As part of your interview prep, make sure you set expectations with your candidate to call you immediately after the interview so you can debrief and strategize on next steps. If for whatever reason the candidate cannot contact you right after, then set a specific time to sync up. You should never conduct this debrief via email or text as it needs to be a live and fluid conversation.
Below are some objectives we will attempt to achieve in a debrief. If there are multiple interviewees, make sure to go over each and every one of them.
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Confirm specs of role
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Insight into the interviewer's mind
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Pulse on how the interview went
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Address pitfalls and recover in TY letter
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Gauge candidate's interest
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Revisit hot topics (ie. rate, logistics, function, etc.)
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Pre-close!
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Call to Action
POST-INTERVIEW DEBRIEF
How to gather intel and interpret candidate feedback.
Debriefing with a candidate after an interview is a crucial step of the recruiting process and is more than just getting the "it went well" response from a candidate.
William Wong Oct 2020
Objectives of the Debrief
[ 1 ] Re-confirm Functions of Role
This is the perfect opportunity to gauge whether you have a full understanding of the role, it's functions and the part it plays into the overall scheme of things. Listen to how the Hiring Manager describes this role to the candidate and see if it's duties/objectives are the same that was conveyed to you. Was there something unique that the HM mentioned that you can utilize to broaden your search or excite candidates.
Sample Questions
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What are your thoughts on the role. Was it the same as how I described it?
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Did the Interviewer mention the most important functions of the position?
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What was their expectations of this job within the first 3, 6, 12 months?
[ 2 ] Insight into the Interviewer's Mind
Job requirements are often littered with skills that are incorrectly classified. Normal convention dictates that the most vital skill is listed first, with the rest followed in decreasing importance (but this is not always the case). Knowing the questions the interviewer asks will give you a glimpse into what is truly important to the role. This will help you respec your search methodologies and even possibly ask those questions on behalf of the Interviewer. One caution to this approach is that some interviewers will try to test the boundaries of a candidate's knowledge and the questions they ask may be a preferred vs. required.
If you have access to the Interviewer, re-qualify the role by telling them that you noticed they asked x,y,z during the interview, and whether those are the important items you should focus on. If you are working with role via a gatekeeper, then relay the same message thru that person.
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What questions (technical or functional) did they ask you? How did you feel about your answers?
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What questions did you ask and what was their response?
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Did they ask you to whiteboard/coding challenge? What was the scenario they asked you to solve.
Sample Questions
[ 3 ] Pulse on the Interview
The candidate's feedback on his/her ability to adequately answer questions should will give you advance indication of how the interview went so you can plan your next steps. If an Interviewer really likes a candidate, they often provide tale tell signs for next steps. Utilize this to your advantage to expedite the process. Remember, "Time Kills All Deals."
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How did you feel your interview went overall? How long did it last for?
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What did the Interviewer say about your qualifications and fit for the role?
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How do you feel about your ability to meet the Interviewer's expectations?
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How did the interview end? Mention anything about next steps (eg. additional interviews or discuss start logistics)
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If the manager wants to continue the interview, what are your availabilities for a phone and/or onsite?
Sample Questions
[ 4 ] Address Pittfalls and Recover
If the candidate didn't do too well on a particular question, he/she can always re-address it in a Thank You letter. This is their chance to set things right, but do warn them that time is against them. They need to get this point across before the Interviewer makes up their mind and debriefs with the team. These second chance letters need to be sent immediately.
Sample Questions
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Did you stumble on any questions or was there a topic that you could have addressed better?
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Can you think of any information that we can send over to the interviewer to strengthen your case?
[ 5 ] Gauge Candidate's Interest
Having an understanding of a candidate's thought process and feel for the role will help you with the pre-close process. This is also a great place to solicit feedback on their experience because any negative feedback will help you evaluate if any changes are needed in the interview process.
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What aspects of this role excite you? Did you learn anything new that increased your interest?
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What was your thought on the interview process? Anything we could have done to provide a better experience?
Sample Questions
Examples
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Did you have to talk the candidate down in rate? Is your hourly/salary range below the candidate's expectations?
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Was the distance or commute troubling? If so, does their interest in the role outweigh the negative?
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If this is a contract role, was duration an issue? Find out anything about longevity of the project to overcome this?
[ 6 ] Revisist Hot Issues
Did the candidate have any objections or concerns about any aspects of this role? This would be the best time to re-address them before an offer surfaces.
[ 7 ] Pre-Close!
If all signs are pointing to an offer, and you've addressed all their pressing issues - then it's time to pre-close the candidate. At this stage you need to figure out exactly what is in their pipeline. You may be able to close the candidate if your positioning is strong, but if you cannot, then figure out the key motivators.
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What else do you have in your pipeline? (For each of their interviews, find out the company name, location, compensation, function, and where they stack against your role).
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If they extend an offer at the agreed upon compensation package, can I accept on your behalf?
Sample Questions
[ 8 ] Call to Action
Now that you've collected all the intel from the debrief, the final step is to summarize your findings and present it to the Hiring Manager/Gatekeeper. The purpose of this summary is to create a catalyst for forward momentum. This also creates a communication flow that often receives detail notes in return from the interviewer.
This tactic is especially effective if you are working thru a gatekeeper because it provides them with content to approach the HM vs just "how did the interview go." These types of consultative recruiting techniques will solidify your relationship with that gatekeeper.
Sample Objectives
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Manager likes candidate? This summary will offer up tips on how to secure him/her. Include the candidate's hot buttons, compensation requirements and details on competing offers/interviews. This will help the Hiring Manager develop a strong Offer.
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The HM may like the candidate but wish to interview others, and this report will help determine the pace we need to follow in order to not lose out on that candidate to another offer.
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If the interview went well, but the candidate is not as interested in the role, then we need to strategize with the stakeholder on how to proceed (ie. talk about why candidate isn't interested, seek out solutions, look for more candidates as backup.)
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If the interview did not go well, then offer up alternative candidates as part of the solution.