How to ask for feedback after an interview

When to ask: it depends where you are

1. They have said no

   This is the best moment. The decision is made, there is nothing left to negotiate and it is easier for the interviewer to be candid. Reply within a day or two, say thanks and ask your question.

2. The process is ongoing and you have heard nothing

   Wait until the deadline they gave you. If they gave none, about ten days after the interview is a reasonable margin. Before that, your email reads as impatience.

3. More than a month has passed

   You can still write, but lower your expectations: the interviewer will remember less, and your question has to be even more specific.

If the problem is that nobody replies at all, here is the full protocol: No reply after the interview: what to do

Who to write to

The person who interviewed you, if you have their email. They saw what you did and can tell you something specific. If you only have the recruiter who organised the interviews, write to them: they often collect the whole team’s impressions.

If there were several interviews, pick the last stage you took part in. What you want to know is what weighed in the decision, and that is usually in the last conversation.

Next time: when you say goodbye, ask for your interviewer’s email. It is a normal request and saves you hunting for it later.

How to ask for it naturally, and what else to ask before you leave: Questions to ask at the end of an interview

What to ask (and what not to)

The question decides whether you get an answer. “Why didn’t you choose me?” asks for a full explanation, and explaining a rejection in writing is uncomfortable. It goes unanswered.

A question that can be answered in one line and looks forward works better:

• What would I have needed to move on to the next stage?
• If you had to point out just one thing to improve, what would it be?
• Was there anything in my profile that did not fit what you were looking for?

One question per email. Ask three and you will most likely get an answer to none.

Email template to ask for feedback

Written for when they have already said no. Change what is in brackets, send it from your own email and attach nothing.

Hi [name],

thank you for letting me know the decision and for your time in the interview on [date]. I came away with a good impression of the team.

Just one question, because it will help me in future processes: what would I have needed to move on to the next stage? One line is plenty, and I completely understand if you cannot reply.

Best regards,
[your name]

It says thanks, asks for one thing, offers a way out (“one line is plenty”) and does not argue with the decision. That keeps the effort of replying to a minimum.

What to do with the answer

If they reply, thank them in one line and do not argue, even if you disagree. Feedback is not a verdict on you: it is what one person saw in one conversation. Write it down with the company, role and date.

A single comment may be noise. The same comment in three different processes is a pattern, and that one is worth acting on. That is why it pays to keep everything in one place.

If there is no reply within a week, do not insist through the same channel. Some companies prefer not to explain rejections in writing, and in others nobody has the time. Neither says anything about you.

How to ask without writing it yourself

That email is hard to write. And even if you send it, the answer, if it comes, is a stray paragraph you cannot compare with other interviews.

In KoManao you register the process with your interviewer’s email and turn on the feedback request. About twelve days after the interview we write to them on your behalf: the email says who you are, the role and the stage, and includes a link to rate seven criteria in one minute, with no account needed. We let you know the day before, in case you would rather cancel it.

If they do not reply, we send a single reminder a week later, and nothing more. They can reply with just the status of the process, or ask with one click never to be contacted again. We cannot guarantee a reply; we can make sure the request is well made and that whatever they say reaches you, organised alongside your other interviews.

We only write to the address you register, for that interview, never for marketing, with one-click opt-out. If you register none, we write to no one.

Frequently asked questions

Is it rude to ask for feedback after an interview?

No. It is a common, well-regarded request if it is short, polite and does not argue with the decision. What annoys people is insistence: one email and, at most, one reminder.

How long should I wait to ask for feedback?

If they have already said no, reply within a day or two. If the process is ongoing with no news, wait for the deadline they gave you or, if none, about ten days after the interview.

Is the company obliged to give me feedback?

There is no general obligation to explain why you were not chosen, so feedback depends on the interviewer’s goodwill. The GDPR does let you request access to the personal data the company holds about you, but that is a formal procedure, not a conversation about how to improve.

What if they reply with a generic message?

It happens often. Say thanks and do not insist. Next time, ask for feedback in a more structured way: a few specific criteria get answered sooner than an open question.