- After the interview, a technology worker was told she would be back in two days. She waited two months.
- The company sent out a general email, despite four previous interviews.
- According to recruitment coach Nikita Gupta, there are several possible reasons. Here is her advice.
Lisa Jimenez has more than 20 years of experience as a marketing executive in Silicon Valley. She spent the last nine as a contractor and consultant, working in live events, marketing and hiring.
After her young daughter finished high school earlier this year, Jimenez decided to pursue a full-time secular career again, but she acknowledged that her current job search was more difficult than she expected.
Jimenez, 55, is one of several job seekers who spoke to Insider, citing his experience in exploring the current labor market.
Although companies in many industries complain of a shortage of workers, some workers report an increase in the number of employers accepting them. Others, like Jimenez, say that they waited for months before responding.
There was an experience that particularly upset Jimenez.
She had three successful interviews with a mobile phone company in the field. She was asked to make her fourth appearance in August 2021, during a video call with the Employers’ Panel.
She said she was fine, and after the interview, the recruiter confirmed that she would be meeting with her immediate co-worker at this time.
Jimenez said no date had been set, but was told they would meet the next business day. The interview was on Friday, but she did not hear anything next Thursday. She chased him by email, but he did not respond.
After two months of silence, on October 4, Jimenez received a general e-mail stating that she had failed.
Jimenez says she understands how things work. It was not her failure, but her uncertainty. She added that she has not changed her role with another company while waiting for a response.
“We are all human, we all have emotions, we all have emotions,” Jimenez said. “And we have to deal with people emotionally and passionately as part of our lives … we still have to feed our families.”
Inside, he discusses the experience of Gemenez with Nikita Gupta, the employer of FAANGPath, a firm for large technology companies, who provides technical advice to tech companies.
According to Gupta, there may be several reasons why it took a long time for a recruiter to return.
For example, they may be waiting to see if they can find another strong candidate in a particular skill set and respond only after the vacancy is filled. At times, employers may even be lazy or forget to send out e-mails, says Gupta.
There is little you can do to make sure you get a response, but here are some tips to help job seekers avoid neglect.
Always specify a response date. If you do not hear back in time, Gupta said. Make sure you are polite and professional – even if you are upset.
Gupta says adding “human influence” could motivate a recruiter to return. For example, you may be an international candidate and your visa is restricted, or you may want to complete your degree soon and apply for a role.
Come on in, take a look and enjoy yourself!
Finally, Gupta said it was important not to wait too long for a response.
“You have to continue your job search and focus on your next interview,” Gupta said.
She said that even if they returned to you a few months later, it would not be good news. Try it and learn from experience but do not let it distract you from your next role.
Did you get the job or career test you want to talk about? Contact this journalist for sure at sjones@insider.com.
