It can be very stressful to look for a new job. One of the biggest complaints is that you can interview, think things went well, and then you never hear back from anyone at the company. It just doesn’t feel good to have been “ghosted” by a recruiter or hiring manager.

But I recently heard about three different scenarios that seemed to be much better.
- One client got an email from the recruiter on a Friday afternoon. He was told he was the #2 candidate. He was disappointed but appreciated the call.
- Another client received a message from the recruiter saying that they were interviewing other people and were not ready to make a decision yet. That email also came to her on a Friday afternoon.
- One time I helped a client get a job at Stanford. I contacted her because another client of mine was interested in working there. At one point, we talked about the differences between applying for a job through the school’s website or through LinkedIn.
She said that if you apply for a job at Stanford, their policy is that you are supposed to hear back from someone within 10 days. That is good.
I hope that these are indicative of a good trend in hiring practices and not just random. It really can make a difference to get feedback about the job on a Friday instead of Monday. The ambiguity of the situation can make for a very stressful weekend.
So, if you are a recruiter or hiring manager and you are reading this – please be aware. Try to remember how you felt when you were interviewing for the job you have now.
I am an interview coach. If you are frustrated by the lack of communication with a company you are applying to, there is no charge for a consultation to discuss. Go to this link, and it will take you to my scheduler.
