Nothing is more frustrating than applying for a job, then waiting to hear back. And waiting. And waiting. And hearing nothing. After a few weeks, you might start to feel that the silence is the sound of a door closing. And if you were excited about the job, this might crush you. But sometimes there’s a very good reason no one has followed up. Here are five reasons you haven’t heard back from hiring manager.
You’re not the best fit
You were qualified, but someone else was more qualified. Someone else had one more credential, one more year of experience, or one more stellar recommendation from a former boss. Yes, they probably owe you a courtesy email to tell you the role has been filled, but there’s no rule that mandates it.
There are too many decision makers
Sometimes, especially for management roles, lots of people in a company need to meet and approve candidates before they make an offer. And because those are people are busy and those decisions can be complicated, they can take forever.
Lack of organization
Sometimes there’s a lack of communication in a company and no hiring procedure in place. There’s no ownership of each step and no one knows who’s going to do what, so no one makes the call or sends the courtesy email, updating the candidates of their status. Consider yourself to be in the running until you receive that email that tells you otherwise.
Too many applicants
They might be into you, as soon as they get to you. They’re swamped with back-to-back emails and they just don’t have time to send out letters or confirmation emails. It’s perfectly okay to send a quick, friendly follow-up email asking for an update after a week or so—sometimes the hiring managers just lose track of time when they’re bombarded with resumes and cover letters all day long. Don’t check in more than twice a week.
Just clearing up the details
Sometimes you’re the candidate of choice, but they’re still ironing out the details of your hire. How much can they offer you? What will your benefits package look like? Or maybe they’re still deciding whether to hold another round of interviews. They might be generating a take-home assignment for you to work on to distinguish you from another leading candidate. They might be checking references or running a background check.
For more tips on how to get hired for the job of your dreams, check out our website at https://www.chiefofstaffkc.com.
Blog written by Erin Greenhalgh