Having an after-interview Candidate Experience survey in place can help you gather actionable feedback that gives suggestions on how to improve Employer Brand, reduce drop-off rates and decrease the overall cost per hire. But how do you make sure the survey is well-prepared and results in data-driven decisions?
This chapter is all about explaining what to focus on in different after-interview Candidate Experience surveys, giving you specific questions and templates. And since feedback goes both ways, we will also discuss how you can give feedback to the rejected job seekers in a way that creates a positive experience.
Types of After Interview Surveys
If you have been here since Chapter 1, then you probably know that one of the steps of setting up Candidate Experience surveys is identifying different stages of your hiring process. The same goes for the interviews.
You can have multiple rounds of interviews that the job applicants go through. For example, they can experience a phone interview, case or assessment, and a culture fit interview in a single recruitment process. We have seen that sending the same survey for every stage just won't give you the results you are looking for.
When the recruitment process consists of multiple interview stages, it can be hard to figure out where the Candidate Experience survey comes in. Should you send it after the first phone screen? Or after the case?
That depends on the stage where the job applicant was rejected or withdrew from the process. For example, if your applicant didn't succeed in the case interview, they should receive the "After the Assessment" Candidate Experience survey.
Benefits of Tailoring Candidate Surveys to Your Interview Process
Different interviews serve different purposes, so the insights you gather will vary as well. Having distinct Candidate Experience survey questions for each round of interviews will give you specific action points and make sure the survey is personal.
Get Targeted Feedback
Not every stage involves the same people, questions, tasks or expectations. A survey after a phone interview might focus on first impressions and the recruiter’s communication skills, while an after assessment survey examines the fairness and relevance of the test itself.
With tailored surveys, you can ask questions that reveal specific pain points and avoid generic or irrelevant responses. Plus, if one stage consistently scores lower than others, you know exactly what to improve.
Evaluate Your Talent Acquisition Team
Each stage is owned by different stakeholders, for example: recruiters, hiring managers, and interviewers. A tailored survey can provide insights into how well each group performs their role.
- Feedback after a case interview might help you evaluate the hiring manager’s preparation and fairness in setting tasks.
- Feedback from a final interview can highlight how well interviewers represent the company culture and set expectations for the role.
Unbiased Perspective
Asking for feedback after the candidate has been rejected ensures that the experience is still fresh in their mind, allowing them to reflect on the aspects most relevant to them. This leads to a balanced view of the entire candidate journey, rather than just a general impression at the end. And since their opinions won't be swayed by the hope of being hired, the feedback tends to be more honest and unbiased.
What to Ask In After Interview Candidate Survey?
The next section of this blog is packed with practical examples of the Candidate Experience survey questions to ask at each stage of the interview process. These examples will give you inspiration on how to tailor your surveys to gather the most insightful candidate feedback.
After Phone Interview Survey
Usually, the phone interview and screening process is shortly after the application process. Sending a brief survey to the rejected candidates about the online application, communication, phone call, and received feedback will give you great insights that can help identify the strengths and weaknesses of your hiring process.
Question Examples:
Net Promoter Score: Based on your application experience, how likely are you to recommend applying to Company X?
Tip: The NPS question should be included in all of your surveys to measure candidate satisfaction. Read more about measuring cNPS in Chapter 2!
Online application: How would you rate the application process on the following aspects? (Rating scale is 1-5)
- Career Page: It was easy to apply
- Job Description: The responsibilities and expectations of the role were clear and complete
- Quick Response: I received a quick response to my application
Recruitment team/Phone Screen: How would you rate the experience you had with the recruitment team? (Rating scale is 1-5)
- Screening: The recruiter asked me questions that allowed me to highlight my skills and experience
- Feedback: We provided you with a proper explanation of why we did not move forward with you
Find the survey template for Rejected After Phone Screen here!
After Assessment Survey
This stage involves specific tasks that evaluate the candidates' problem-solving abilities and relevance to the job description. By asking the right Candidate Experience survey questions, you can ensure that your assessment methods are fair, transparent, and aligned with the job offer. By this stage, the candidates have had the opportunity to form an opinion about the hiring team, work environment and the overall application process.
Question Examples:
Assessment: How would you rate the online assessment on the following aspects? (Rating scale is 1-5)
- Briefing: I was well-informed about the preparation and execution of the assessment
- Functionality and Ease of Use: I was satisfied with the functionality of the technical tool
- Relevancy: I recognized the added value of the assessment
- Assessment feedback: The feedback on the assessment was clear and constructive
Job Role Alignment: How well did the assessment reflect the actual skills and responsibilities required for the role? (Rating scale is 1-5)
- Skill Relevance: The skills tested were directly applicable to the job position
- Tasks: The tasks mirrored real-life challenges I might face in the role
- Expectations: The assessment set realistic expectations for the job
Hiring team: How would you rate the experience you had with the recruitment team? (Rating scale is 1-5)
- Screening: The recruiter asked me questions that allowed me to highlight my skills and experience
- Communication & Managing expectations: The hiring team managed my expectations around the process and timeline
- Feedback: We provided you with a proper explanation of why we did not move forward with you
Overall Experience: How would you describe your overall experience with the assessment stage? (Open-ended question)
Find the survey template for Rejected After Assessment here!
After Interview Survey
This survey is for candidates who were rejected after the last stages of the recruiting cycle. Their feedback provides insight into what contributed to a positive impression of your company, but also what they may have disliked about your interview process.
Keep in mind that this is one of the longer surveys for the top talent who have gone through most of the stages in the recruiting process, so it is important to understand the overall satisfaction, but also dive deeper into the specific stages they have gone through.
Question Examples:
Recruitment team: How would you rate the experience you had with our recruitment team? (Rating scale is 1-5)
- Screening: The recruiter asked questions that allowed me to highlight my skills and experience
- Communication & Managing Expectations: The recruiting team managed my expectations around the process and timeline
- Feedback: I was provided with a clear explanation of why (Company X) chose not to move forward with me
- Scheduling of Interview(s): The scheduling of the interview(s) went smoothly
- Preparation for Interview(s): I felt that the recruiter prepared me well for my interview(s)
Hiring team: How would you rate the experience you had with the interviewer(s) on the hiring team? (Rating scale is 1-5)
- Interview Preparation: I could tell that the interviewer(s) I spoke with were prepared
- Interview Atmosphere: The interviewer(s) provided a safe environment to freely and properly express myself
- Engagement: The interviewer(s) were engaged and interested in me
- Team Overview: The interviewer(s) gave me a thorough understanding of expectations in the role and the culture of the team
- Asking Questions: You had the opportunity to learn about the team and the challenges in the role
Interview Content: How relevant were the interview questions to the job description and your skills? (Rating scale is 1-5)
- Relevance to Role: The questions asked were directly related to the responsibilities of the position.
- Skill Alignment: The interview allowed me to showcase my relevant skills and experiences.
Company Culture Insight: How well did the interview process provide you with insights into the company's culture and values? (Rating scale is 1-5)
- Cultural Fit: The interview helped me understand the company culture and how I might fit in.
- Values Alignment: The company's values were clearly communicated during the interview.
Find the survey template for Rejected After Interview here!
Want to see more Candidate Experience survey questions and templates for every stage, including the onboarding process and feedback from withdrawn or hired candidates? Go back to Chapter 4 of our ebook!
How to Give Interview Feedback to Unsuccessful Candidates
Giving feedback is a two-way street. If you ask for feedback from candidates, it is equally important to provide them with constructive insights about their performance. According to our 2023 Candidate Experience Benchmark Report, rejected candidates discussed feedback more than anything else, and the majority of them were detractors. This tells us that candidates who give a low cNPS are currently dissatisfied with the (lack of) interview feedback.
Giving meaningful feedback is the perfect opportunity to turn this statistic around and ensure that candidates feel valued and leave the process with a positive recruitment experience, increasing your cNPS and avoiding bad word-of-mouth. It can even lead to referrals, as candidates who feel they were treated fairly are more likely to recommend your company to others.
Best Practices for Giving Feedback:
Giving feedback to unsuccessful candidates can be a challenging task, but with these best practices, you can make candidates feel valued and appreciated even if they didn't land the job:
- Start off with their strengths
- Be constructive and offer specific examples
- Remain empathetic and understanding
- Refer to notes and references
- Provide resources for further development
- Review their technical or practical assessments
- Maintain an open dialogue
Are you looking for real-life examples of how to use these tips? Find them in our blog here!
What's next?
Now that you know how to craft successful survey questions, you might be wondering how to actually get those candidate responses. Our upcoming Chapter 7 discusses exactly that! We talk about writing engaging survey invitation emails that can increase your response rate and gather the insights you need.