Want the full picture? Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of our Triple-A Feedback Loop (TAFL) series.

You have done the hard part—selected your candidates from scratch, and your hiring managers are happy. Now the clock ticks. Will your “star candidate” accept the offer or walk away?

One misstep here, and you’re back to square one. It all boils down to one answer: yes or no. That’s why acceptance stage candidate feedback is indispensable. This is Part 3 of the Triple-A Feedback Loop (TAFL) blog series, covering everything from L2 interviews to candidates accepting or rejecting offers.

Silence before the storm

If a candidate who has gone through thick and thin to compete for the offer leaves in silence, the possibilities are endless. In this stage, candidates form strong opinions about your company. You may never hear them.

According to Gartner, 50% of respondents accepted job offers but backed out before their first day. When they walk away silently, you don’t just lose one hire, you lose the chance to improve your entire hiring process and prevent future drop‑offs.  Instead of assuming why they disappeared, just ask for feedback.

The “what” factor

At this point in the hiring journey, every company has a formality feedback form that might be thrown into the archives.  Don’t let it gather dust. Make it actionable and use it for maximum gains. Moreover, this feedback form acknowledges the candidate's effort, makes them feel valued, and keeps the door open for future opportunities.

By collecting and acting on acceptance-stage feedback, you can:

• Shorten time-to-hire
• Lower attrition
• Zero in on candidate drop-off points
• Reduce candidate no-shows
• Improve offer acceptance rates
• Build a quality passive talent pool

Feedback to fixes

Time is of the essence. Send the feedback form along with engaging emails aligned with your company’s communication style as soon as the process is over and a hiring decision has been made. Be empathetic and put yourself in the candidate’s shoes.

Pinpoint where you lag. It could be competitive benefits, salary expectations, recruiter-candidate miscommunication, or employer branding. Zero in on the problems to truly understand what’s going on in the minds of your candidates and what you need to improve in your hiring process.

Be mindful: This is where the most insightful candidate feedback surfaces. However, it’s natural for a few candidates to fill out the form in frustration, leading to skewed data.

Track your impact

To measure the impact of the acceptance feedback form, you can use specific metrics.

• The response rate, which shows how many candidates are filling out the feedback form.
• Common or recurring drop-off reasons, which can be salary, location, role clarity, or other concerns.
• The offer acceptance percentage, to compare pre- and post-feedback implementation and measure improvement.

You can find more in the sample form below.

Extra mile: Share how you have used their insights to improve your hiring process. This builds trust and increases reapplication and referral rates from potential candidates.

Copy this framework👇🏼

Use Zoho Recruit and Zoho Survey to customize forms and shape your hiring workflows—from that first click to the right hire. Here is a curated, detail-oriented, and actionable survey which you can use or adapt to your hiring.

Disclaimer: Please do not submit any sensitive or personal data into the survey. This form is only meant to serve as an example.