Question: How many Hiring Managers does it take to screw in a light bulb? Answer: We’ll be making a decision on that in about two weeks. We’ll let you know at that time.”
I know….that joke would be funnier if it weren’t so painfully true. Getting hiring managers to return a call or keep you posted after an interview can seem harder than climbing Everest. But let’s cut hiring managers a little slack. Add the demands of finding a new hire along with their regular duties and I can guarantee you they’re terribly overworked. Which means keeping the dozens of people who have interviewed for a position informed about where they are in the hiring process is not one of their top priorities. Could they be a little more forthcoming, or if nothing else, just do what they said they would do, when they said they’d do it? Sure, but rather than harp about how inconsiderate they are, let’s focus on a solution instead.
Given how overwhelmed they are, you’ll need to incentivize the hiring manager to respond to your request. The best way to do that is to give them something with your inquiry. When you write your follow-up email, instead of saying “Hi, just checking in. Wondering if you’ve made a decision” why not start with a link to an article that you know they might find interesting? Make sure it’s something you know they’ll be interested in or that you talked about during the interview. I suggest including a short synopsis of the article so they don’t even have to take valuable time to read it. Then at the bottom of your email include, “You mentioned at the interview that you’d be making a decision this week on who to bring back for follow-up interviews. I’m not sure if you’ve made those choices yet, but I do hope I’ll be included in that group.” Other giving opportunities include letting the hiring manager know about a conference or a trade show that they might be interested in. Or if you’re involved in a trade organization or professional networking group, how about inviting the hiring manager to be a speaker at an upcoming event?
At GetHired we recognize the value of fair exchange. If you want something, you’ll have a better chance of getting it if you’re willing to give something. I call this being a Giver – Not a Taker. I can’t guarantee 100% response, but do this consistently and I’m sure you’ll have a lot fewer phone calls that go unreturned.