Email template · Interview follow-up
Interview feedback request email
In short
An interview feedback request email asks interviewers or the hiring manager to submit their scorecard or decision after an interview, by a set deadline. It should link straight to the scorecard, name the candidate and role, and say what is waiting on it. Below are four templates for the first request, a reminder, an escalation and a debrief, plus subject lines and a chat version.
When to send it: Send the first request right after the interview ends, with a same-day or next-morning deadline. Send one reminder when the deadline passes and escalate after 48 hours.
Interview feedback request email: 4 versions
Same-day request to interviewers
SubjectScorecard due today: [Candidate Name], [Job Title]
Hi [Interviewer First Name], Thanks for interviewing [Candidate Name] for [Job Title] today. Please submit your scorecard by [Deadline, e.g. 5pm today]: [Scorecard Link] It takes about five minutes. Rate each competency you covered and add one or two lines of evidence for your scores. Please submit before talking to other interviewers about the candidate, so we get independent views. We're aiming to give [Candidate First Name] an answer by [Candidate Decision Date]. Thanks, [Your Name] [Title]
Reminder after the deadline
SubjectReminder: feedback for [Candidate Name] is overdue
Hi [Interviewer First Name], Quick reminder that your scorecard for [Candidate Name] ([Job Title]) was due [Deadline] and is still open: [Scorecard Link] We have [Number] of [Total] scorecards in and can't move forward until we have yours. [Candidate First Name] is [expecting an update by Date / in final stages with another employer]. Could you submit it by [New Deadline]? Thanks, [Your Name]
Escalation to hiring manager
SubjectDecision needed on [Job Title] candidates by [Date]
Hi [Hiring Manager First Name], We're waiting on feedback for [Job Title], and it's starting to cost us candidates. - Outstanding scorecards: [Interviewer Names and Candidates] - Days since interview: [Number] - Candidates at risk: [Candidate Name] has [an offer from another employer expiring on Date / asked for an update twice] Could you help get these in by [Deadline]? If it's easier, I can set up a 15-minute debrief tomorrow and capture decisions live. Thanks, [Your Name] [Title]
Debrief invitation
Subject15-min debrief: [Job Title] candidates, [Date]
Hi all, I've booked 15 minutes on [Date and Time] to decide on [Candidate Names] for [Job Title]. Before the call, please submit your scorecard here if you haven't: [Scorecard Link]. We'll review scores competency by competency and agree on next steps. If you can't attend, a submitted scorecard counts as your input. [Your Name]
Subject line ideas
- Scorecard due today: [Candidate Name], [Job Title]
- Feedback needed: [Candidate Name] interview
- Reminder: your scorecard for [Candidate Name] is overdue
- Decision needed on [Job Title] candidates by [Date]
- [Number] scorecards outstanding for [Job Title]
- 15-min debrief: [Job Title] candidates
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [Interviewer First Name], your scorecard for [Candidate Name] ([Job Title]) is due by [Deadline]. 5 min: [Scorecard Link]. Thanks, [Your Name]
Placeholders to replace: [Interviewer First Name], [Hiring Manager First Name], [Candidate Name], [Candidate First Name], [Job Title], [Deadline], [New Deadline], [Scorecard Link], [Candidate Decision Date], [Number], [Total], [Interviewer Names], [Your Name], [Title]
Slow feedback is where time to hire goes
In many hiring processes, the interviews themselves take a couple of hours, and the wait for interviewer feedback takes days. A panel of four where one person submits late holds up the whole decision, and the candidate who is waiting is also talking to other employers. Recruiters who track it usually find that post-interview feedback lag is one of the biggest single delays in their funnel. The guide to reducing time to hire with AI covers this and other stalls in more detail.
A feedback request email doesn't fix a culture of late scorecards on its own, but a consistent sequence with deadlines, a direct link and visible consequences for the candidate makes a measurable difference.
Set expectations before the interview
The best feedback request is the one interviewers expect. When you send the interviewer invitation email, include the scorecard link and the deadline then: "Scorecards are due by end of day of the interview." A common standard is same-day submission, and no later than 24 hours. Memory fades fast; feedback written three days later tends to be vague and anchored on whatever the loudest panel member said.
Block 10 minutes on the interviewer's calendar straight after the interview for writing the scorecard. It's the simplest change with the biggest effect.
What to include in the request
- Candidate name and role in the subject line, so it's findable
- A direct link to the scorecard, not to the ATS homepage
- A specific deadline with a time
- What's waiting on it: the candidate's update date or a competing offer
- A reminder to score independently before discussing the candidate
That last point is about quality, not speed. Interviewers who compare notes before scoring tend to converge on the first opinion shared. Structured, independent scoring against defined competencies is also easier to defend if a hiring decision is ever challenged under Title VII, the ADA or the ADEA, because the documented reasons are job-related and consistent across candidates.
The reminder and escalation sequence
A sequence that keeps things moving without nagging:
- At the end of the interview: first request, with the same-day deadline.
- Next morning: one reminder to anyone outstanding, with how many scorecards are in.
- After 48 hours: escalation to the hiring manager listing outstanding scorecards and at-risk candidates.
- After 72 hours: a short debrief meeting to capture decisions live.
Automate steps 1 and 2. Reminders triggered by scorecard status, with an approval step for the hiring manager's final decision, take the chasing off the recruiter's plate; approval workflows are one way to set this up. For agency recruiters chasing a client rather than an internal panel, use the client interview feedback request email, which has a different tone.
Mistakes to avoid
- No deadline, or a deadline of "when you can"
- Linking to the ATS login page instead of the specific scorecard
- Sending reminders to everyone including people who already submitted
- Accepting "thumbs up" in chat as feedback. It leaves no record of job-related reasons.
- Escalating publicly in a group channel; do it one-to-one with the hiring manager
Frequently asked questions
How do you write an email to an interviewer for feedback?
Name the candidate and role, link directly to the scorecard, give a specific deadline (same day is a common standard), mention what is waiting on it, and ask them to score independently before discussing the candidate.
How long should interviewers take to submit feedback?
Same day is the common standard, and no more than 24 hours. Feedback written days later is less accurate and delays the decision for every candidate.
What should a hiring manager feedback reminder say?
List the outstanding scorecards, how long it has been since the interviews and which candidates are at risk of dropping out. Ask for decisions by a specific date or offer a short debrief call.
Can scorecard reminder emails be automated?
Yes. Trigger the first request when the interview ends and a reminder when the scorecard is still open after the deadline. Keep escalations to the hiring manager personal.
Why should interviewers submit feedback before a debrief?
Independent scores give a truer picture than a group discussion, where the first or most senior opinion tends to sway everyone. They also create a consistent, job-related record of the decision.