Feedback: Why Is It So Important in Hiring?

According to Criteria Corp 2023 Candidate Experience Report, in 2023, 39% of candidates were ghosted by employers, and subsequently, 58% of candidates abandoned a recruitment process because of poor communication and lack of feedback. Not providing feedback to candidates in 2024 feels almost illegal since so many automated services help maintain communication and keep candidates updated. The situation is even more dramatic when it comes to the IT field. The IT industry is somewhat narrow: someone knows someone who knows someone. The word might travel fast, and it may seriously harm your employer's brand.

Today, we talk about the importance of providing feedback and different forms of it and also share some tips on effective communication.

What is feedback?

Feedback refers to the evaluation and communication of an individual's qualifications, skills, performance, and fit for a specific job or role within an organisation.

There are different types of feedback:

Skills feedback refers to a candidate's technical expertise, competencies, credentials, and experiences pertinent to the job criteria.
Communication feedback is an assessment of a candidate's oral and written communication skills, interpersonal abilities, and teamwork competencies.
Technical feedback focuses on a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving skills, and knowledge of specific tools, technologies, or methodologies.
Performance feedback is a review of a candidate's comprehensive performance during interviews, presentations, evaluations, or hands-on tasks.
Selection feedback provides insights into why candidates were chosen for further consideration, highlighting their strengths, qualifications, and suitability for the position.
Rejection feedback contains constructive insights into why candidates were not chosen for the role, pointing out areas for growth, skill enhancement, or other opportunities within the organisation or industry.

Situations when to provide feedback

It would be safe to say that it is indeed a bon-tone to provide feedback after every step of the recruitment process.

However, these are all the significant moments of when a candidate should receive a communication.

1

At the beginning, if a candidate applied and sent their CV
It's acceptable to use automated services for this one.
2

After initial and technical interviews
If you meet a candidate, establish a dialogue, and ask them to invest time, it's only fair to let them know whether it was fruitful. Even if they didn't get hired, it's essential to communicate the reasons to that individual.
3

After test assignment
It's already hard enough to find IT specialists ready to perform test assignments since they require a lot of time. But if you find a candidate interested enough to be tested and don't give a response afterwards, it's a pure lack of respect. Also, don't just promise 'we will let you know' – set a more precise date: the candidate also assesses a company's professionalism from this perspective.

Is a test assignment really needed in the IT market today?

Importance of providing feedback

While feedback is beneficial for candidates, it also holds immense significance in fostering a reputable brand image.

Candidate Experience

Prompt, clear, and constructive feedback helps build a positive candidate experience, promoting respect and professionalism. Even if you don't select them for the position, thoughtful feedback demonstrates appreciation for their time and interest in the job opening.

Employer Branding

Communication with candidates broadcasts the company's principles and culture and shows respect and professionalism. Constructive, respectful, and timely feedback enhances employer branding, reputation, and attractiveness to prospective candidates, stakeholders, and the broader talent pool.

Read more about the importance of employer brand in hiring.

Candidates share their hiring experience with one another, and it would be a shame to gain a bad reputation by penalising yourself.

Candidate Development

Feedback serves as a valuable tool for growth. It allows candidates to identify their strengths and areas needing improvement, enabling them to hone essential skills. Ultimately, constructive feedback empowers candidates to evolve, becoming valuable contributors to the IT community. And who knows, in the future, you will be interested in this candidate again.

Tips on how to provide feedback

While any response is preferable to total silence, we highly recommend taking an additional 5 minutes to engage with a candidate by following these guidelines.

Be Fast

Promptness in the IT industry is everything. In the highly competitive IT landscape, top talent is in high demand and often pursued by multiple organisations simultaneously. Timely feedback ensures that your organisation remains competitive by swiftly progressing through recruitment, making offers, and securing top candidates before they accept opportunities elsewhere. Delayed feedback can result in losing candidates to competitors, jeopardising your ability to attract, hire, and retain the key talent essential for innovation, growth, and success.

Read more about why speed matters.

Be Clear

Ensure your feedback is clear, specific, and straightforward. Use concise language, provide specific examples, and avoid ambiguity or confusion. Clearly articulate your observations, expectations, and recommendations to help candidates understand your assessments, insights, and suggestions effectively.

Be Constructive

Focus on providing constructive feedback that highlights strengths, identifies areas for improvement, and offers actionable recommendations or guidance. Frame your feedback positively, emphasise growth opportunities, and encourage candidates to leverage feedback for learning, development and enhancement of their skills, competencies, and qualifications.

Be Just

Ensure fairness, objectivity, and consistency in your feedback by evaluating candidates based on relevant criteria, qualifications, experiences, and job requirements. Avoid biases, stereotypes, or subjective judgments, and adhere to ethical, legal, and professional standards in your assessments, decisions, and communications.

Be Open to Dialogue

Encourage open, honest, and transparent dialogue with candidates by inviting their perspectives, insights, questions, or feedback. Listen actively, empathetically, and respectfully to candidates' concerns, experiences, expectations, and aspirations. Engage in collaborative discussions, clarify misunderstandings, address concerns, and explore opportunities for alignment, improvement, or development.

We hope our tips helped you understand the importance of feedback, and the next time, you won't hesitate to reach out to candidates.

Are you looking for a reliable IT recruitment partner to help you find top IT specialists? Look no further – Lucky Hunter is ready to help you. Fill out the form below, and we will contact you!

Alexandra Godunova

Content Manager at Lucky Hunter

Focusing on a diverse range of topics including talent acquisition strategies, employer branding, workplace culture, leadership development, and industry trends. With her extensive knowledge, she delivers engaging content that helps businesses thrive in the competitive landscape of today's job market.