This is a good question. Preferences vary from firm to firm. Are you a senior person who has been out of the loop for a few years? Are you a recent grad? Do you have a professional designation or MBA?I tend to look at senior people in a different light. Many interviews are by reference or network, and we often have 4-5 well chosen interviewees for one mid-senior/senior position, as opposed to 150 applicants for 3 analyst positions. I like a posted letter--that's a personal preference, mind you--simply because it stands out from the pack.I like to inform unsuitable applicants right away, and keep candidates apprised of the situation. Because of the increasing amount of fraud/embellishment on CVs, I like to check two or three claims on a CV, but not everything. This is particularly true with senior positions.In terms of feedback (no surprises here) my preference is to keep it simple. I don't want to get into minutiae about interpretations, etc., which is often the situation with cases. I focus on three or four positive things the person has done.A coach also once told me to give a rejected applicant "the next step"--fill out in their mind's eye what they might do next. That's one of the best pieces of advice I've ever had because it keeps a rejected applicant off your back and gives them a positive feeling about the firm when they move along somewhere else.Helpful?
