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A promising candidate interviewed with you yesterday. The problem? The interview was a disaster. On paper, this candidate looked like a winner, but her presentation, polish, communication skills and focus were all substandard. She is expecting a call from you today, and you need to debrief her. Since the interview went so poorly, you're not sure what to tell her. Should you be brutally honest?
What the Expert says: Providing negative feedback to candidates requires common sense and tact. Don't avoid the situation. Candidates expect interview feedback, and avoiding this conversation only stands to annoy the candidate and mar your professional reputation. It's also a mistake to invent imaginary reasons not to proceed with the process -- i.e., "That position has been filled."
Start this conversation out asking the candidate to provide her assessment of the interview. It's likely that she knows she blew the interview. If so, agree that it didn't go well and volunteer some suggestions for interviewing techniques. The constructive nature of your feedback is critical. This is a learning process, and candidates should be -- and often are -- extremely grateful to learn ways of improving their interview techniques.
Offer general suggestions and steer the candidate toward appropriate reading materials or training classes with which you're familiar. Providing this kind of assistance may well fall outside the scope of your job description, but candidates appreciate, and remember, this kind of attention and service. And, as always, remember that today's promising candidates -- even the ones who occasionally bomb in interviews -- are tomorrow's hiring managers and executives. Your tact and finesse in handling this sticky situation could pay off in the long run.
