Dealing with Radio Silence

We’ve all been there—the interview went well, you had great rapport with the hiring manager, interacted well with the rest of the team, and the hiring manager promised to follow-up at the end of the week. You even remembered to send a ‘thank you’ note. However, the end of the week came…and went, but you didn’t receive a phone call. We call this “Radio Silence.” Unfortunately it happens pretty frequently to job seekers and the reasons for it vary. How do you handle it? There are several approaches to take to help you touch base, receive feedback, and ultimately obtain answers. Here are 3 ways to deal with a recruiter or hiring manager who has gone quiet:

1. The Friendly Follow-Up
If you were told to expect a call about next steps by Friday and that didn’t happen, it’s perfectly fine to try a friendly follow-up email or phone call to touch base. The key word is FRIENDLY. Keep your tone and word choice light and happy. Always assume the best, not the worst. Here is an example: “Hi Jane, it’s Tom Smith giving you a call to follow-up about the Account Manager role. I really enjoyed meeting you and your team last week and am excited about moving forward. If you need anything else from me don’t hesitate to reach out. My number is (555) 555-1234.”

2. The Polite Request
If the first approach didn’t produce any results, it’s time to actually ASK for information. We think it is common courtesy to let candidates know if they weren’t chosen for the role, or to explain the situation if (for whatever reason) the job has been put on hold. This doesn’t mean that every recruiter or hiring manger will take the time (or have the courage) to have that conversation. The truth is people are busy and often let confrontational situations fall by the wayside. A safe way to request information is to ask for it—nicely. Here is an example: “Hi Jane, it’s Tom Smith circling back to you to see if there has been any movement on filling the Account Manager role. I’m still very interested and was hoping to find out if I was still in the running for the position. I’d welcome your feedback either way. I can be reached at (555) 555-1234. Thanks so much.”

3. Time to Move On
If after two outreach attempts you’ve still received no communication from the recruiter or hiring manager, it’s time to move on. Unfortunately this is where you have to assume you were not selected. Remember the phrase, “He’s Just Not That Into You?” Well, the same is true for hiring. If they like you, they call. If you’re the one for the job they’ll follow-up. If this isn’t happening, it’s a hint that you’re not the front runner. Yes, it’s hard, but try not to take it personally. You may never receive feedback, but you can still learn from the experience. This is why it’s so important to work your job search from multiple angles—in other words, don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Never assume you’ll get the job until you’re holding the offer letter.

We always say the best way to get a job is to focus on your existing network and talk to people you already know. Keep as many different opportunities in play as possible and you may end up getting to be the one who is choosy.

Happy Job Hunting!