⚙ Hi {{first_name_tally|Operator}} - I'm psyched to try something new today. Think less analysis, more "here's exactly how to do this thing." First up: creating candidate experience surveys that don't suck.
We all know we should be getting feedback from candidates, but... how? We're going deep with real prompts, specific tools, and yeah - even the awkward stuff like how to ask rejected candidates for feedback without freaking out legal.
I want to build out a whole library of these practical playbooks - the kind of guides I desperately wished existed when I was figuring this stuff out. But I won’t make another one unless I’m sure this is valuable to you. Can you let me know below?
Alright, let's fix those surveys… after a word from our sponsor.
How to Create Effective Candidate Experience Surveys
Use ChatGPT to create candidate experience surveys that gather actionable feedback that can improve your hiring process.
Uses ChatGPT • Recruitment & Talent |
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Want to know why that perfect candidate ghosted you? Or why your acceptance rate is stuck at 50%? Let's fix that. We're going to use ChatGPT to build candidate experience surveys that actually tell you what's working (and what's not) in your hiring process.
We'll create three different flavors of surveys:
One for the folks who joined your team (congrats!)
Another for candidates who didn't make the cut
And one for those who said "thanks, but no thanks" mid-process
Their responses will highlight the strengths and weaknesses in your hiring process.
This matters more than most companies realize. Your recruitment process is about understanding why exceptional candidates choose to join you, decline your offers, or walk away mid-conversation.
In today's market, top talent is juggling multiple offers. A clunky interview process or a slow hiring decision could be the reason you're losing out on hires. Let's catch these issues before they cost you your next star player.
Tools needed:
ChatGPT
Word processing software (i.e., Google Docs)
Online survey tool (i.e., SurveyMonkey or Google Forms)
Steps to follow:
Define your recruitment process
Generate the candidate experience survey
Refine the survey questions
Adapt the survey for different candidate outcomes
Create the online surveys & utilize feedback
Let’s get right into it!
Step 1: Define your recruitment process
To start, provide ChatGPT with a comprehensive overview of your company’s current hiring practices.
Open a new chat in ChatGPT, paste the prompt below, and complete each [bracket] with the necessary details.
Sample prompt
In the following series of prompts, I will share details about our company's hiring process, which you will use to create a customized candidate experience survey.
Here is our company’s typical job hiring journey:
[Insert First Step - e.g., submit a resume]
[Insert Next Step - e.g., complete an online assessment]
[Insert Next Step - e.g., submit a video introduction]
[Insert Next Step - e.g., attend an in-person interview]
Platforms used at each step of the job hiring process:
[Insert Platform for Step 1, e.g., LinkedIn]
[Insert Platform for Step 2, e.g., Greenhouse]
[Insert Platform for Step 3, e.g., Loom]
[Insert Platform for Step 4]
Role(s) Covered by This Survey: [Insert Job Position(s)]
About Our Company:
Name: [Name of Company]
Industry: [Tech, Healthcare, Retail, Finance, etc.]
Company Size: [Start-up, Mid-sized, Large Corporation]
Please summarize your understanding of our company’s hiring process in 100 words.
Here is an example of what an output could look like
Step 2: Generate the candidate experience survey
With a clear understanding of your company’s hiring workflow, the AI can now generate a customized candidate experience survey.
As mentioned, we will generate three versions of this survey; each customized for candidates who were hired, rejected, or those who withdrew their applications. By considering all three outcomes, you get a clearer picture of how candidates feel about your company's hiring process.
Let’s start by generating survey questions for candidates who were successfully hired, then later adapt this survey as a template for the other groups.
In the same ChatGPT chat, paste the prompt below, filling in each [bracket] with the necessary details.
Sample prompt
Based on the information I provided about our company’s hiring process, please draft a candidate experience survey tailored for applicants who were hired.
The survey should contain [X number of questions] questions, with the following breakdown:
[Y number] multiple-choice questions
[Z number] rating questions
[A number] open-ended questions
Please ensure that the questions assess specific steps of the hiring journey and provide meaningful insights into the candidate experience.
Example Output
💡Tip: Customer experience surveys typically include 10 to 20 questions. Ideally, these surveys should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete to avoid discouraging participation. |
Step 3: Refine the survey questions
Read and analyze the questionnaire generated by ChatGPT. If you’re already satisfied with the questions, proceed to the next step.
💡Tip: Only ask questions that generate answers you’re willing to act on. If you're not prepared to make adjustments, skip the question. |
However, if there are still areas where the survey questions can be improved, you can use the four prompts listed below, which are designed for:
a) replacing specific questions
b) ensuring clarity
c) adjusting the survey’s tone
d) focusing on particular stages of the hiring process to gather targeted feedback
Use these prompts in the same ChatGPT chat you’ve been using if you think the survey questions require improvement based on the scenarios mentioned.
🛑 Reminder: You DO NOT need to use these prompts if you are already satisfied with the questions. |
Prompt for replacing specific survey questions
All of the questions are fine except for questions [specify the designated numbers]. Please replace these questions with different ones that still align with the same question type (e.g., multiple-choice, rating, open-ended). List the revised set of questions in full.
Prompt for ensuring clarity
Some questions are too complex or confusing. Please review questions [specify the designated numbers] and rewrite them to improve clarity and comprehension. List the revised set of questions in full.
Prompt for changing the overall survey tone
The overall tone of the survey is good, but I’d like to make the questions more [insert desired tone, e.g., casual, formal, empathetic]. Please adjust the wording to reflect this tone. List the revised set of questions in full.
Prompt for targeting specific areas of the hiring process
I would like to gather more feedback on [specific aspect of the process]. Please replace questions [specify the designated numbers] with questions that specifically ask about [insert aspect, e.g., the clarity of communication, the difficulty of the assessment]. List the revised set of questions in full.
Once you have finalized the survey questions for the hired candidates, copy and paste them into a document using your preferred word processing software, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word. Label the document with an appropriate title and store it in a secured, easy-to-access folder.
Step 4: Adapt the survey for different candidate outcomes
Now that ChatGPT has generated the finalized survey questions for hired candidates, we can use these questions as a template to create modified surveys for applicants who were not hired or those who withdrew their applications.
In the same ChatGPT chat, use the prompt below to generate a new set of questions for applicants who weren’t hired.
Prompt for creating a modified survey for rejected applicants
Please modify the candidate experience survey we created earlier to suit applicants who were rejected.
Keep the overall structure and types of questions similar, but adjust the wording and focus to address the reasons for rejection and the overall experience. Please generate [X number of questions] questions for this survey, including
[Y number] multiple-choice questions
[Z number] rating questions
[A number] open-ended questions
Ensure that the questions effectively solicit feedback on the applicant's experience and perceptions regarding the hiring process.
Example Output
🛑 Reminder: Avoid generating too many questions. Shorter surveys typically have higher completion rates, which results in gathering more valuable information. |
After receiving a new list of survey questions from the AI, return to step 3 to modify the questions (if preferred).
Once you’ve finalized the survey tailored for rejected applicants, paste the questions into the word processing software you used earlier, preferably in the same folder as the first survey you created.
When you’re ready to generate the survey questions for candidates who withdrew their applications, you can use the prompt below and repeat the process of refining the survey questions.
Prompt for creating a modified survey for applicants who withdrew
Please modify the candidate experience survey we created earlier to suit applicants who have withdrawn their applications.
Maintain the overall structure and types of questions, but adjust the wording and focus to understand their reasons for withdrawal and their overall experience. Please generate [X number of questions] questions for this survey, including:
[Y number] multiple-choice questions
[Z number] rating questions
[A number] open-ended questions
Ensure that the questions effectively capture feedback on the applicants’ reasons for withdrawal and their perceptions of the hiring process.
Example Output
Step 5: Create the online surveys & utilize feedback
It’s now time to create online surveys that can be distributed to candidates for completion.
Launch your preferred online survey creation tool, and follow the tool’s instructions to transform your lists of questions into functional online surveys.
By the end, you’ll have something like this Here
A survey that's short and simple but effective in gathering candidate feedback that you can act upon. Of course, you'll need to make three separate online surveys for the three sets of questions you've generated.
💡Tip: Avoid using outcome-specific language with negative connotations, such as “rejected” or "withdrew," in the title of the candidate experience surveys, as this may potentially offend applicants. |
Popular survey makers online include:
Google Forms
SurveyMonkey
Jotform
These survey creation tools generally function in similar ways, but like all software platforms, each has its own pros and cons.
Picking Your Survey Tool You need something that works, not perfection.
Here are three solid options:
SurveyMonkey:
The reliable workhorse. Strong analytics that spot patterns in open responses and let you drill down into specific answers. Design options are basic, but you're here for insights, not aesthetics.
Google Forms:
Already use Google Workspace? Forms is your fastest path to launch. Zero setup time, zero learning curve. The tradeoff: basic analytics mean you'll need to dig into the data yourself.
JotForm:
A designer's playground with 2000+ templates and deep customization options. Robust analytics rival SurveyMonkey's. But fair warning: the endless options can slow you down if you're just getting started.
Use what you know, or pick based on your priority: SurveyMonkey for analytics, Google Forms for speed, JotForm for customization.
💡Tip: To avoid accidentally mixing up questions from different surveys, make sure to keep only one document open at a time when you are importing questions into a survey creation tool. |
Utilizing feedback
After distributing the surveys and gathering a substantial pool of feedback, you may start to notice trends and patterns in the responses. These insights should allow the HR and recruitment team to make informed adjustments to the recruitment process.
Consider simplifying any steps that the applicants found to be overly complicated and exploring alternative software if candidates found the current tools challenging to navigate.
To develop effective solutions based on the data gathered from the surveys, you can brainstorm with your HR team or continue to get some help from AI by following the brief process outlined below.
Prepare the following:
Summarized customer experience survey reports (from your chosen survey tool)
Raw data or key insights from open-ended responses
Once you have the information mentioned above, open a new chat in ChatGPT and paste the prompt below, filling in the required details.
Sample prompt
Please analyze the summarized customer experience survey reports, focusing on the multiple-choice and rating questions, and review the responses to the open-ended questions. I would like you to:
Identify Trends: Highlight any significant trends or patterns in the average ratings and response distributions across the different survey questions.
Analyze Open-Ended Responses: Review the actual open-ended responses and summarize the main themes, sentiments, or concerns expressed by candidates.
Compare Quantitative and Qualitative Data: Examine how the insights from the open-ended responses correlate with the quantitative data from the multiple-choice and rating questions.
Actionable Recommendations: Based on your analysis of both the quantitative and qualitative data, provide actionable recommendations to enhance the candidate experience in our hiring process.
Here are the reports: [Insert links or summaries of the summarized customer experience survey reports and open-ended responses].
Example of AI’s actionable recommendations
Next steps
Based on the actionable recommendations received from the AI or the solutions proposed by your team, modify your recruitment process to enhance your company’s quality of hires and hiring efficiency moving forward.
Remember, a robust hiring process is essential for attracting qualified employees who not only fit but also thrive in your organization. To achieve this, gather meaningful feedback from applicants and address weaknesses in your recruitment workflow.
