
3. Include Both Quantitative and Qualitative Feedback
While structured rating scales are essential, they shouldn’t be the only thing on the form. Encourage interviewers to provide qualitative feedback as well. This can be in the form of short comments that explain their ratings or highlight specific strengths and weaknesses.
The Balance Between Data and Insight
Quantitative feedback is great for tracking trends and making objective comparisons. However, qualitative feedback gives context to those numbers, offering insights that might not be captured by a rating scale. Combining both gives a well-rounded view of the candidate.
4. Tailor the Form to the Role
Not all roles require the same competencies, so your feedback form should reflect the unique needs of the position you're hiring for. If you're interviewing for a technical role, for instance, make sure the form focuses on the relevant technical skills. For a leadership role, emphasize leadership and decision-making abilities.
Why Customization is Key
A one-size-fits-all feedback form doesn’t work because every role demands a unique set of skills and attributes. Tailoring the form to the role ensures that the most relevant competencies are being assessed.
5. Set Clear Criteria for Evaluation
To ensure consistency across interviewers, provide clear guidelines on what each rating means. For example, if you’re using a 1-5 scale for communication skills, explain what a "1" and a "5" would look like in practice.
Defining Success
Setting clear criteria removes ambiguity and helps interviewers provide more accurate and comparable feedback. It also helps prevent situations where one interviewer thinks a "3" means “average” while another believes it means “mediocre.”
6. Encourage Objectivity
Bias is an unavoidable human trait, but you can take steps to minimize its impact on your interview feedback. Encourage interviewers to focus on specific, observable behaviors rather than subjective impressions or "gut feelings."
Strategies to Promote Objectivity
One way to promote objectivity is by framing questions in a behavioral format. For instance, instead of asking whether the candidate “seems like a good leader,” ask, “Can you provide an example of when the candidate demonstrated leadership skills during the interview?”
7. Incorporate Multiple Dimensions of Evaluation
Ensure that your feedback form covers a range of competencies, from technical skills to soft skills, as well as cultural fit. This will give you a more holistic view of the candidate’s abilities.
A Well-Rounded Evaluation
Focusing solely on technical skills can lead to hiring someone who may be excellent at the job but struggles to work well with others. On the other hand, overemphasizing cultural fit might mean you miss out on a highly skilled candidate. Striking a balance between the two is key.
8. Make It Easy to Compare Candidates
When multiple interviewers are involved in the hiring process, it’s important that their feedback can be easily compared. Make sure your form is standardized across all interviewers, so that everyone is evaluating candidates on the same criteria.
Why Comparability Matters
Having a standardized form helps in making fair and objective comparisons between candidates. It also makes it easier to spot patterns, such as a candidate consistently receiving high marks for leadership across all interviews.
9. Allow Space for Final Recommendations
At the end of the form, give interviewers a chance to make a final recommendation based on their overall impression of the candidate. This can be as simple as a "Yes," "No," or "Maybe," or you can provide a space for more detailed recommendations.
The Power of the Final Recommendation
A final recommendation provides a concise summary of the interviewer's thoughts. It’s a useful tool for decision-makers when reviewing multiple candidates, as it offers a quick way to see where each interviewer stands.
10. Review and Update the Form Regularly
Your interview feedback form shouldn’t be set in stone. As roles evolve and your company’s hiring needs change, it’s important to review and update the form regularly to ensure it’s still relevant.
Continuous Improvement
Interviewing is an evolving process, and your feedback forms should reflect that. Regularly soliciting feedback from interviewers on the form itself can help you identify areas for improvement and keep the process fresh and relevant.
Recap
Interview feedback forms are essential tools that help standardize and objectify the hiring process. Forms must be kept simple, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative feedback and tailored to the role. This will ensure that every interviewer provides valuable input. Don’t forget to regularly review and update your forms to keep them aligned with your hiring needs. These best practices will help you make more informed and fair hiring decisions, ultimately leading to stronger teams and a more successful company.
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