So, you have successfully interviewed the candidate but don’t know how to end an interview on a good note. For most recruiters, ending an interview can be tricky. If you’re the one – looking for ways to end an interview on a positive note, then we’ve got you covered.

How you start and end an interview says a lot about you and your brand. It can either result in a positive or negative candidate experience. When candidates have great candidate experience, it can help you create a positive employer brand and enhance your brand reputation. On the other hand, when candidates have a bad experience, it can negatively impact your brand reputation and boost the candidate’s drop-off rates.

So, how to close an interview and enhance the candidate experience?

Whether you move forward with the candidate to the next hiring stage or not, it’s always crucial to keep the candidates updated about their position in the recruitment process.

The closing moments of an interview are crucial for a few key reasons:

1. Last impressions count

Much like first impressions, last impressions can be hard to shake. The way you end the interview will likely be one of the final things the candidate remembers about their experience. A positive, well-structured close can solidify a favorable impression, while a disorganized or abrupt ending can undermine all the good work you did earlier.

2. It's the candidate's last chance

The end of the interview is the candidate's final opportunity to ask questions, clarify information, and ensure they've provided you with a comprehensive picture of their qualifications. As the interviewer, you want to make sure they feel they had ample chance to make their case.

3. It sets the tone for next steps

How you close the interview can directly impact what happens next in the hiring process. Providing clear next steps, expressing enthusiasm, and leaving the candidate feeling good about the company can increase the chances they'll remain engaged and responsive going forward.

Address Their Concerns

Every candidate has some questions spinning in their head. Hence, allow candidates to speak up and clear their queries, if any. It can be related to your job role and your company.

Give A Timeline

Never make your candidates wait for your response regarding the interview outcome. Candidates would move on to other opportunities if they didn't get any response from the employer on time. So, to hire and retain the top talent, it’s crucial to give a dedicated timeline of when candidates can expect to hear from you.

Whether the candidate is selected or not, you must inform them via phone call or email.

Let Them Meet Your Team

Most recruiters don’t allow the potential candidate to meet the team before onboarding. However, allowing them to meet your team will give candidates a preview of your team dynamic. It may even sway their decision on working for you over your competitors.

Complete Your Notes

It’s always important to write notes on how candidates answer your queries and what their priorities are. Making notes will help you compare candidates easily and make an informed hiring decision.

Prepare For Negotiations

You will never want to demotivate candidates, especially when you want them to work in your organization. The most significant thing a job seeker considers is the salary package. Before you end your interview, you must know your limits and determine a salary range of what you think is appropriate. If candidates agree on that, you can have room for negotiation.

Always Be Closing

Identify the candidate’s pain points and use them to end your interview. You can ask some questions like, “What would you like to change about your previous employer?”

The answer to such questions will give you a deep insight into their priorities. In this way, you can easily assess whether the candidate is the right fit for your organization or not.

Thank The Candidates

Lastly, thank the candidate for the time and let them know when they can expect a response from your side. Either stand or shake hands – it is a professional way to end an interview and signal the candidates to leave.

So, now you have a glimpse of how you can end an interview on a positive note, let’s discuss some common mistakes to avoid when ending an interview.

Not Allowing Candidates To Speak

Asking for feedback from candidates is essential to improve your existing recruiting strategies. Not allowing candidates to speak and ask queries can create room for confusion, increasing the chance of candidates moving on to other opportunities. Therefore, it’s always essential to allow candidates to speak and address their concerns effectively.

Acting Rudely

The rude behavior of a recruiter or hiring manager can make candidates hate them, affecting the employer brand and brand reputation. You must treat candidates like your customers, and candidates appreciate when their employer values them.

Getting Distracted

When communicating with candidates, you must maintain eye-to-eye contact with them and answer all their queries. However, answering your phone, using social media, texting, etc., should be avoided. During the interview, keep your phone on silent or keep it out of sight.

You Come Unprepared

Before you initiate the interview, you need to be prepared beforehand about what questions to ask, how to end an interview, respond to the candidate’s queries, etc. If you do not do this, you will fail to deliver an exceptional candidate experience.

Using A Complicated Language

Using complicated words and phrases in front of a candidate is a big no-no. It will not only confuse candidates but make them less impressed. Use simple language to avoid confusion and wasting the time of the candidates.

Losing Focus During The Interview

As a recruiter, you must stay engaged during the interview with job candidates and address their concerns. Focus on what candidates are saying, maintain eye contact, and have positive facial expressions.

While the general best practices above apply to most interview situations, there are some specific scenarios where you may need to adjust your approach:

Ending an Interview with a Weak Candidate

If it becomes clear during the interview that the candidate is not a good fit, you'll want to end things tactfully. Avoid being overly blunt or dismissive. Instead, focus on highlighting the positive aspects of the conversation and provide clear next steps.

For example: "I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me today. While I don't believe this particular role is the best match for your background, I was impressed by [positive attribute] and I encourage you to keep [company name] in mind for future opportunities that may be a better fit."

Ending a Phone or Video Interview

When concluding a remote interview, your body language and tone become even more important, as you lack the in-person interaction. Be sure to maintain an engaged, energetic demeanor and make good eye contact with the camera.

You may also want to provide slightly more detail on next steps, as there's less opportunity for casual conversation at the end. For instance: "Well, I've really enjoyed our discussion today. I'd like to take some time to review your qualifications in more depth and I'll be sure to reach out within the next 5 business days to update you on the status of your application."

Ending an Interview Early

If you decide to end an interview early, do so tactfully and avoid leaving the candidate feeling rushed or dismissed. Acknowledge the time and provide a clear explanation.

You could say: "I know we have a shorter interview scheduled today, so I want to be mindful of respecting your time. Based on our discussion so far, I have a good sense of your background and capabilities. Let's go ahead and wrap things up, and I'll be sure to follow up with you soon regarding next steps."

Learning the best strategies on how to end an interview will make you a great recruiter. An interview doesn’t end when candidates leave the room. You must follow up with the candidates and keep them updated about the recruitment process.

With the tips mentioned above, you can conduct an exceptional interview and deliver a great candidate experience which will help you create a positive employer brand and enhance brand reputation.