candidate-debrief

Overview

Based on Who: The A Method for Hiring (Smart & Street) and Work Rules! (Laszlo Bock). Unstructured debriefs default to the loudest voice, the most senior person, or whoever interviewed last. A calibrated debrief separates evidence from impression, surfaces disagreement before consensus forms, and produces a decision anchored in scorecard data - not gut feel.

Workflow

Step 1: Collect Scorecards Before the Debrief

This is the most important rule: scorecards must be submitted independently before anyone discusses the candidate. Once people hear each other's opinions, anchoring kicks in and individual assessments become unreliable.

Before the debrief meeting:

• Confirm every interviewer has submitted their scorecard
• Do not allow verbal previews or "quick takes" in Slack or email
• If a scorecard is missing, delay the debrief - not the reverse

Step 2: Set the Meeting Structure (30-45 minutes)