Employers need recruiters who can uphold feedback policies without escalating conflicts, because rejected candidates can become negative voices or even complain publicly about unfair treatment.
Agree or disagree briefly, then show a balanced process: acknowledge the candidate's frustration, state what you can share, provide one actionable area, and politely but firmly decline information outside policy.
Start by saying plainly that you do not agree with avoiding feedback altogether, but you also understand why some recruiters hesitate. Explain that the fear of arguments is usually rooted in poorly delivered feedback, not in the feedback itself. Then walk through your actual approach. Acknowledge the candidate's frustration first, in a calm and respectful tone, even in Taglish if that matches the room, because that alone disarms most defensiveness. State clearly what you are able to share, such as one or two specific areas where they fell short, like lacking concrete examples or not aligning with the role's core requirements. Then offer one actionable suggestion they can use next time, which shows good faith. If they push for a full scorecard or detailed panel comments, say politely but firmly that those details are internal and you are not authorized to release them, without hiding behind a vague policy. In the Philippine setting, where word of mouth travels fast and DOLE encourages fair hiring practices, transparency within limits protects both the candidate and the company. End by redirecting the conversation to something constructive, like inviting them to apply again in the future, which leaves the door open without compromising your boundaries.
A common mistake is saying 'Hindi ko po alam, policy kasi' which sounds evasive and invites more complaints. Better to say, 'I can share that the team felt your answers needed more specific examples, but I am not able to provide the full scorecard.'
Situation
While working as a recruitment assistant at an agency, a candidate who failed a voice and accent assessment called me repeatedly and insisted on knowing exactly which questions she got wrong, saying she deserved full transparency.
Task
I had to balance the candidate's request for feedback with company policy that limited what we could share, while keeping the conversation professional and preventing escalation.
Action
I acknowledged her frustration and said I understood why she wanted more detail. I explained that the assessment was scored against a fixed standard and that I could share a general area for improvement: 'Your grammar and comprehension were strong, but the phone simulation part needed a clearer, slower pace.' I did not give the exact score or compare her to others. When she kept pushing for the raw score, I calmly repeated what I could share and offered to send her a short list of free pronunciation practice resources.
Result
The candidate eventually thanked me for the resource list and stopped calling. My supervisor noted that I had kept the agency's policy intact while still leaving the candidate with something useful.
Give one or two practical, non-comparative feedback points and avoid raw scores to reduce arguments while still helping the candidate.
Write your own answer, then get instant AI feedback graded against:
Get AI feedback on your answer — free.
3 free AI-graded answers + 1 free mock interview, no card needed.
Sign Up FreeAlready have an account? Log in
Sign in to join the conversation.
No answers shared yet — be the first to show how you'd approach this.