We know waiting is hard. Sometimes sending out a resume is like dropping it down a black hole. It’s swallowed up and you never know what happened. But it’s worse if you’ve interviewed and you’re waiting for someone to reach out to you. Should you call the hiring manager or send them an email? Are there valid reasons why you may not have heard back yet? We have answers that can help ease the waiting and keep you moving forward in your job search.
Reason 1: The Coordination is Taking Time
If you’re working with a recruiter or a hiring manager, it takes time to collate all the opinions of interviewers. If you interviewed with a panel of people, imagine the time it takes to pool all of those opinions into one final answer. Now multiple that by two or three candidates and you can imagine that it might take some time. If it’s summertime or during a holiday it’s even worse because decision-makers are on vacation and away from their desks. Then there is the process of getting the offer approved, which usually incorporates a completely different set of decision-makers. Your recruiter should set expectations with you about how long things will take but if they run on, that person should also reach out to you to make the waiting a little less anxiety-producing.
Reason 2: The Job May Be on Hold Somehow
Plans change, even in large enterprise organizations, but certainly in startup organizations. The hiring manager may be waiting out some debate at the top of the organization that’s out of his or her control. Perhaps there is a temporary hiring freeze or a restructuring happened. This can delay or completely stop a hiring process, but as things work themselves out, your hiring manager or recruiter may be trying to figure out next steps. If it’s a People Plus recruiter, we pride ourselves on transparency during the candidate interview process. So, even if we aren’t exactly sure what’s going on with the employer, we will let you know it’s a “hurry up and wait” scenario. We’re in this together, with you, the candidate, after all.
Reason 3: Maybe They’re Just Really Busy
Imagine you’re in a small company and it’s your peak season. Everyone is stretched thin, which is why you need to hire more people. At the same time, it’s hard to get everyone hired quickly because your workload has increased. This kind of scenario happens all the time and it isn’t anything you caused nor is it anything you can fix. The employer may even want to be in more frequent contact with you or the recruiter you’re working with but—they are just so busy. One thing you can do to push them along is if you have another offer on the table, let your recruiter know. Sometimes that’s the only thing you can do besides wait for the employer to get to the offer phase.
Your People Plus recruiter is here to ensure you are aware of what’s happening at every step of the hiring process. This kind of candid communication is rare, we know, but we pride ourselves on representing the best interests of both you, the candidate, and the employer. If you’re looking for a better recruiting experience, call on our team.
