It’s important to follow up after an interview to stay top of mind with the hiring manager
Most interviews end with some variation of the recruiter or hiring manager saying “Thanks for coming in. We’ll be in touch.” You think, ‘Awesome. The interview went great, but now what do I do?’ The days and weeks following a job interview while you are waiting to hear back from the company can be stressful, especially if you are currently unemployed. You know you have to follow up with the company you interviewed with, but how can you do so without annoying the hiring manager?
Every situation is different, so it’s best to take your cues from the person who interviewed you. Before leaving the interview, try and find out the following information:
- The hiring timetable. Are they looking to fill the position ASAP, next month, in 3 months? This can set the tone for how quick you can expect to hear from them.
- The preferred method of communication. Email, phone calls, etc.
- The contact information for each hiring manager, recruiter, member of the interview committee.
- The next steps in the hiring process. Some companies require a 3-4 interview process before someone is offered a job.
Regardless of how the interview went, and the information you were able to get from the hiring manager, your first follow up should be a thank you note. Thank you notes should be sent to every person that you interviewed with, be personalized, and should include the following information:
- Thank the person for their time.
- Restate your interest in the position.
- Include something that you spoke about during the interview.
- Wrap it up with stating you are looking forward to speaking in the future.
- And make sure, there are absolutely no grammatical or spelling errors.
If you haven’t heard back from the hiring manager/recruiter in the time frame that was given during the interview, try waiting one or two more days, and then contact them by their preferred method of communication.
- Send a simple and polite inquiry to the individual, but make sure it doesn’t sound accusatory for them not getting back to you.
- Wait one more week before trying again.
After that, it’s simply time to use your best judgement. There are countless reasons why you may not have heard back from the hiring manager. Companies get busy, and hiring processes often get drawn out. People who have to give final approval may be out of office on vacations, or there could be a larger problem that had to be addressed. On the other hand, radio silence may be the company’s (highly unprofessional) way of saying you didn’t get the job.
By working with a staffing agency like Key Resource Group, we help manage the follow up with the hiring mangers after an interview, hopefully alleviating some of the stress of the job search process. If you’re ready to work with Buffalo’s premier staffing agency, contact one of our recruiters today!