Have you ever been in a situation where you had an interview that you thought went well, but then didn’t hear back from the hiring manager? You are not alone. Many job seekers have found themselves “ghosted” by companies they were eager to work for. They assume they must have done something to influence this outcome and they rack their brains trying to figure out what happened. More often than not, the reason has little to do with something within the candidate’s control and everything to do with something going on in the company. Here are a few such scenarios.
You are not their top choice. Interviewing is competitive, and it’s not unusual to find yourself in a position where you are not the top candidate for the role. While you wait anxiously for a response to your most recent follow-up email reiterating your interest in the role, the hiring manager may be negotiating an offer with another candidate. If that candidate does not accept the role, they may circle back to you, but they will most likely remain silent during this process so they don’t forfeit the chance to offer you the role if the other candidate declines.
A business situation has taken precedent over the interview process. Interviewing is not the main responsibility of most hiring managers. And while we would like to think that filling a role is their number one priority, often it is not. Business challenges must be dealt with, and this could be the reason for the delay responding to you.
The viability of the job is being questioned. A lot can happen in between the time a job is first posted and the interview process concludes. Funding for the position can be pulled, the company can decide that the original job description is no longer aligned with their needs, or a hiring manager can determine that none of the candidates adequately meet the requirements of the job and they may start from scratch with a new description or even a new job title.
The hiring manager is inundated with candidates. In some cases, the hiring authority just doesn’t have the bandwidth to communicate with every candidate. And if you aren’t a top candidate for consideration, they will probably keep their communications to those who are.
So what can you do about these situations? Try to find creative ways to stay top-of-mind with the hiring manager and/or anyone you met during the interview process. In addition to your general follow-up, see if they are open to connecting on LinkedIn and try to engage with them there. Or send an email with some information that is relevant to their business needs or make mention of recent company wins to show your continued interest in them as an employer. If you landed the interview through your network, touch base with your contacts and let them know that you haven’t heard back. They may be able to offer some insights regarding what is going on internally that may have led to the silence. And finally, don’t let the lack of response get you down or slow down your progress in your search. The more you reach out to people, the greater the likelihood that you will find people willing to engage and excited by your candidacy.