Interview Feedback
Specific observations or assessments provided to a candidate about their interview performance. Employers rarely give detailed feedback proactively; candidates can request it after a rejection. Valuable when received — most candidates get generic responses or nothing.
Interview feedback is information about how a candidate performed during an interview — what worked, what didn't, and why a decision was made. It's most valuable after rejections, as it can inform future preparations. **The legal and liability issue:** Most US employers give minimal feedback out of legal caution. Detailed feedback about why a candidate wasn't hired can theoretically be used as evidence in discrimination claims. This is why most rejection emails say nothing specific. **How to request feedback:** After a rejection, send a brief, gracious email: 'Thank you for letting me know. I'd genuinely appreciate any specific feedback on my candidacy that I could use to improve for future opportunities.' **What you might receive:** - Nothing (the most common response) - A generic reiteration of the rejection rationale - Occasional genuine feedback: 'We felt your technical depth on X was strong but the team was looking for more senior experience in Y' **Internal feedback you don't see:** After every interview, interviewers typically complete scorecards or debrief notes. This feedback is internal — used to make the decision, not shared with candidates. Glassdoor's interview section occasionally surfaces approximations of common feedback themes at specific companies. **Acting on feedback:** When you do receive specific feedback, take it seriously. A recurring theme across multiple rejections — 'candidates felt you were less clear on quantitative reasoning' — is a real signal worth addressing.
Why it matters
Most candidates receive no actionable feedback on their interviews and repeat the same patterns across many applications. The rare case where real feedback is offered is disproportionately valuable — it points directly at the thing to fix.
Candidate tip
Keep your own notes after every interview — what questions caught you off guard, where your answers felt thin, where the interviewer seemed most and least engaged — this self-assessment is often more accurate than waiting for feedback that won't come.
Related terms
Rejection Email
ApplicationsAn official notification from an employer that your application will not advance further. Most companies send generic rejection emails; some don't send them at all ('ghosting'). What to do after rejection: keep notes, stay professional, and sometimes request feedback.
Interview Follow-Up
InterviewsCommunication sent to interviewers after an interview — thank you notes, status inquiries, and continued-interest signals. Prompt, personalized follow-up is a low-effort, high-impact differentiator in competitive hiring processes.
Mock Interview
InterviewsA practice interview conducted with a partner, coach, or AI tool to simulate real interview conditions and improve performance before the actual interview. The most effective form of interview preparation for most candidates.
Interview Scorecard
InterviewsA standardized evaluation form used by interviewers to record structured assessments of candidates across predefined criteria. Scorecards reduce bias and enable apples-to-apples comparison across multiple candidates interviewed by multiple people.