HIRED IN MICHIGAN EDITORIAL • PRACTICAL GUIDE • OCTOBER 18, 2026
Explain the evidence behind a decision
Tell the recruiter which job requirement a candidate demonstrated and which requirement remains unclear. Quote a relevant example from the interview instead of using labels such as too senior or not a fit. Specific feedback helps the recruiter refine the search and gives the hiring manager a record of the decision.
Separate requirements from preferences
If a manager rejects several applicants for a skill that was not in the original brief, revisit the brief. Decide whether that skill is essential or simply preferred. Share any approved change with everyone involved in recruiting. Moving expectations create unnecessary work and make it harder to identify a suitable person.
A practical detail to check
When feedback is unclear, ask what evidence would have changed the decision. This often reveals whether the issue concerns a genuine requirement or an unstated preference. Resolve that distinction with the manager before sending another group of applicants through the same uncertain evaluation.
Put the advice into practice
Choose one current role or recruiting activity to use as a pilot. Review the details with the person who owns the work, and confirm that the written information reflects the actual opportunity. Keep a dated note of the changes so your team can distinguish the current version from an older message or document.
After the next candidate interaction, ask whether the information helped move the process forward. Look for a specific issue you can correct, rather than assuming one response proves the whole approach works. Share the correction with everyone using the materials. Consistent execution matters as much as a carefully prepared first draft.
Before you move on, write down your next action in one sentence: give feedback using the language of the role’s actual duties. Give that action a realistic time in your schedule and keep any unanswered questions beside it. Review those questions when you receive new information instead of treating an assumption as a confirmed detail.
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