We all like to give and receive positive feedback. Giving and receiving negative feedback – not so much.  So it’s understandable that sometimes we delay giving the bad news.

However, if we want to have an efficient hiring process it’s imperative to provide timely and ideally constructive feedback. A few of our clients excel in this regard and even manage to build on their reputation as a desirable place to work based on how they handle candidates who missed the cut for a particular role. This has been hugely beneficial to their reputation in the market and also keeps the door open for us to re-engage with the candidate when a more suitable role becomes available.

Tip: A useful way to build this discipline is to put a slot in your diary 2 days after the interview date, to remind you to provide feedback to the candidate (or recruiter). This will help you keep to the 48 hour window which is the goal of many companies.  

By the way, for those of you saying that they may not have a decision within two days due to the ongoing interview process – that’s feedback too! In recruitment (as in many areas of business) no news is not good news.  

We all drop the ball occasionally, but if you systematically put a note in your diary two working days after the interview, it should reduce slippage and improve your candidate reputation.

Happy hunting!