No Response After An Interview

Some will simply 'ghost' if the interview wasn't successful.

Some will take several months before even responding. I recall doing an interview around November 3rd 2020 and I haven't been contacted at all until Mid February 2021 with a offer.

Some wont bother to say you didn't get the job until they are finished with other steps.

Sometimes its simply what you bring isn't what they're looking for which isn't really your fault. The Most you can do is simply give a thank you email and or ask for advice regarding the interview. Is this common behaviour? Yes! Don't always expect 'common decency. There are times hiring mangers are just too busy and wont be able to follow up with everyone. Sometimes the reason why they wont tell you isn't legal... or just you dont fit their expectations... There are endless reasons and they wont tell you. My partner once told me she didn't hire a teacher simply because he gave her a weird vibe. She's not going to tell him that but off the record, that was the reason.

Why do you care? Nobody owes you anything. If you know the process now, there's no reason to expect a follow-up. To be honest, I don't even know why you even want them to contact you just to let you know that you're being rejected. If I haven't been contacted within a week, I'll just move on.

input wrote: ↑ I'm currently out of a job right now and I've been applying to programming jobs on a weekly basis. While I have been able to go on a few interviews, I feel like I've been getting "ghosted" a lot lately by companies that I had interviews with.

This especially hurts when they've asked you to complete an online technical test and you manage to pass it, but you don't hear anything back from them or when they say they'll contact you back within 24 hrs about the next steps but they never do.

What I'm trying to say is that, is this really common behaviour for people to do that?

If there was particular reason as to why I wasn't chosen, then I would totally understand that but shouldn't people at least have the common decency to shoot you an email or reply back to you when you follow up for results?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Unfortunately, it is common behaviour these days. Most employers regardless of how high up you interview with, who was in the room, and how many times they state that they will get back to you won't necessarily do so. They will typically respond with radio silence as if responding to you will open them up for some sort of legal action.

These days, many employers don't want to have the tough conversation or even the 'tough e-mail' of rejection.

And I do agree with you about common decency of some sort of response.

MarinersFanatik wrote: ↑ Why do you care? Nobody owes you anything. If you know the process now, there's no reason to expect a follow-up. To be honest, I don't even know why you even want them to contact you just to let you know that you're being rejected. If I haven't been contacted within a week, I'll just move on.

In monetary terms, no, they don't owe the applicant anything. However, in how they would treat a potential employee, they do especially if they promised or stated in their interview that they will get back to the applicant. It's a small world when it comes to employment in various sectors and you don't want to be the company that is known for that sort of thing (ie doesn't keep their word) as other qualified people may decide that it's not worth the trouble to apply.

MarinersFanatik wrote: ↑ Why do you care? Nobody owes you anything. If you know the process now, there's no reason to expect a follow-up. To be honest, I don't even know why you even want them to contact you just to let you know that you're being rejected. If I haven't been contacted within a week, I'll just move on.

I just feel bummed that after having to do an one hour or take-home technical test, that they can't take like a minute of their time to let me know that I didn't get it, for one reason or another.

I'd honestly be better being rejected than having my hopes up and waiting for what feels to be like forever.

input wrote: ↑ I just feel bummed that after having to do an one hour or take-home technical test, that they can't take like a minute of their time to let me know that I didn't get it, for one reason or another.

I'd honestly be better being rejected than having my hopes up and waiting for what feels to be like forever.

I completely agree with you, but it's the norm, probably in most industries. They do it because they can - and probably also because there may have been many unsuccessful applicants and it's a legitimate burden to have common decency towards them all. Both of those come from the same place - unless you're particularly qualified or have rare, specialist skills (in which case you would probably have been hired), the job market is not in the applicant's favour. Then again, you only need one success, so don't let it dishearten you too much.

input wrote: ↑ I just feel bummed that after having to do an one hour or take-home technical test, that they can't take like a minute of their time to let me know that I didn't get it, for one reason or another.

I'd honestly be better being rejected than having my hopes up and waiting for what feels to be like forever.

I had the same thing happen (being ghosted) after doing all this homework. I wasn't interested in the position so I didn't care but I thought it was unprofessional for them not to even follow up - says more about them than you. Two things I would recommend: 1) when they ask do you have any question make sure you have at least 1-2 meaningful questions related to the job or company (not about the interview or hiring process, start date, etc.) and 2) follow-up with a thank you letter. If you don't, they might think you're not interested and not bothering following up with you.

MarinersFanatik wrote: ↑ Why do you care? Nobody owes you anything. If you know the process now, there's no reason to expect a follow-up. To be honest, I don't even know why you even want them to contact you just to let you know that you're being rejected. If I haven't been contacted within a week, I'll just move on.

I don't think post is warranted - it's not helpful and unnecessarily aggressive/rude. Why shouldn't they care? He or she is not saying they're owed anything. Knowing why they didn't get the job might help them improve for future jobs.

hierophant wrote: ↑ I don't think post is warranted - it's not helpful and unnecessarily aggressive/rude. Why shouldn't they care? He or she is not saying they're owed anything. Knowing why they didn't get the job might help them improve for future jobs.

We can't control how employers will act regarding this kind of stuff. Instead of expecting them to do follow up with you and then being depressed when they don't, OP now knows that this doesn't generally happen and shouldn't expect a follow-up from now on.

We can't control what the employers do, but we can certainly control our reaction to it.

MarinersFanatik wrote: ↑ We can't control how employers will act regarding this kind of stuff. Instead of expecting them to do follow up with you and then being depressed when they don't, OP now knows that this doesn't generally happen and shouldn't expect a follow-up from now on.

We can't control what the employers do, but we can certainly control our reaction to it.

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Unfortunately it is normal.

Big companies, small companies, government agencies, they all do this.

Recently, a large company did this after 4 long interviews and a long written test, it was pretty soul crushing cause I believed I did so well. Post interview emails, as well as a 1 week later "touch base" email to all the interviewers (3), no response. Another was an old manager of mine who was hired as the regional head manager, I went far into the interview process (5 interviews) with the HR coordinator, talent developer, national department head & CFO. Then nothing. I touched base with my old manager who said they didn't hire anyone but he had no real say of the hiring process. Just zero communication from any of the interviewers.

I'll move on, no need to get worried about it. It's their lost, not mine.

MarinersFanatik wrote: ↑ We can't control how employers will act regarding this kind of stuff. Instead of expecting them to do follow up with you and then being depressed when they don't, OP now knows that this doesn't generally happen and shouldn't expect a follow-up from now on.

We can't control what the employers do, but we can certainly control our reaction to it.

Are we reading the same OP? Because I don't see where OP is getting depressed, or reacting in a unreasonable way. They're simply asking for input and probably a bit support and compassion during what is likely a rough time. I don't think it's necessary for you to assume things about the OP or make it about something else. Nor does it cost you to be kind. You could have said the same thing in a much nicer way. Honestly why respond if you have such a poor attitude? How does it help anyone to put more negativity into the world?

hierophant wrote: ↑ Are we reading the same OP? Because I don't see where OP is getting depressed, or reacting in a unreasonable way. They're simply asking for input and probably a bit support and compassion during what is likely a rough time. I don't think it's necessary for you to assume things about the OP or make it about something else. Nor does it cost you to be kind. You could have said the same thing in a much nicer way. Honestly why respond if you have such a poor attitude? How does it help anyone to put more negativity into the world?

There is no poor attitude here. I'm not insulting the OP in any way. Simple truth is that he/she needs to understand that they won't always get the closure that they're looking for from each prospective employer. The quicker OP realizes this, the quicker they can move onto achieving the ultimate goal. This is a tough job market and you can't get bummed out over these things because it's going to happen a lot.

This is totally understandable from a candidate perspective. I don't think companies realize how bad it feels to be left hanging after putting in so much time during the process. Keep your head up and your time will come. I know that it is really hard right now but the right job/career will come along. Good luck.

input wrote: ↑ I'm currently out of a job right now and I've been applying to programming jobs on a weekly basis. While I have been able to go on a few interviews, I feel like I've been getting "ghosted" a lot lately by companies that I had interviews with.

This especially hurts when they've asked you to complete an online technical test and you manage to pass it, but you don't hear anything back from them or when they say they'll contact you back within 24 hrs about the next steps but they never do.

What I'm trying to say is that, is this really common behaviour for people to do that?

If there was particular reason as to why I wasn't chosen, then I would totally understand that but shouldn't people at least have the common decency to shoot you an email or reply back to you when you follow up for results?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I've been for numerous interviews in my life and I would say that the majority of the interviews that I've had where I wasn't selected, I didn't receive any notice/information about not having been selected for the process.

I only followed up with one where I didn't receive anything after a few weeks and contacted the interviewer back and the only reason I did this was because where I was currently working, my contract was coming up for renewal and I wanted to know if I was still "in the running" for the position or whether the lack of response/notification was the the response. When I contacted the person by email, the person that I spoke with informed me that no decision was made yet and I was still "in the running". At the end of the process, I got the job.

Most of the positions I've applied for in the last ~8 years have been internal positions and generally when I don't get the position, I'm informed about it (there was one position that I interviewed for where I was never informed by email or call/meeting). If the position is within the same department where I'm currently working (i.e. same HR representative), I will generally be informed of the decision via an email and the hiring manager will generally set up a Teams meeting to discuss their decision and why they went with another candidate. If the position is in another department (different HR representative), I'll generally get an email informing me of the decision. Depending on how I feel about the position, I might send an email asking them about improving my chances in the future for being selected for this position.

Nowadays (at my stage in life), I don't send an email or ask whether a decision has been made or even get clarification on what I could do to improve my chances in the future for this position. In the past when I was in a hiring decision position, I was somewhat annoyed when people contacted me by phone regarding the position that they interviewed for. I was a lot less annoyed with follow-up emails.

It's the norm now, but it drives me nuts that people do this.

I've interviewed and hired people over the years, and if I've interviewed someone, I will at minimum follow up with a rejection email. It's the least that I can do for someone that has spent their time to have a discussion. It's common courtesy to me.

Walk in with it like after you have gone on your first date that you thought went amazing.

1) Sometimes, they say nice things about contacting you later, and they ghost you.
2) Sometimes, you're one of many dates, and you're the second choice and they're waiting to hear back from their first choice to see if it'll work out.
3) Sometimes, they'll say nice things about contacting you later, and actually tell you later they aren't interested.
4) Sometimes, stuff comes up and they forgot to get back in touch with you and you need to make the move to remind them.

While job hunting, you need to just be prepared to keep going until you succeed and ignore the fact that you won't usually get a rejection notice (although I find that the companies with proper job application programs will give you notice if you weren't successful, but I once one a rejection notice that turned out to be sent by accident, but that's a story for another day).

I spent a week and a half on a take home coding project. Sent it in and didn't hear anything from them. Don't do that.

ChrisT363328 wrote: ↑ I spent a week and a half on a take home coding project. Sent it in and didn't hear anything from them. Don't do that.

Companies that do that are just BAD... bad for the interviewee and bad for the reputation of the industry.

SW20 MR2 wrote: ↑ It's the norm now, but it drives me nuts that people do this.

I've interviewed and hired people over the years, and if I've interviewed someone, I will at minimum follow up with a rejection email. It's the least that I can do for someone that has spent their time to have a discussion. It's common courtesy to me.

In large organizations, it's upto HR to do it and hiring managers don't communicate with the applicants to follow HR policies who get really worked up if you bypass HR at any point during hiring process as it opens them up to liability (and also to be as impartial as possible and non HR people may say something that is non professional or opens up liability for company even telling applicant/interviewee they aren't suscessful and why)

I get emails from people who don't pass interviews/hiring process and they are supposed to go straight to HR

As companies bulk up their risk management practices, this seems to be one of the byproducts