I interviewed for my dream job , made it to the last grueling round but never heard back.

30 Comments

1. Ally MorganJanuary 2,2023 at 2:14PM UTC

   Email the recruiter to get closure.

2. AnonymousJanuary 2,2023 at 2:25PM UTC

   This is very much annoying and unprofessional. the interview is an opportunity for both the employer and the new hires to evaluate each other. If they haven't got back to you with a response (yes or no) and an explanation in case of rejection, then I suggest you to ignore them and move on.

3. AmandaJanuary 2,2023 at 2:50PM UTC

   This could be a reflection of internal issues. I would take as a red flag and move on. If they do call you in a few weeks, ask why it took so long? Unfortunately, sometimes I've seen the second runner up kept on the back burner in case the top pick backs out or declines. It could also have to do with the holiday schedule, maybe?

4. AnonymousJanuary 2,2023 at 2:58PM UTC

   If they made you do work for free, that's not a dream job, unless it's something like a presentation for a professional gig.

   Leaving you hanging is common, and a hiring organization slows way down during vacation season. I wouldn't make anything of the delay, but that project worries me for you.

5. AnonymousJanuary 2,2023 at 4:06PM UTC

   I think the holidays give you the perfect reason to follow up.

   Considering people are often focused on closing out the year or have PTO at the end of the year, it is reasonable to assume that the hiring decision did get pushed to the back burner.

   So, I would follow up with the recruiter one last time.

6. VerityJanuary 2,2023 at 4:19PM UTC

   I would contact the recruiter.
   I would do this because you have put in time and effort into this process, it's only fair that they return that by sending a two(2) minute email confirming your current standing with the company and the applied for position. If they do not, it is unprofessional and I wouldn't be able to work for a company with, what I class as, communication issues.

   Your frustration about the activity you had to complete is completely valid and I also dislike having to do activities to almost prove my worth to them. Though, they are beneficial to a company to help weed out anyone who may not meet their requirements, it places unnecessary stress on the potential employee and also wastes your time if you do not get the role.

7. Stephanie LekowskiJanuary 2,2023 at 4:36PM UTC

   Do not call back again. Let it go, and pursue other job search efforts. It's like dating, you need to have other things going on and not appear desperate. It's unfortunate that they got "free work" out of you but next time it might help to make a small portfolio of work and offer it to them, i.e. always have something of your own ready so that you'r e not trying to come up with something "on the spot" and get it in to them only to have them ghost you, which based on what you're saying, bothers you more than not hearing about the job itself. Good luck!

8. AnonymousJanuary 2,2023 at 5:44PM UTC

   I went through a similar situation and I'm sorry you're facing this dilemma. After putting in effort and hard work completing the project, you should at least be told.

   I recently was told I had the job only to be ghosted. These are unusual times and while we aspect appreciation for our time, often the candidates are overlooked in the process.

   Move forward and keep applying for other positions. As in dating, if they want you, they'll call but don't wait by the phone. If they come back and you have an offer in hand, you'll have more leverage. Wishing you all the best and it's the company's loss if they can't realize your value.

9. AnonymousJanuary 2,2023 at 6:03PM UTC

   I would just like to add one note: I interviewed for my current position in the end of November. Received feedback at the beginning of December. Then the whole sector went on holiday break for two weeks to return January 1. I was shocked but it does happen. I was working with a recruiter so I spoke with her. I would give the recruiter one last call for closure.

10. AnonymousJanuary 2,2023 at 7:11PM UTC

    I would reach out to get a status.

    As for the assignment, these types if requests are more common and part if the vetting process.

11. AnonymousJanuary 2,2023 at 11:12PM UTC

    I am just….wow. “Dream job” and “grueling [interview process!]” in the same sentence. So which one is it? While I realize that in real life, it takes hard work to get to where you want to be professionally, I am always confused by people who believe that every step toward job nirvana must be stuffed full of “grueling”. How gruesome.

    So is this really the job you want to follow up on? Maybe you should find out if they’re willing to join you out on your limb and have a little gruel themselves to catch a fantastic, talented, enthusiastic employee.

12. AnonymousJanuary 3,2023 at 1:49PM UTC

    huh?

13. MandyJanuary 3,2023 at 2:45PM UTC

    For sure. Maybe it seemed like a dream job, but it turns out it was more of a nightmare.

14. Crystal HowellJanuary 3,2023 at 12:31AM UTC

    I would check the HR website if the position is still posted, or ask them if the job is still open. After a month, maybe they scrapped it or someone else was chosen. You can google the job and position, they will announce the new person or go to linked in search the company, see if the person just started in the title? Good Luck, move on that door isn't meant for you.

15. AnonymousJanuary 3,2023 at 4:43AM UTC

    Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more common. In many companies HR handles the communication and they often drop the ball. I am surprised though that you haven't heard from the recruiter. I would reach to them one last time.

16. AnonymousJanuary 12,2023 at 10:05PM UTC

    Recruiters usually report to HR. As someone who has worked in recruiting for years at small and large global companies, I can tell you it is almost never HR being the hold up. I have had hiring managers decide they want to interview more people, hiring freezes, managers that are too busy to get back to me or schedule time to do the last interviews, hiring managers that cannot make up their mind, or the team cannot get to a consensus. I have also had it where the team was between mutliple candidates and would not make a decision until they had met with a candidate that could not interview until a certain date, usually being from out of state and having to fly in for the interview. Also, most people are not around much during the holidays. Trying to get in touch with a hiring team to meet to make a decision between Thanksgiving and New Years is tough.

    In addition, recently and in the past if there is a hiring slow down or freeze recruiters are often the ones laid off. Everything may not be covered when the person leaves like it should be. I have also been told before to hold jobs and not do anything until the new year or another point in time and not respond until a certain point, by those much higher up in the company because of financial reasons.

    The only times I have not gotten back to a candidate is either I have been told not to, (for a short time period), or we are still in process. At the end of the interview process for a candidate I have always responded. But yes, ghosting does exist and has even happened to me. However, sometimes the process takes way too long. I will sometimes reach out and say the process is taking longer than expected, but I do not always have a perfect time frame of when to expect to hear back from me. I only give estimates. I hate having to say we will get back to you by this date and then having to change it. Happened too many times.

17. Nadine BonnerJanuary 3,2023 at 1:31PM UTC

    Maybe check the website and see if they hired someone else first. I went through four interviews and an exercise with a nonprofit. There was no recruiter so I reached out to the CEO after the final interview. Crickets. After a couple of weeks, I checked the website and saw they had promoted someone from inside -- one of the people that had interviewed me actually. It stings, but the ugly truth is, once they hire someone, they just move on. They don't give a hoot about the other candidates who they may never see again.

18. GirlBossanova934974January 3,2023 at 1:40PM UTC

    If this all happened during the Holiday season, I would not read too much into it. It was tough just getting managers to come into work for the Holiday Season in 2022. I worked the whole time but I was by far in the minority. I would check in this week and see what is happening.

19. AnonymousJanuary 3,2023 at 1:57PM UTC

    I was working as a recruiter for a very big organization, and was terminated without reason at 11 o’clock in the morning.

    my email was cut off. I had appointments not just for candidates, but with managers for the next two weeks on my calendar no one followed up with me or asked me any questions about what I was handling.

    I was treated like a criminal the reason I bring this up is you never know what’s going on on the other end, I don’t say that easily either but strange things happen. I’ve seen wierd behavior more than once as a recruiter.

    it’s possible the recruiter has no information it’s possible the recruiter is begging managers for information which was common although I don’t agree with not saying to you. I don’t have anything to tell you right now and then of course there’s that they found another candidate and don’t want to tell you until that person, accepts or refuses.

20. DeBorah WalkerJanuary 3,2023 at 2:20PM UTC

    Sometimes no response is a response. Do not feel like you wasted your time on the exercise; the time spent is just going to prepare you to do another exercise where you will get the job. That's just practice for what is meant to be for you, don't look at it like that.

    There's nothing wrong in in sending another email to follow up; you're interested in the position you're showing them that you're interested and because of the size of the company someone somehow the communication chain got broken.

    All the best with everything!

21. Kimberly GrahamJanuary 3,2023 at 6:03PM UTC

    Well stated!

22. AnonymousJanuary 3,2023 at 2:23PM UTC

    The time between Thanskgiving and end of year is a tough one to get offers made due to budget cuts and people being out of office, so I wouldn't read too much into this due to the timing. The position might have been put on hold or cut. Someone involved in the process may have been laid off. Or they may have a hiring freeze through end of year. Due to the timing, it's probably worth reaching out again. Good luck!

23. MsJanuary 3,2023 at 2:51PM UTC

    Every job I apply for requires a presentation of 30-60 minutes. Don’t look at the assignment as a waste of your time.

    I’d reach back out later this week and give everyone a time to settle back in after 6 weeks of Holidays and end of year chaos.

24. AnonymousJanuary 3,2023 at 2:56PM UTC

    Give it a few more weeks, because of all of the holidays. In my case, I applied for a position in late September and I went through the interviewing process. I was offered the position towards the end of December. Yes, through this whole process, I thought at one point I was not going to hear back. You may want to log into the portal and look at the status of your application. I also don’t think it is unreasonable for you to contact the recruiter again the second week of January for an update.

25. AnonymousJanuary 3,2023 at 4:43PM UTC

    it is, unfortunately, fairly common to be ghosted by a company once you are out of the running. it's a pet peeve of mine considering a) it's literally part of the job of a recruiter or hiring contact in HR to communicate with you; and b) it also quite literally, only takes a minute, at the most, to send an email informing you that they've moved on with other candidates.

26. Focused721350January 3,2023 at 5:58PM UTC

    Good Morning,

    Why! Are you wasting your precious time on a Co. that shows you LACK OF RESPECT??? To me! Its almost like a frigging game! Do yourself a favor and move on! I wouldn't waste a another second on them. There's other Companies who would appreciate you!

    Good Luck and God Bless, Ms. T ;)

27. Laura BrennanJanuary 3,2023 at 7:32PM UTC

    Just one thing I'd like to throw in: something like 30% of jobs are open again 6 months after they were filled. Even if they gave it to someone else, there is a chance you could be up for it again. But to do so, you have to manage their experience of you: you have to give them a way to feel like they did NOT screw you over. Because if they feel bad about how they handled it (ghosting you, whatever), that emotion will keep them from reaching out to you again even if (for any number of reasons) they end up regretting their choice.

    I agree with everyone else that the holidays probably slowed things down a lot. Give it at least another week, check the website, see if you can find out if the job was filled some other way. If it hasn't, sit tight. Reach out to the hiring manager again around the 15th, when things are back to normal. DO NOT ASK THEM FOR FEEDBACK. Just let them know you are still interested in a professional yet upbeat way.

    If the job has been filled, I would send a note -- ideally, handwritten. A real, snail-mail note to your contact at the company (if there were a couple of people, send each an individual note). Let them know what a pleasure it was interviewing with them, how getting to know about the company made you even more eager to work there, and how you hope you get the opportunity to work with them in the future. NO ASK. You just want to leave them with the sense of how professional and gracious you are, and how delightful it would be to work with you in the future.

    Whether or not they reach out to you when this, or a similar, job opens up again, you are creating a reputation for yourself as a gracious professional. Above the fray. Word gets around, especially when someone is unexpectedly wonderful. You know your skills got you this far in the process; it's worth giving that little extra to be remembered the right way.

28. AnonymousJanuary 3,2023 at 7:43PM UTC

    Of course. Reach out often until you hear back.

29. Antonia CalzettiJanuary 4,2023 at 4:06PM UTC

    Don't assume that someone else has been selected for the position. Companies may be going through budget reviews, others are freezing hiring or someone in the decision process may be out of the office. None of these are a reason not to reply to a candidate but consider the holidays.

    Check in at the beginning of next week with both the recruiter and the hiring manager confirming your interest in the role. Give them a couple days to reply. If then you have no response, keep moving. Don't think twice and understand that this company may not be for you. If you're not a satisfied candidate, take opportunities to write reviews on sites like Glassdoor so you can let other candidates (and the company) know your experience. Agree, that your time may feel wasted but sadly, this is the reality of some companies in today's work landscape...ghosting.

30. AnonymousJanuary 12,2023 at 10:06PM UTC

    I would contact the recruiter. Often hiring teams are very hard to get together for final decisions around the holidays, (between Thanksgiving and New Years). There could be a lot of reasons why you have not been notified yet, but it never hurts to respectfully ask where they are in the process and when you can expect to hear back.