Why Won’t They Respond?
You just had an interview and you want someone to respond. You sent the recruiter or the hiring manager an e-mail, but have heard nothing.
Why won’t they just respond?
I bet most of you will wait and wait and wait! I previously wrote that Waiting is not a Job Search Strategy.
Stop waiting.
Here is a three-step process to get them to respond.
Step #1—Send a Note or Leave a Voicemail
After an interview, either by phone or in-person, you will want to call or send an email and include the following:
- Thank them for the opportunity to interview
- Ask when you will know if you made it to the next step
- Ask what the next step in the process is if you did not get this information in the interview
Now, wait 4-5 working days (and no longer) for them to respond.
If they do not follow up, then you move to step #2.
For More: 5 Simple Steps to a Successful Telephone Interview
Step #2—I Have Not Heard from You
You may start to get nervous that they did not respond. Someone will respond to the first note only about 20-30% of the time. Stay calm.
Listen to the most recent episode
You start out the second note by saying that you do not want to be a pest, but you have not heard from them. You need to include in the note what you asked for in step #1.
Here is the kicker—they will only respond 10-20% of the time.
Now, you wait 4-5 working days (and no longer) for them to respond.
If they do not respond, you need to move on to step #3.
For More: Will Technology Replace Your Job? Probably! [Infographic]
Step #3—Offer Them a Way Out
Step #3 uses something called the Take Away Close. This is a sales technique where you offer to walk away from the deal. When you make the offer, the other side rarely walks away.
In the third note, you will state the following:
- “I am presuming that I did not make the cut because you did not respond to either of my previous notes.”
- Offer to help them find other candidates who might be better suited
- “I will not be contacting you again.”
What you will find is that 60-70% of the time, they will respond. If you are in the running, they will definitely get in touch at this point.
Previously, I wrote that recruiters are often working on 20-40 open positions. On average, 180 applicants apply for every position.
They are busy. They are so busy that they cannot and will not respond to every candidate.
You will have to send three e-mails or leave three voicemails to get them to respond. It is a fact in today’s world you need to be persistent to get overworked recruiters or hiring managers to respond to you.
Be persistent. Offer the hiring manager or recruiter a way out.
For More: Waiting is not a job search strategy!
Have you tried this? Did it work?
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It is interesting that some recruiters only respond to the first email 20-30% of the time. My wife has been looking for a new job since she has been passed for promotion three times. I imagine if I were looking for a job, I’d consider reaching out to multiple job recruiters to see what industry or jobs I get the most traction in.