No response after interview

BobHop

Hello all

This is my first post on the forum and I'm after some advice following an interview I attended recently. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Ok, so I initially applied for a vacancy via a recruitment agency, I then unknowingly applied for the same position but directly with the company (as the vacancy descriptions were slightly different). As I applied direct with the company, I was told that the decision and any feedback would come directly from them rather than through the recruitment agency.

I attended the first interview on 16th March and was delighted when I received a call 2 days later inviting me to a second interview at their head office - 260 miles away from where I live!

I attended the second interview on Monday 21st March. In my opinion the interview went extremely well and I walked out feeling extremely positive - the interview lasted 1 & 1/2 hours! I was told at the end of the interview that I would have a decision by them within a few days as they had 2 more people to interview.

Four days passed, I didn't hear anything and I'd started to lose some faith - I decided to follow up with a phone call on the premise of thanking them for their time and to enquire as to whether or not a decision had beem made. I was in a bit of a catch 22 - on one hand I was thinking that if I don't call it looks as though I'm not keen, but if I do call it may look as if I'm desperate for the position (I am!). Anyway, I called and the HR officer I spoke to informed me that the person who interviewed me (national sales manager) was not in the office but that a decision had not yet been made and they will be in touch early next week (this week).

Faith restored - a decision had not yet been made!

Yesterday I spoke with my contact at the recruitment agency I initially applied through as he has another position lined up for me with another company. He told me that the company I am waiting on a decision from informed them last week that the other candidate they sent for a second interview had not been successful! He told me not to lose faith as he believes that if I had not been successful they'd have let me know at the same time of letting the other candidate know last week.

It is now midweek and I've still not had any contact from them - starting to lose faith again

I'm thinking that maybe they're still weighing me up against another candidate and genuinely haven't made a decision yet. Or on the other hand I'm thinking that maybe they've forgotten to call me and give me the bad news - which in my opinion would be very bad practise, considering they said they would reimburse some of my travel as the interview was very far away from me.

I'm stuck as to what I should do. Should I just wait for a response from them, or should I maybe follow up again with a phone call or email at the end of the week or next week?

Or should I just write this one off as an unsuccessful interview?

I'm not one to count my chicks before they've hatched, but I genuinely felt like I had the job in the bag when I walked out of the second interview - not hearing back from them is extremely disheartening

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks

Bob

FBaby

I would follow-up very politely tomorrow. It is most likely that they haven't made a decision and still waiting for information. It might be relating to another candidate, or just related to budgets, or any other internal changes that mean they are now not sure whether they can or should recruit to the job.

There is nothing wrong in chasing as long as you don't pass on any feelings of frustration. Good luck.

TELLIT01

A million and one things can get in the way of the final decision making process. It's possible somebody has gone off sick. It's also possible that the HR person forgot there was a Bank Holiday coming up.
Personally, I'd leave it to see if you get anything over the weekend. If not, call them again Monday.

TBagpuss

I agree, it's possible that they are busier than expected -it is also possible that they are having to iron out the position with the agency - if you inadvertently applied twice then there may be an issue as to whether the agency is entitled to claim their fee, and while that is not your fault, it is possible that the employer wants to sort that out before they speak to you, as it may be relevant to their initial salary offer to you.

If they agreed to reimburse your travel then you can legitimately call about that in any event!

Good luck.

DKLS

I would put in a gentle chase. As TelIT01 mentioned it could be for any reason. The place I am currently at doesn't put an offer to a candidate until everyone on the interview panel has attended a 'wash up' meeting to finalise who we want and that meeting ideally takes place immediately after the interviews but its not always possible and sometime candidates are left hanging for weeks.

I am waiting on a decision after a third round of interviews, apparently its a unofficial, Yes I have the job but until the MD returns from holiday I won't see a job offer.

Its frustrating but hang in there OP.

Mr.Generous

I'd be tempted to ring the hr dept and ask them if they know when a decision will be reached because you have been for another interview with someone else and been offered the position but its not the job you really want, you'd much prefer to join them. If they want you they will need to move faster and give you an answer. Remember they have the problem and expense of finding the right person, you are the solution to that problem!

TELLIT01

Mr.Generous wrote: »

I'd be tempted to ring the hr dept and ask them if they know when a decision will be reached because you have been for another interview with someone else and been offered the position but its not the job you really want, you'd much prefer to join them. If they want you they will need to move faster and give you an answer. Remember they have the problem and expense of finding the right person, you are the solution to that problem!

Sorry but I don't agree with putting that sort of pressure on, it could easily backfire. If they either call your bluff and say that as they can't give a decision you should accept the other job, or start asking questions about the other job to which you don't have answers off pat, they would see through what you're doing and it could cost you a genuine job offer.
If you do call them just stick with the truth. BS will be spotted.

Dan-Dan

Mr.Generous wrote: »

I'd be tempted to ring the hr dept and ask them if they know when a decision will be reached because you have been for another interview with someone else and been offered the position but its not the job you really want, you'd much prefer to join them. If they want you they will need to move faster and give you an answer. Remember they have the problem and expense of finding the right person, you are the solution to that problem!

Awful advice, hopefully the OP has better sense than take note of it

theoretica

Another possible scenario is that they told the candidate(s) they didn't want, but this week offered the job to someone else who is keeping them hanging, and would offer it to you if their first choice turns it down. Some companies don't like telling people straight out they are the reserve choice.

vegasvisitor

I'm in a similar situation, although I'm kind of dreading the call in case it's a difficult decision (I have something else in the pipeline....less travel and more holidays, but interview not till Monday). The other job which I'm waiting to hear about I had interview last Monday, they said they expected to decide on Friday (bank holiday?? maybe they forgot), and a week has now passed an nothing.

I'm guessing they've offered to someone else, but maybe I'm second choice and they want the first choice firmed up before telling me I never got it.

My husband says I'm being negative and it's probably just 'big company red tape', however they didn't seem to give the impression it would take this long.

Sanne

theoretica wrote: »

Another possible scenario is that they told the candidate(s) they didn't want, but this week offered the job to someone else who is keeping them hanging, and would offer it to you if their first choice turns it down. Some companies don't like telling people straight out they are the reserve choice.

That was my thought and I've actually done this myself when I was on the other side of the table. Clear "no, but thanks, no" candidates were informed quickly while my "number 2" or any other "yes, I'd give the job to them if there wasn't the other person" candidates had to wait until I had a firm offer acceptance from my first choice. As an applicant, I'm certain that I was that number 2 once as well....

On the other hand, there may be lots of other reasons. It might just be really close between the two of you and they haven't made a decision yet.
It may be that they are talking to the agency (as has been said, sometimes there are clauses that they have to pay the agency if they introduced you, even though you also applied directly).
Or it may be that they had additional applications and are seeing another candidate for a first/second interview. I twice caused someone a long wait as my application was received on the day they second interviewed someone. They liked my application so put him on her le until they had seen me for a 1st and 2nd interview - which was two weeks after my application (and hence his 2nd interview). They would have offered the job to him (and had rejected everyone else already) but he then had to wait more than three weeks to get a rejection. On another occasion (for another job) the company had also already seen several people of which a couple had been rejected but a couple were yeses. Then I applied and they had to wait a couple of weeks for a response.

Anything is possible until you have heard back so don't give up hope just yet. I kniw it's horrible to wait but as you have already chased once I think I'd wait a bit longer to chase a second time.