A rejected candidate asks for feedback. How do you respond?
What the interviewer wants to hear
- Respond promptly and respectfully
- Share brief, job-related, factual feedback where policy allows
- Focus on development, not personal traits
- Avoid legal risks such as protected characteristics
- Keep the door open where appropriate
Model answer
I thank them for asking and respond quickly, because that is when feedback is most useful. I check our company policy first, since some companies limit written feedback. Where allowed, I keep it short, factual and tied to the job criteria, for example: "The panel was impressed by your stakeholder examples, but other candidates showed deeper experience with large-scale data migrations." I focus on things they can develop, never on personality or anything linked to personal characteristics. If they were a strong candidate, I tell them so and ask if they would like to be considered for future roles, with their consent to keep their details. Even a short, kind response makes a big difference to how they see the company.
Can you answer it under time pressure?
Take a timed easy round and get scored on every answer.
More easy HR Recruiter questions
- Walk me through the end-to-end recruitment process you follow.
- How do you screen a resume quickly but fairly?
- How do you find and approach passive candidates?
- Why does candidate experience matter, and how do you improve it?
- Which recruiting metrics do you track, and why?
- Why do you want to work as a recruiter?
- How would you build a Boolean search to find candidates for a role?
- How do you prepare for and run an intake meeting with a hiring manager?
- How do you keep candidates engaged during a long hiring process?