The Waiting Game

You may have the thought the interview during the hiring process is the most testing and stress-inducing portion. My dear, dear friends, you were unfortunately misled. I present to you the waiting game. The rules are vague and unspoken. Winning is rare. It tests your emotions and self control, but if you win, the prize is worth the wait… A brand new job! (He said with the enthusiasm of game show host.)

There are three, potentially four, times you will go through the waiting game for each position you apply to: after submitting your application/resume, after your initial phone screen, and after each in-person interview. You will wait for a call and/or an email with their decision. Worst yet, sometimes the call/email may never come.

I am here to put your mind somewhat at ease. I want to shed some light as to what is going on behind the scenes. That the feeling of being left in the dark is part of the tension that comes from the waiting game. I also want to provide some tips on what you can do help the process along.

Quantity of Applicants

With today’s exposure of job listings, there are may be a large number applicants that could apply to any position, especially for major well-known organizations. In a valiant effort to screen through as many candidates to find the best qualified, an organization may leave a potential fit waiting. There are many recruiters that do contend an organization should hire once a good fit is found, since a good candidate may move on if left waiting. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

The Decision Maker

As an interviewee, you will usually speak to a recruiter and a hiring manager. From time to time, the hiring manager does not have the authority to make an offer due to budget flows or the current situation of the company (expansion, restructuring, downsizing, etc.). This makes the process longer for a candidate because there are multiple levels of approvals before a candidate is moved to the next step or before an offer is made.

Ghosting

“Ghosting” is a term that has been adopted by the modern dating world. What happens is the party that is no longer interested and just stops responding to any and all communication. This is very unpleasant way to let someone go, and unfortunately has been going on within recruitment for many years. An organization may just stop responding to a candidate they are no longer interested in. It may be due to a large amount of candidates flooding in or the simple human emotion behind giving someone bad news. Now, this it is not professional nor am I excusing the action. The unfortunate fact is that some candidates are left with no communication after an interview.

Tips

There are three pieces of advice I would like to add to help candidates move the process along. One, during the interview ask about the potential wait for a decision to be made. This gives you a framework of how long you might have to wait before hearing anything at all. There is an uneasiness that comes with the unknown. Having this basic timeline, whether accurate or not (it’s usually an optimistic timeline, expect an extra 25%), reduces the anxiety of not knowing when they will reach out to you.

Two, make sure you follow up. You must also have the patience to do so in appropriate intervals. If they inform you that it will take a week to make a decision, don’t call back after 2 days to see if they’ve made a decision. A typical rule of thumb is once every one to two weeks. You can reach out to the recruiter or the hiring manager you spoke with for and update via email (less effective but you don’t interrupt their day-to-day work and you can use the platform to further emphasize your fit) or phone. Whoever you reach out to maintain your composure and remain professional. Their decision may be held up by something that is out their control (see above), and you may be burning a bridge with advocate of yours if you lose that professionalism.

Three, keep open honest communication with the interviewers. If you are currently in the interview process with another organization inform your recruiter and the hiring manager. Psychologically this creates a competitive mindset for the organization and adds an allure to you as candidate since multiple employers want you. If you move from one stage of the interview process to another or, even more so, if you are made an offer by another employer, inform the organization. One of two things will happen, they will condense the process to make an offer or they will cut ties so you can pursue the other employer. Either way, you have your decision much faster. A word of caution, do not lie about another offer or company, this can come back and haunt you.

These explanations are not meant to excuse the reaction times of any of these companies, they are just meant to show what could potentially be occurring behind the scenes. My final word of advice, don’t count your eggs before they hatch. You may have aced every part of the interview process, but keep your eye out for other potential job opportunities. It will keep your eyes looking forward and your mind busy while you wait.

Have you ever been ghosted by a potential employer? What’s the longest you have waited for a job offer? Are there any additional questions you have about your job search, interviews, or resume? Please comment below or on our Facebook page. You may see your question featured on one of our posts!

Are there any additional questions you have about your job search, interviewing or resume? Please comment below or on our Facebook page. You may see your question featured on one of our posts!

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