🔍 Purpose:

This stage focuses on gathering detailed candidate feedback after their first (non-technical) interview with the client. This is a critical checkpoint to:

✅ Assess their engagement level—Are they still excited about the opportunity?

✅ Identify any concerns—Did anything in the interview make them hesitant?

✅ Gather intelligence on the client’s interview process—What questions were asked? How was the conversation structured?

✅ Improve our prep for future candidates—Using real insights to refine interview coaching.

1️⃣ Candidate Follow-Up Call (15-20 Minutes)

📞 Format:

💡 Key Questions to Ask the Candidate

Category Question ✅ What a Good Answer Looks Like ❌ Bad Answer (High Risk) ⚠️ Risk Factor to Mitigate
Overall Experience How did the interview go? "I really enjoyed it! They asked great questions, and I felt we had a strong conversation." "It was okay. I didn’t really connect with them." 🚨 Lack of enthusiasm—may disengage from the process.
Engagement & Buy-In Did this interview make you more or less excited about the role? "More excited—I feel like this company aligns with my values and work style." "I’m not sure. Some of their answers about the role felt vague." 🚨 Doubt creeping in—need to address hesitations quickly.
Company & Role Understanding Did anything surprise you about the company or the role? "They seem even more fast-paced than I expected, which I like." "The job seems a bit different than I expected—less product ownership." 🚨 Expectation misalignment—risk of dropping out later.
Cultural Fit How did you feel about the team and their way of working? "I liked their collaborative approach, and they seem to have a good decision-making process." "I’m not sure—I didn’t get a strong sense of the team dynamic." 🚨 Unclear cultural alignment—need to dig deeper.
Interviewer Questions What questions did they ask you? "They focused a lot on how I collaborate with PMs and designers, and how I handle ambiguity." "They didn’t ask much about my experience, just general questions." 🚨 Unstructured process—need to refine how we prepare candidates.
Red Flags & Concerns Did anything in the interview make you hesitate about this opportunity? "Not really, though I’d love to learn more about their long-term vision." "They seemed unsure about funding and hiring plans." 🚨 Potential dealbreaker—need to clarify with the client.

2️⃣ Intelligence Gathering: Understanding the Client’s Interview Process

This step is crucial for refining how we coach future candidates.

🔍 Key Data to Collect from Each Candidate:

✅ What topics the interviewer focused on (e.g., collaboration, decision-making, adaptability).