A common complaint from job seekers is that they never hear back from the companies where they have applied. When applying online, most job seekers have accepted that getting a system-generated “Thank you for your application. Don’t call us, we’ll call you” response is now par for the course. This is understandable since online applications can top out in the hundreds.
However, the lack of responsiveness has started to go beyond the online application. Job seekers are routinely finding they don’t hear back from companies after a phone screen or even an in-person interview. Instead, candidates are left wondering if the job has been filled and if they’re still in the running.
If you’ve been in a job search, you already know the process can be discouraging. While you can’t control the hiring practices or responsiveness of a company, here are some things you CAN do:
– If applying online, always reach out to the Recruiter/Hiring Manager to ensure your resume has been received and ask the status of the hiring process. Linked In and other internet resources have made it much easier to find contact information. When in doubt, call the company’s main number and ask for Human Resources.
– After an interview (or phone screen), ensure that you have the Recruiter’s contact information so you can follow up. Before ending the discussion, ask when you can expect to hear about next steps and politely let them know you’ll call them a day or two after that point if you haven’t heard back.
– Engage your network. Candidates who network into a company are typically treated better than the applicant without connections to the organization. If you aren’t getting a response (even if you applied online), check in with your network to see if you can get any insider information. Perhaps the position was filled internally or there’s a hiring freeze. It’s better to know than to keep wondering.
– Use the information as part of your decision-making. If the hiring process is disorganized and the company representatives do not treat applicants with basic respect, this might be a glimpse into how the company functions. Do a little digging to find out.
– Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. It’s easy to visualize yourself in that dream job you applied to on Indeed.com, especially if your background is a perfect match for the requirements. But, keep applying to other jobs, networking, and remaining active in your search. The more activity you have going on, the less you’ll worry about that one company that hasn’t responded to you.
Happy hunting!