Q: Help! I had a great interview, but it’s taking them forever to make a decision. What should I do?
A: This is a conundrum that has always bothered me. You’ve met with 3-5 people, answered seemingly 1,000 questions, filled out all types of applications and even gave a presentation… oh yeah, and you wrote a lovely thank-you note immediately. The company’s response: Zilch. Nothing. Nada. Crickets. Now what? The waiting game. The questioning of yourself: “Was I good enough?” “Did I say the right things?” “I shouldn’t have laughed so loud!”
Believe it or not, this process has less to do with you than it does with the interviewing process of the company. Remember, they have other candidates to see, they have to check out your background, they have to talk to the management team, HR, the higher-ups and sometimes even some staff members to make sure you’re a good fit. Then they even call your references during that process.
But to get from Round 1 to Round 2 (and believe me, these days three rounds is par for the course), I would say to give them at least 2-4 weeks to say it was great meeting you and they’d like you to meet with the next person. Now, when a company goes quiet after being WILDLY excited about you, there’s a real reason to have pause. Yes, it could mean that the courtship is over. It could also mean that they are just busy. Check in every two weeks for best results.
But whatever you do, don’t stalk! They are receiving those phone calls and reading the emails you are sending. If they are not responding, it could simply mean they don’t want you and they are too much of a coward to say that. Unfortunately, this scenario happens all the time. My advice: Just move on.
Got a question for Tanisha? Ask it below — and follow her on Twitter @tanishastips.