An interview feedback form is a structured document or digital tool used by interviewers to evaluate candidates after a job interview. It includes key criteria such as skills, experience, communication, and cultural fit—along with space for overall impressions and hiring recommendations.

For small business owners, an interview feedback form is a simple but powerful way to bring clarity, consistency, and accountability to the hiring process. It allows multiple decision-makers to share structured input, reduce hiring bias, and make data-driven decisions faster.

With Homebase, small teams can streamline their hiring process from job posting to onboarding—while incorporating tools like interview feedback forms to improve collaboration and candidate evaluation.

Why interview feedback forms matter

Small businesses often run lean hiring processes where owners or managers are juggling multiple responsibilities. Interview feedback forms can help ensure hiring decisions are:

• Objective – Based on consistent evaluation criteria across all candidates
• Efficient – Saves time by capturing thoughts while they’re fresh
• Collaborative – Makes it easier to compare notes across interviewers
• Compliant – Offers documentation to support hiring decisions if needed
• Repeatable – Establishes a system that can be used for future hiring rounds

Key components of an effective interview feedback form

While every form can be customized to fit the job or industry, most include a few essential sections:

1. Candidate information

• Name
• Position applied for
• Interview date
• Interviewer name

2. Rating scale

Use a consistent scoring system (e.g., 1 to 5 or 1 to 10) to rate the candidate on key attributes such as:

• Relevant experience
• Technical or job-specific skills
• Communication abilities
• Professionalism
• Problem-solving or critical thinking
• Cultural fit with the team
• Enthusiasm or motivation

Each attribute should include space for both a score and a brief explanation.

3. Strengths and weaknesses

Give interviewers space to note what stood out in the candidate’s favor—and any areas of concern.

4. Overall impression

A short summary of the candidate’s performance, potential, and how well they match the role.

5. Recommendation

A final checkbox or statement, such as:

• Strongly recommend
• Recommend with reservations
• Do not recommend

Best practices for using interview feedback forms

To get the most value out of your feedback forms, keep these tips in mind:

• Customize for each role – Tailor competencies and skills to match what you’re hiring for
• Standardize the scoring system – Ensure everyone is evaluating on the same scale
• Use right after the interview – Capture impressions while they’re still fresh
• Train interviewers – Make sure anyone conducting interviews knows how to use the form properly
• Combine with other tools – Use alongside resumes, cover letters, and screening questions for a complete picture

Forms should be thorough but not overwhelming. The goal is to get clear, useful input—not to create busywork for your team.

Interview feedback forms vs. casual notes

While jotting down thoughts in a notebook may feel easier, a structured form offers several advantages:

Interview feedback forms:

• Pros: Consistent, organized, and make it easier to compare candidates across multiple interviews
• Cons: Require some initial setup and brief training for your team

Casual notes:

• Pros: Flexible and fast to implement with no preparation
• Cons: Often inconsistent between interviewers, harder to share with the team, and difficult to track over time

The best approach is to create a lightweight, easy-to-use form that team members can complete quickly—often in just a few minutes after the interview.

How Homebase helps streamline hiring and feedback

Homebase gives small business owners everything they need to run a more efficient and collaborative hiring process—from posting jobs to onboarding new hires. With Homebase, you can stay organized and easily collect input from multiple team members.

Here’s how Homebase supports interview feedback:

• Create structured hiring workflows for each role
• Store and access candidate details in one dashboard
• Assign interviewers and track evaluations
• Centralize notes and scoring to compare candidates
• Move candidates into onboarding in just a few clicks

Explore Homebase Hiring and Onboarding to streamline your hiring process, standardize candidate evaluation, and make smarter hiring decisions for your growing team.