Interview Follow-Ups

Debriefs are the most important part of hiring, and often the most underrated. I was recently talking to a recruiting friend who told me her company doesn’t do debriefs. At all. Even though she’s tried to introduce them, the team insists on keeping the process async and using the (sometimes subpar 😵💫) written feedback. My immediate reaction? How are you making decisions without a conversation? Debriefs are where the magic, or the mess, happens. They’re not just a recap; they’re where scattered opinions turn into a clear, aligned decision. And when done right, they’re one of the most impactful parts of the hiring process. As a recruiter, I know this is my moment to bring structure, challenge assumptions, and ensure we’re making decisions for the right reasons. Here’s why debriefs matter and how I approach them: 1️⃣ Debriefs align the team. Interviews can be subjective, and everyone sees different parts of the candidate. The debrief is where we bring it all together. By focusing on the scorecard, not gut feelings or the most charismatic person in the room, we make sure decisions are based on the role, not personal preferences. 2️⃣ They expose blind spots. Bias doesn’t just creep into interviews; it shows up in debriefs, too. My role as a recruiter is to listen for inconsistencies, challenge groupthink, and ask the hard questions. When someone says, “I just didn’t get a good vibe,” you can bet I’m going to ask, “What specific feedback led you to that conclusion?” 3️⃣ They save time and energy. A bad debrief leads to wasted time - re-reading notes, debating endlessly, or even scheduling unnecessary second interviews. A strong debrief gets everyone on the same page and keeps the process moving forward. 4️⃣ Recruiters are the drivers. We’re not just there to take notes. In a debrief, I’m keeping the team grounded in the scorecard, clarifying discrepancies, and pushing for clarity when feedback is vague. If we’re torn on a candidate, I’m asking, “What’s missing for this to be a clear yes?” A few tips for better debriefs: ✍🏼 Pre-debrief feedback: Require interviewers to submit notes before the meeting to avoid recency bias or group influence. 🏗️ Stay structured: Stick to the scorecard to keep the conversation focused. ❓ Ask better questions: If the team is stuck, try, “What problem are we solving for with this hire?” or “What’s our level of confidence in this decision?” 🎬 Have the hiring manager go last: Don't let the HM share their feedback until the very end. This ensures that interviewers aren't influences by the HM's opinions. Debriefs aren’t just meetings, they’re where hiring decisions are made. When they’re done right, they elevate the process, surface better insights, and help you hire the best person for the job. How does your company approach debriefs? What questions are you asking to ensure they are productive?

One of the most important parts of Amazon’s hiring process happens after the interviews are over. It is called the debrief, but it isn’t just a recap of “How it went.” It’s a data synthesis meeting that determines if the candidate raises the bar. Debriefs are ideally scheduled for the same day or the day after the candidate’s interview loop occurs. The time between loop completion and debrief completion, measured in hours and days, is one of the process metrics that should be tracked along with every step of the hiring process. More time between each step in the hiring process reduces the quality and fidelity of the information recall of the interviewers, degrades the quality of the candidate experience, lengthens the time to close open requisitions, and reduces the odds of landing the best candidates (because they are interviewing with multiple companies). Added time is a lose-lose-lose-lose. The required pre-work for the meeting is for each interviewer to complete and submit their written candidate assessment, which includes their vote (e.g., "inclined" or "not inclined” to hire). Interviewers failing to complete the evaluation on time is a constant source of delayed or ineffective debriefs. Once the assessments and initial votes are all complete, the meeting begins and follows a fixed structure: 1) Everyone reads all interview assessments independently. (5-10 minutes) 2) Everyone re-votes based on the assessments 3) Discussion 4) Decision One of the challenges in this process is the revote in step 2. People are often reluctant to change their vote because they feel that they are admitting they “got the answer wrong the first time.” This is not the case. It is perfectly normal to change votes in either direction after reading all of the assessments. In my experience as a Bar Raiser, I found it necessary to encourage people to change their vote and to point out that there is zero shame in doing so. In most cases, the vote is split between inclined and not inclined. This is when the Bar Raiser’s job begins in earnest. As the Bar Raiser in this situation, I would write two columns on the whiteboard: reasons to hire and reasons not to hire. Based on the written assessments, I would list each principle in the appropriate column. Then I would ask the group, "Does anyone think that any of these principles are not in the right column?" or "Does anyone have any data that suggests that one of these belongs in a different column?" In other words, “Does anyone think that the candidate has been assessed incorrectly in any of these principles?” This leads to discussions about various principles and whether the examples cited suggest that the candidate’s work is above or below the bar for the given principle. The Bar Raiser’s role is to manage and facilitate this discussion. (cont. in comments)

When your recruiter asks, “How do you think it went?” It’s not just small talk. The post-interview debrief isn’t a courtesy call. The call matters. It’s one of the most important conversations in the entire interview process. That post-interview debrief is where you give your side of the story before the hiring manager does. What landed well. What you felt strong about. What you liked. What you didn’t like. Where you felt unsure. What questions came up. Any signals you picked up that matter. Why does that matter? Because recruiters don’t just pass along feedback…we help shape the conversation. We provide context. We clarify intent. We help prevent small things from turning into big concerns. If something felt off, we can address it. If you stumbled, we can explain it. If compensation, timing, or interest level shifted, we need to know. Skipping that call or giving one-word answers doesn’t help anyone. Especially the candidate. Bottom line: that debrief isn’t just helpful. It’s strategic. Call your recruiter after the interview, while everything is still fresh on your mind. Help your recruiter help you. Be honest. Be specific. Don’t brush it off. That “quick check-in” debrief after the interview can influence next steps more than most candidates realize. #JobSeekers #JobSearch #InterviewDebrief #RecruiterTips

There are many steps in a recruitment process, but the one we should never skip is the interview debrief. Interview debriefs are where the real story shows. This is where we hear the candidate’s perspective - how the process felt, what worked, and what didn’t. Gut feel? Only right about half the time. Sometimes a candidate our client loves isn’t interested. Sometimes a candidate thinks they did badly, yet the client is ready to move fast. Why? Because interviewing is as much an art as it is a science. Every interviewer is a brand ambassador - whether they realise it or not. Clients who truly care about hiring and people listen to this feedback. We often assume everyone knows how to interview, but it takes training, practice, and reflection to get it right. The debrief isn’t just “admin” work. It’s often the difference between attracting talent and unintentionally pushing it away. #TalentStrategy #PeopleLeadership #HiringExcellence #BrandAmbassador #InterviewDebrief

One of the ways recruiters give this business a bad name? Talking to candidates when they only have cursory information about the client or the role. Candidates can tell immediately. When they do, trust is gone. 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁. Coda is off to a strong start and has taken on several new clients already in 2026. And with every new client comes the same reality for agency recruiters: You have to get up to speed 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆. That doesn’t mean settling for surface-level knowledge. One of the best ways to truly understand a role is through a thorough post-interview debrief with every candidate.  • Tell me EVERYTHING.  • What questions were asked?  • What seemed to matter most to the hiring manager?  • Where did the conversation get deeper? Over time, those debriefs become your real intelligence on the role — often more valuable than the original job description. The best agency recruiters I know treat every conversation as another chance to sharpen their understanding of the client and the role. Because we’re not just presenting jobs. We’re representing companies, careers, and 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 every time we pick up the phone. Happy Friday friends!