When is it too early to pester a company for the outcome of a job interview? Had second interview a fortnight ago and haven’t heard anything since. Tempted to give them a quick call but equally don’t want to annoy an overworked recruitment department.

shows you’re keen – I’d make a polite call….

I think 2 weeks is fine, if you were not given a timescale. Good luck.

I was in this situtaion recently. The key is to ask them at interview when you could expect to hear from them. Then when this date passes, you have good reason to call. (Still waiting for my final start date though).

Hi. I’d say that, sorry, but you probably haven’t got the job. The prospective employers are probably waiting on references from the first choice. No many organisations take longer than 2 weeks to get back to a successful candidate. I’d ring – nothing to lose.

if you’ve waited this long I’d say you’ve waited too long.

should have asked in interview and if not, should have rang at latest after a week

Called them, they’re still deciding!

Have spoken to three other people at the same assessment who’ve received a PFO email (hence my surprise at hearing nothing) but perhaps I’m a particularly dire case.

It’s a bit of a strange one asking at interview. I always do – but the last 2 interviews I had, when I asked the question they both said “oh, this is a process we’re going through, likely to take a couple of months”. These interviews were both on the same day, in the same industry. Needless to say I was a bit crestfallen to hear this.

However, I got phone calls about both of them later that day to offer me both jobs…. So I’d say that it’s a bit pointless to ask at interview, but if you haven’t heard after a couple of weeks then in all probability you haven’t been successful – so ring them, nowt to lose!

*Edit* – great news, at least it’s still undecided.

PFO? Please F Off?

No news can be good news. However by phoning them you might now look a little desperate and have possibly fallen down the rankings, sorry.
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Good luck btw.

Onzadog – correct. 🙂

Called them, they’re still deciding!

My experience in this situation is that they are waiting for their first choice to sign on the dotted line. You might be 2nd or 3rd choice and so haven’t been given the PFO emai just yet (until the 1st choice has committed). Hope I’m wrong !

It’s August, people are on hols. HR departments are notoriously incompetent… don’t read anything into lack of feedback.

My company has had people only get offered a contract weeks after they’ve started due to HR being incompetent….

However by phoning them you might now look a little desperate and have possibly fallen down the rankings, sorry.

That would seem a bizarre reaction from a potential employer when a keen candidate makes an enquiry.

wot footflaps said – it’s august and the HR persons haven’t been in contact with the recruiter department, you’ve given them a reminder

Also Don Simon is talking rubbish – the HR dept aren’t the ones making the decision so ringing up asking for an update won’t make it less likely to get a job, you’d have to ring about 5 times a day every day and be an ar5e on the phone to the potential line manager for that to be the case

good luck matey and keep up with the other avenues until someone gives you a bit of paper to sign 🙂

That would seem a bizarre reaction from a potential employer when a keen candidate makes an enquiry.

But it would also be a key indicator in that I wouldn’t want to work for anyone that doesn’t have a sense of humour or have the ability to detect humour.
But don’t worry about it too much.

But it would also be a key indicator in that I wouldn’t want to work for anyone that doesn’t have a sense of humour or have the ability to detect humour.

Boss having a sense of humour isn’t too high on my priority list 🙂

I gave up working with boring farts years ago. Now I have to say my boss is a top guy with a f***ing wicked sense of humour.

My experience of the “still deciding” which occurred earlier this month was exactly that. They were looking for 21 people. I’ve no idea if they’d picked me and were still deciding on the other 20 or if they’d picked 20 and I was in the running for the last spot. Either way, it took them almost a month to decide in which time I made a polite enquiry by phone on two occasions and I start work with them soon.

It’s not over until the fat lady (from HR) sings. If the guy (gal) doing the hiring and firing wants you, they want you. Chances are, they’ll never know you called HR to chase them up.

Well, the company in question is looking for at least 140 people this year, so hopefully I’m through the first round of culling at least. They did emphasise all the way through the assessment process that we weren’t in competition with each other.

If I interviewed someone who I found I wanted, the agency would know before they got home.

Of course, this could be a public sector job in which case, 6 months wait is fine. Maybe longer.

It could be seconds or months, there’s no simple answer.

I don’t think there’s much to lose by chasing. However, there’s not a lot to gain either; as soon as they know ‘you’ve got the job’ then so will you. In the meantime, you should keep looking.

OTOH, if you’ve got another offer but would prefer the original post, then you’ve got cause to ring (and a good bargaining tool).

If you’ve had one job interview and are waiting to hear back before having any others, you’re being a fool to yourself. Keep going to interviews.

Oh – and good luck.

Flaperon, it sounds like you’re applying for BA. It’s been taking longer than expected for people to get their result, if that helps.

Cheers mikertroid, it does! Started the application back in March so I suppose I shouldn’t be getting twitchy about another two weeks. 🙂

But I always thought you were self employed Don?

Exactly, he’s a damned handsome chap too… 😀

Hope it works out for you

Don Simon/the boss

Update: Got the “Yes” email today. 😀

Excellent news, now have a celebratory **** (**** = whatever tickles your fancy).

Well done! Hoping to get a sim date myself soon too…

Well done. Just goes to prove that no news is good news. Same happened to me. Waited ages for the yes.