Interview feedback template

Before your interview, contact the lead recruiter or hiring manager to get information about the role and candidate. Put basic information, like the candidate name, job title, and level in the table at the top, then paste background info (including key projects and links to a portfolio or resume) into the Candidate background section. This information will help you figure out what questions you want to ask and additional conversation topics you can cover if you have extra time during the interview.

This is also a good time finalize the scoring rubric you’ll use to evaluate the candidate with rest of the interview panel (the recruiter, hiring manager, and other interviewers).

Human memory is imperfect. To make sure you provide the hiring manager with useful feedback, write out the questions you intend to ask ahead of time. This will help you get the information you need from the candidate. It will also give you examples to draw from as you write up your feedback later. Also be sure to take detailed notes during your interview.

If there are questions you meant to ask but didn’t have time for, move them into Open questions once the interview is over. That way, the next interviewer can ask them.

Once you’re done with the interview, it’s time to assess the candidate. Review your notes and think about what you discussed during your conversation. What did you learn about the candidate’s skills, capabilities, or performance? Using the scoring rubric, rate the candidate in each area. Make sure you give examples to justify the scores you give.

This is a good time to review the notes on bias we’ve included in this template.

Synthesize your feedback into a single “hire” or “no hire” recommendation and indicate your choice in the table at the top of the page. Write a short, one paragraph summary of your rationale and paste this into the Justification row.

Your recommendation is your own, and should be based on your experience with the candidate. Don’t talk to the other interviewers or compare notes until you’ve submitted your recommendation.