How to Follow up After a Job Interview

You just checked your emails again, didn’t you? Is that the seventh or eighth time in the past two hours? And still nothing.

Now you’re wondering if there’s any possibility that your phone is malfunctioning — for the first time ever — which would mean the recruiter who has been trying to call you with an update regarding your recent job interview hasn’t been able to get through to you.

Will you look too desperate for the role if you bite the bullet and call? Or maybe it would be better to send an email? You could always tell them that your phone is playing up and you were just getting in touch to double-check you hadn’t missed that all-important phone call.

Playing the post-interview waiting game has the potential to drive even the most confident people into a state of panic. You don’t want to rush or harass the hiring managers and recruiters, but at the same time, you’d like to stay on their radar. Plus, if the wait is only going to end in rejection, you’d much rather know sooner than later.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be like this. You have every right to be kept in the loop and expect regular communication from your prospective employer. Here’s how to manage the follow-up process professionally.

1. Send a Thank-you Email

It’s courteous to send a brief thank-you email in the immediate aftermath of your interview. Within two days is considered appropriate. I tell all of my candidates in their interview prep to send the email within 5 hours of the interview. Thank those who interviewed you for their time, let them know you look forward to hearing from them about the next step in the recruitment process, and reiterate your enthusiasm for the role. This will leave a good impression on your interviewers and ensure you remain at the front of their minds.

If there is any significant information you forgot to mention during the interview, now is the time to bring it up. Be mindful to keep it brief and stick to one or two points at an absolute maximum.

At this stage you might also choose to connect with your interviewers on LinkedIn.

2. Don’t Pester for Information Prematurely

Recruitment is time-consuming. Your prospective employer might have several candidates to see and a multi-step recruitment process to adhere to. During your interview, you should have been given an indication of when you’re likely to hear back. Aside from a thank-you email, you shouldn’t be getting in touch with interviewers until after this date has passed. Daily check-ins run the risk of shifting the employer’s perception of you from an enthusiastic candidate to an irritating one. Feel free to check in with your recruiter often to see if they have heard back from the Hiring Authority.

3. Follow up via Email

Once the decision date has passed, you’re well within your rights to follow up. Begin by contacting the person you were expecting to hear from, whether that’s the recruiter or interviewer. Here’s an example email:

Hi, [name]— 

I hope you are well.

I recently attended an interview at [company name] for the role of [job title].

I was told to expect a response by [insert date] but have yet to hear anything. Any update you can provide would be much appreciated.

Do let me know if there is any more information you need from me.

Many thanks,

[name]

The most important thing to remember with this first follow-up email is not to assume you didn’t get the role. You should assume the recruitment process is simply taking a little longer than planned and keep your tone optimistic.

4. Follow up for the Second Time

In most cases, the response to your email will go something like this:

Hi, [name]—

I’m so sorry for the delay in getting back to you with an update on this. We have a couple more interviews to conduct before we make our final decision but will be in touch as soon as possible/by [date].

Kind regards,

[name]

If their email provides you with a new decision date, there’s nothing more for you to do except wait it out. If it doesn’t, send a reply letting them know you totally understand and enquire when will be a good time for you to check back in.

In the unlikely event that you don’t hear back at all, you’ll need to send a second follow-up email. Wait a week or two before doing this, and then contact the same person:

Hi, [name]—

I’m following up on my previous email about the [job title] role at [company]. Could you let me know if you have any updates and confirm if I am still being considered for this position?

Thanks again,

[name]

5. Contact Somebody Else

If you still haven’t heard back within a few days of your second follow-up email, it’s time to get in touch with somebody else at the company or recruitment agency. For example, if you’ve been liaising with a specific recruiter, contact the company’s front office to try and track them down. Or, if your emails have been sent to the interviewer, get in touch with the company’s HR department.

It’s rude and unprofessional for a company to leave jobseekers hanging, but unfortunately, it does sometimes happen. If communication has been poor and continues to be poor despite your best efforts, you should assume the role has been filled and move on with your job search.

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