“I didn’t hear back from them after the interview. It was 6-hours long! The least they could do is get back to me to let me know that I was not accepted. I emailed the hiring manager, nothing. I emailed the recruiting manager, nothing. I called them and left a voice mail. I even left a message on the recruiter’s cell phone. I sent her a text too. I told her that’s not how you treat people.”
The all too familiar post interview silence is very frustrating. That is not how companies should treat applicants. Similarly, that is also not the way you should respond.
If they did not get back to you, you likely didn’t get the job.
Pestering them will not get you this job and will only mean that you will not be considered for the next open position.
Yes, if you don’t like the way you are treated in the interviewing process you may decide that you don’t want to work for that specific company, but it is always good to keep the door open. Sometimes there is a reason for the delay: no decision has been made, there is a change in management, the hiring manager is away. So the company says nothing, but reacting like the above applicant has just gotten them crossed off the list.
As far as I am concerned, calling the recruiting manager’s cell phone, unless under extreme circumstances like you were in an accident on the way to the interview, is a no. Recruiting managers interview hundreds of people, and no they do not want their day interrupted hundreds of times by phone calls from candidates expecting an update on their status. They likely will not even know the status of your application off by heart. A polite email should get the job done. If they did not respond to your email, they will most likely not appreciate a call to their cell phone.
What I do suggest is to not just send an email when you want something, like to know the status of your application. Send a thank you email after the interview to the recruiting manager, hiring manager and anybody else you interviewed with in the company. Personalize each note, refer to something from your discussion: do you both speak another language, live in the same town, talked about an upcoming vacation, etc. Show them that you listened. Build a relationship with them. Checking in later on the progress of your application will be a natural step.
Rejections hurt, but remember to always be nice and don’t hold a grudge. Leave the door open to staying in touch and exploring future opportunities.
Miki Feldman Simon, Founder & CEO IamBackatWork