Template Questions
All 9 Survey Questions
Nine questions covering the full candidate journey from first seeing the job posting to receiving a hiring decision. Question 5, perceived fairness of the assessment, is the most emotionally charged dimension of any hiring process. Candidates who rate the assessment as unfair are twice as likely to share a negative experience publicly, regardless of the final outcome. It's the question most companies skip and most candidates care about most.
01How clear and accurate was the job description in setting expectations for the role?Scale 1–5
02How easy and straightforward was the application process?Scale 1–5
03How well did the recruiter or hiring team communicate with you throughout the process?Scale 1–5
04How well organised and professionally run were your interviews?Scale 1–5
05How fair and objective did the assessment and interview process feel?Scale 1–5
06How satisfied were you with the speed of the hiring decision and communication of the outcome?Scale 1–5
07How positive an impression do you have of this organisation as a place to work, based on your experience?Scale 1–5
08How likely are you to recommend applying to this organisation to someone in your network? (0–10)NPS Scale
09What is the one thing we could change to make the hiring process better for future candidates?Open Text
When and Who to Send It To
The Timing That Actually Protects Your Employer Brand
Send within 48 hours of the final decision
Rejected candidates
The most important group to survey. Candidates who received structured feedback via a survey are 3x less likely to post a negative Glassdoor review.
Offer accepted
Captures the peak positive sentiment moment. Responses set a baseline for onboarding satisfaction comparison at 30 and 90 days.
Offer declined
The richest source of intelligence about your employer brand and compensation. Candidates who declined are more candid than almost any other group.
Withdrew from process
Candidates who drop out mid-process are a leading indicator of process friction. High withdrawal rates with low ease-of-application scores point to a fixable problem.
How It Works
From Template to Insight in 3 Steps
1
Set up the template
9 questions pre-loaded. Add the role name and hiring team to the survey header. Takes under two minutes per role.
2
Include in every decision email
Add the survey link to your rejection, offer, and withdrawal emails. Candidates respond anonymously without creating an account.
3
Close the loop
Share aggregate scores monthly with your talent team. Route specific open-text responses to the relevant hiring manager. Track NPS quarter by quarter.
Sample Results
What Your Dashboard Shows
After 94 responses across 12 roles at a mid-size technology company, the communication speed gap against interview quality scores prompted a hiring manager briefing on feedback timelines, reducing candidate NPS detractors from 31% to 14% over the following two quarters:
Candidate Experience · 94 responses · 12 rolesQ1 2026
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Avg experience score
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Candidate NPS
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Fairness score
Interview quality4.2 / 5
Job description clarity3.9 / 5
Communication speed3.1 / 5
Employer brand impression3.8 / 5
38%
Promoters (NPS 9-10)
31%
Passives (NPS 7-8)
31%
Detractors (NPS 0-6)
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this candidate experience survey template free?
Yes. Free forever with no signup required from you or candidates. Up to 100 responses free. Pro ($19/month) allows 10,000 responses and a quarterly comparison timeline for tracking candidate NPS and fairness scores over time.
Should I send this to rejected candidates too?
Yes, and especially to rejected candidates. Candidates who had a poor hiring experience are three times more likely to share it publicly on Glassdoor or LinkedIn. Your employer brand is shaped more by how you treat unsuccessful candidates than by how you treat people you hire.
When should I send the survey?
Within 48 hours of the final decision, whether that's an offer, rejection, or withdrawal. Send it to every candidate who completed at least one interview. Waiting longer than a week significantly reduces response rates and the accuracy of feedback on specific process steps.
Can I use this for both in-person and virtual interviews?
Yes. The questions are format-agnostic. For virtual interviews, you can optionally add a question about the quality of the video call briefing and setup. For in-person roles, many teams add a question about the office visit experience.
How does this help with Glassdoor and employer brand?
Candidates who complete a structured feedback survey and feel their input was valued are significantly more likely to leave positive employer reviews. The NPS question in this template directly measures whether your hiring process is generating word-of-mouth advocates or detractors among people who didn't even get the job.
What happens when I reach 100 responses?
Pro ($19/month) gives you up to 10,000 responses, a quarterly comparison timeline, and CSV export for talent reporting and DEI audits.
Your employer brand is built by people you didn't hire
9 questions. Send to every candidate. No candidate signup.
Use This Template - FreeNo signup required · Free up to 100 responses · Pro from $19/month