No call-back after a job interview

[jenmarie]

How many of you have experienced this? I''d be willing to be the majority of the working world has at some point.

It''s on my mind because my boyfriend was told they would "let him know something" before the end of the week. To me, that means, either way, you''ll get a call. It meant that to him too. Well, it''s the end of the week, and there''s no word yet.

I feel that if you go on a job interview and they end it with "We''ll let you know," I think that they should give you a call or at the very least shoot you an e-mail if they decide against hiring you. It would hurt a lot less to be told they don''t want you than to sit and wait for the phone to ring, you know? That leads to people doing silly and embarrassing things like calling the interviewer to find out SOMETHING. I did that after the first job interview I ever went on, haha. But I did it because they didn''t let me know anything and I still had hopes that I could get the job!

Am I completely off base for thinking that this kind of behavior is rude? I think it''s pretty easy to pick up the phone and let someone know they''ve decided to go with someone else. Is this the kind of thing that every employer does, or are we just a select few experiencing this?

 

[Hera]

I think employers are getting so many applications right now they probably can''t keep up with them. I think he should do a follow up call anyways just in case the interviewer is too busy with his work. Besides, I think some employers like that because it shows the person really wants the job. If they have already hired someone, perhaps, he will be remembered and put first in line if the person they did hire doesn''t work out.

 

[trillionaire]

Okay, speaking from both sides of the fence here... as an applicant/interviewee, I would live and die by when they said they would contact me. I was strung along a number of times by false promises and deadlines of when they were planning to hire or start someone, blah blah blah. It was torture, and I made myselft crazy. Not for every job, but for ones I really wanted. It was difficult too because I usually send thank you letters after interviews, but I was called back for a second interview almost immediately, and then after the 2nd interview, I was told I would know in 2 more days... which didn''t happen. Then I was worried that I wouldn''t get the job, and that my thank you notes could have made the difference.

*sigh* I did get the job.

Working at my office, we are looking to hire 2-3 more employees... one through an executive search firm, and others through the normal channels. Every week they talk about scheduling some interviews, and it never happens. One department has been talking about hiring for 6 months... and the job is listed online, but no one is actively working on it. We have an agency that pre-screens applicants, so that slows the process down even further. It''s terrible, but totally benign from the side of the employer...

I applied for my job in late Feb/early March... one screening and 2 interviews later, I started on May 24

***** Lotso job dust! *****

 

[Kaleigh]

NM

 

[VRBeauty]

Technically yes it's rude, but this is business and stuff happens. Sometimes other people have to get involved with the decision and they don't work on your timeframe, or a rush project gets in the way. Plus, most managers won't notify their second or third choice candidates until they have their new hire firmly in hand. If the top candidate doesn't respond right away or wants extra time to consider, the smart manager does not call the other candidates to tell them they'll have the job if someone else turns it down!

By the way, there's nothing wrong with calling the employer after a decent interval to see if they've made a decision yet -- once. Most people would not hold this against you or find it strange in any way.

 

[decodelighted]

Something similar happened to me once! I was on this date and it was going really well ... at the end of the night the guy said he''d call me soon. Well he *didn''t*. Can you BELIEVE that? I mean he *said* he would! How rude!

Okay -- that''s my attempt at levity. Listen, its just life. Seriously. You guys must be new to the work force for this to be all that surprising. But before you give up all hope about it -- a previous poster was correct: sometimes even companies that DO generally notify, DON''t notify the other top candidates until their first choice has signed on the dotted line (and sometimes up until they''ve FINISHED their first month or two of work!). Maybe the first choice won''t work out for some reason.

Its a tough market right now all around. Good luck!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

The same situation happened with my Dh. They said they''d call by Friday, but instead didn''t call for a few weeks to let him know he got the job.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Same thing happened to me. I called to let them know I had another job offer to respond to but they were my first choice (a week ago), they promised to get an answer to me by Thursday (assuming a call), nothing. I called today and found out I was rejected. Thanks.

 

[Haven]

Date: 6/18/2010 9:16:33 PM
Author: decodelighted
Something similar happened to me once! I was on this date and it was going really well ... at the end of the night the guy said he''d call me soon. Well he *didn''t*. Can you BELIEVE that? I mean he *said* he would! How rude!

Okay -- that''s my attempt at levity. Listen, its just life. Seriously. You guys must be new to the work force for this to be all that surprising. But before you give up all hope about it -- a previous poster was correct: sometimes even companies that DO generally notify, DON''t notify the other top candidates until their first choice has signed on the dotted line (and sometimes up until they''ve FINISHED their first month or two of work!). Maybe the first choice won''t work out for some reason.

Its a tough market right now all around. Good luck!

This is how it works in my field. I went on an interview back in February and they told me they would let me know either way by phone. They didn''t give me a timeline, just a promise to let me know. And . . . I got a call from them over THREE MONTHS later telling me that they went with someone else. In that three months I got a first, second, and finalist interview, and a job offer with another school that was a better fit. Of course, I took that job.

When I asked my current department chair what the deal was with the the three month time lapse and she said it was pretty likely that they would have called me in as a finalist if their top choice didn''t work out.

Is it rude? Maybe. I''m not sure that really matters, though. It''s just the way it is, and if you want the job you have to play by their rules, right?

Good luck to your boyfriend on his job search!

 

[Indylady]

I had that happen to me earlier this summer.

I had an offer on an internship, with a phone call that said they''d get back to me either that day or by the next day, and then they didn''t get back to me at all for about a week. I got a 1 line email that said someone else was chosen over me. And, this internship would have required me to relocate far away from my hometown, so it was an extra PITA because I spent the week worrying about how I''d get there and where I''d live if I got it.

Then, a few weeks later, I got a second offer from the same agency, in a location even closer to home! I got the internship, though I was just a little skeptical at first, and made sure that I was clear on when I''d be hearing back, especially since it started soon and would require that I find an apartment and find my way around the city.

Good luck to your BF!

I''d just take the experience as a part of the "real world" and keep applying other places.

 

[jenmarie]

The funny thing is, we aren''t all that new to the job market! He''s just a mess because even though he''s had some other offers for interviews, this is the one he really wants. I think there are only 4 people up for it, and we found out later they they haven''t decided who they want yet.

What some of you said about making sure the top choice is really committed makes sense. I guess I feel like it''s rude if they never let you know anything. The first time it ever happened to me, I ended up calling to find out that I hadn''t gotten the job and felt kind of dumb about it. It sucks when you trick yourself into thinking that if they haven''t called you yet, they still might and offer you something, you know?

Thanks for the job dust, he needs it!