Objective feedback evaluates a candidate through observable evidence, not personal preference or an overall impression. In a hiring debrief, interviewers first report evidence from behavioral interview answers and discuss subjective judgments afterward. section 21.3.3
Use this order to keep a hiring discussion grounded:
- Avoid subjective comments, including casual thumbs-up or thumbs-down signals, during the interview day. section 21.3.3
- At the debrief, have interviewers speak in interview order and give objective feedback based on behavioral answers. section 21.3.3
- Only afterward, collect summary judgments and use them to prompt more detailed explanations. section 21.3.3
A cleaner debrief
Instead of saying “I liked the candidate,” an interviewer describes what the candidate said in response to a behavioral question. The team then gives its overall judgment and explains the reasoning behind it. section 21.3.3
