Email template · Staffing agency (client and candidate)
Client interview feedback request email
In short
An email to a client for interview feedback asks the hiring manager, soon after an interview, what they thought of the candidate you presented and what happens next. Good versions make answering easy with two or three direct questions and a deadline tied to the candidate's situation. Below are four templates, subject lines, an SMS and a chasing cadence.
When to send it: Send it the afternoon of the interview or the next morning, after you've debriefed the candidate. If there's no reply within two business days, call, then send one follow-up email.
Client interview feedback request email: 4 versions
Day after the interview
Subject[Candidate Name]: your thoughts after [Day]'s interview?
Hi [First Name], Thanks for meeting [Candidate Name] for the [Job Title] role [yesterday / today]. I spoke with [him / her / them] afterwards. [Candidate First Name] came away keen, especially about [specific thing, e.g. the new line you're building at Plant 2], and asked a good question about [topic] that I said I'd check with you. Three quick questions so I can keep things moving: 1. Is [Candidate First Name] a yes, a no or a maybe for the next step? 2. What stood out, good or bad? 3. If it's a yes, what's the next step and who's involved? A two-line reply is plenty. [Candidate First Name] has [another interview / a pending offer] this week, so an answer by [Day] would help. [Your Name] [Title], [Agency Name] [Phone Number]
Second chase
SubjectRe: [Candidate Name]: your thoughts after [Day]'s interview?
Hi [First Name], Checking in on [Candidate Name] for [Job Title]. I know the week's busy. If it's easier, just reply with one word: yes, no or hold. I'll take it from there. [Your Name] [Phone Number]
Candidate has a competing offer
SubjectTime-sensitive: [Candidate Name] has an offer
Hi [First Name], A heads-up: [Candidate Name], whom you met for [Job Title] on [Interview Date], has received an offer from another employer and needs to respond by [Offer Deadline]. [Candidate First Name] has told me [Client Company] is their first choice, mainly because of [reason]. Their expectation remains [Pay Expectation]. If you'd like to move forward, could we talk today or tomorrow about next steps? If not, I'd rather know now so I can let them decide without losing the other offer. [Your Name] [Title], [Agency Name] [Phone Number]
Several candidates interviewed
SubjectFeedback on [Job Title] interviews this week
Hi [First Name], Thanks for interviewing our candidates for [Job Title] this week. To keep everyone moving, could you mark each one? - [Candidate 1 Name]: next step / no / hold - [Candidate 2 Name]: next step / no / hold - [Candidate 3 Name]: next step / no / hold One line on what you liked or didn't would help me refine the next round. If none were right, tell me what was missing and I'll recalibrate the search. [Your Name] [Title], [Agency Name] [Phone Number]
Subject line ideas
- [Candidate Name]: your thoughts after [Day]'s interview?
- Quick yes/no on [Candidate Name]?
- Time-sensitive: [Candidate Name] has an offer
- Feedback on [Job Title] interviews this week
- Next step for [Candidate Name]?
- [Job Title] interview: one question
- Re: [Candidate Name] for [Job Title]
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [First Name], [Your Name] from [Agency Name]. How did [Candidate Name]'s interview for [Job Title] go? Yes, no or hold is enough. They have another offer pending, so a reply by [Day] would really help.
Placeholders to replace: [First Name], [Candidate Name], [Candidate First Name], [Job Title], [Day], [Interview Date], [Client Company], [Offer Deadline], [Pay Expectation], [Your Name], [Title], [Agency Name], [Phone Number]
Why client feedback stalls, and what speeds it up
Hiring managers rarely ignore feedback requests on purpose. They've moved on to the next meeting, they're waiting to see another vendor's candidates, or they haven't agreed internally. The email can't fix internal politics, but it can make replying effortless. Two or three direct questions, a yes/no/hold option and a real reason for the timeline get answers. An open “Any feedback?” gets silence.
Debrief your candidate first. Sharing one specific, positive detail from their side (what excited them, a question they asked) gives the manager a reason to engage and reminds them which candidate you mean.
Timing and a chasing cadence
A cadence most agency desks can live with:
- Same afternoon or next morning: the feedback request email.
- Two business days later: a phone call. Feedback over the phone is often more candid than in writing.
- Day three or four: a one-line second chase as a reply in the same thread.
- If there's still nothing after a week, call the person who owns the job order or the HR contact and ask whether the role is still active.
If the candidate has a competing offer, compress this to a day and say so plainly. That's not pressure; it's information the client needs. Agreeing feedback turnaround up front, ideally in the job order confirmation email, makes these chases much easier: “We agreed 48 hours” is a simpler message than a third reminder.
What to do with the feedback
Feedback is useful in two directions. Pass a short, honest version to the candidate within a day, including when it's a no. Candidates who hear back from you, even with bad news, come back to your agency for the next role.
Use it to recalibrate the search too. If the manager rejected three candidates for “not enough leadership,” the job order needs a conversation, not a fourth candidate. Recording feedback against each submission, rather than in your inbox, shows patterns across a client: some managers reject for the same reason every time, which tells you how to screen. Sharing candidates through a candidate sharing portal where managers can leave a rating and comment directly on the profile often gets feedback faster than email, because it's one click from the profile they're already looking at.
Fairness and documentation
Ask for feedback tied to the job: skills, experience, how the candidate handled specific questions. If a manager's reason touches age, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability or another protected characteristic, don't pass it on to the candidate and don't act on it. Raise it with your account lead, because a staffing firm that knowingly follows a discriminatory request from a client can share liability under federal and state anti-discrimination laws. Keep written feedback factual and assume the candidate may one day read it.
Internal and agency versions
In-house recruiters face the same problem with their own hiring managers, but with different leverage: the internal interview feedback request email can point to a scorecard due date and a debrief meeting. Agencies rarely have that authority, so they rely on candidate urgency and a good relationship. If you submitted the candidate with a clear candidate submittal email, reference it so the manager can find the profile again in seconds.
Mistakes to avoid
- Inventing competing offers to force a decision. Clients find out, and you lose them.
- Asking for feedback on five candidates in five separate emails. Bundle them.
- Chasing daily. It reads as desperation and gets you filtered.
- Going over the manager's head on day two.
- Forwarding the manager's raw comments to the candidate. Summarize them fairly instead.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ask a client for interview feedback?
Email the hiring manager the same day or next morning with two or three direct questions: is the candidate a yes, no or maybe, what stood out, and what's the next step. Give a reason for your timeline and keep it short.
How long should I wait before following up with a client on a candidate?
About two business days, then call. If a candidate has another offer, follow up within a day and explain the deadline.
What do I do when a client won't give interview feedback?
Make replying easier with a yes, no or hold option, call rather than email, and if there's still nothing after a week, ask the job order owner or HR whether the role is still active. Agree feedback turnaround times when you take future job orders.
Should I tell the client the candidate has another offer?
Yes, if it's true. It helps the client decide in time. Never invent a competing offer to speed things up.
What feedback should I pass on to the candidate?
A fair, job-related summary: what went well, what was missing and the decision. Leave out anything personal or unrelated to the job.