You leave the interview feeling great—you had established rapport with the interviewer, she was impressed with your résumé, and she assured you that you’d hear from her soon. And then you wait. And wait. And wait.
You’ve been ghosted. If you have a reasonable justification for expecting to hear back from a recruiter after one or several interviews and do not, you have been ghosted. But take solace, because you’re not alone. A recent survey found that 75 percent of job seekers are ghosted after an interview.
Ghosting can occur for several reasons, all of which are outside the candidate’s control. A company may have decided to hire an in-house candidate, or it eliminated the position altogether. Perhaps the interviewer left the position or went on vacation. Sometimes the hiring process just takes longer than expected.
Candidates are not completely out in the cold, however, and experts offer advice about how to deal with not hearing back from an employer after an interview.
- Ask for a hiring timeline during the interview.
- Follow up after the interview with a message showing appreciation for the opportunity.
- Wait four days after the hiring date before asking the hiring manager about the status of the position via text or phone call. Make it brief and include your name, date of interview, job title, enthusiasm for the position, and an offer to provide more information.
- Check professional networking sites to learn about the status of the position.
- Contact other individuals in the company with a polite message asking about next steps.
- Practice interviewing techniques. It can be difficult to spring back after being ghosted, but rehearsing for interviews can remind you of your skills and abilities.
- Move past the experience. Apply your efforts to the next opportunity rather than wallowing in the past.
Discussion
- What purpose(s) does a follow-up phone call or message serve after an interview?
- How can you prepare for the post-interview conversation so that you feel more comfortable and avoid gaffes?
- Why do experts advise against leaving more than one voicemail message requesting to hear about the status of a position?
