How to Run an Interview Debrief
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The interview is over. Now comes the part most hiring teams rush — or skip entirely.
What is an interview debrief?
An interview debrief is a structured review process that takes place after a job interview. It means different things depending on where you sit in the hiring process.
Hiring: For the hiring team, it’s a collaborative meeting where interviewers, the hiring manager, and the recruiter come together to share feedback, evaluate the candidate against the requirements of the role, and reach a hiring decision. It’s sometimes called a “wash-up,” and in larger organizations it may be facilitated by an HR partner rather than the hiring manager.
Candidate: For the candidate, it’s typically a follow-up call with the recruiter — a chance to talk through how the interview went, ask questions, and get clarity on next steps.
Who owns the decision?
The hiring manager typically holds final decision-making authority, but the debrief itself is a team exercise. Everyone who interviewed the candidate has a role to play. When that process works, the result is a hiring decision grounded in evidence rather than whoever made the strongest first impression.
When it doesn’t work, the consequences are familiar: drawn-out decisions, misaligned teams,
