Press Release
Following Up on Your Interview May Increase Your Chances of Getting Hired
Friday, June 27, 2008
I interviewed for a position two weeks ago and still haven’t heard from anyone. Should I call the hiring manager and follow up on the interview or would I be overstepping my bounds and should wait longer to hear back from them?
I would contact whoever set up the interview first. If a Human Resources person or a recruiter scheduled the interview it is their responsibility to respond to you with an interview follow up and feedback.
They may not have any specific interview feedback because the hiring manager was slow to get back to them or they may not want to be the bearer of bad news. Never the less, it is considerate and appropriate for the person that scheduled the interview to get back to you to tell you what is going on and how your interview was perceived.
If the Human Resources person or recruiter does not respond, then you should contact the hiring manager directly. If you have that person’s contact information (you should ask everyone you speak with for a card so that you can send them interview thank you notes after the interview), pick up the phone and ask them for feedback. Explain to them that you have not heard from anyone in regards to the interview and you just want to ascertain an assessment on your interview skills so that you can improve for future opportunities. By being proactive you may come across as a more desirable candidate. Also, do not put the hiring manager on the spot as to why you have not heard back. It may be that they have not completed the interview process, the HR person or recruiter has dropped the ball or maybe they have. But, the more uncomfortable they feel the less likely they will give you any response positive or negative.