Why haven’t they called after the interview?

You feel like you had a great interview, you were well prepared, your answers were on point, but they haven’t called you back since? When you’re on edge and eagerly awaiting a phone call, it can be quite frustrating to have to wait longer than you would like. However, there are a few reasons why they haven’t got back to you and you should consider them all before panicking. Most reasons for a delay in response are down to the employer, not you. It may feel difficult, but we have some potential reasons why the employer hasn’t called you back yet.

The interview stages aren’t over yet

Sometimes, it can take a long time to get through all of the candidates that the employer may have considered for the interview stages of the application. You don’t know where they began, and you might have been one of the first people that they spoke to about the role. This means, you can be left waiting longer than others to hear more about the next stages of interview or any other news. It’s all about being patient. I would recommend taking a look at the job description again, did it have an application due date? If there is still time to apply, they’re probably still busy reviewing applications. If it’s 2 weeks past the deadline, they may have found a candidate. If you would like this information confirmed, there’s nothing wrong with calling the employer and asking about the role!

Your nerves got the better of you

Think back to your interview day, there are many factors that could have affected your interview without you even knowing. Sometimes, we just brush off nerves and try to get on with the task at hand, but for many, it can affect us in ways we don’t even really notice.

• Did you introduce yourself properly?
• Were you calm and polite when waiting for the interviewer to invite you in?
• Were you relaxed during the interview?

Those are just a few things that could have impacted your interview negatively. We can’t help being nervous but being fidgety and looking uncomfortable during the interview might have set you back. These things can be rectified, and interviews get easier over time, so if you think back and remember making some of these mistakes, you know what to work on next time.

They are busy

Even though recruiting is an important part of a functioning organisation, there are things that can simply get in the way and delay progress. You may have had a very good interview, but things can happen that are out of our control. If something has come up in the workplace, unfortunately, they’re not going to be thinking about your interview, despite you worrying about a reply. The best thing you can do is be patient, continue your job search and research for the next stage of the interview process. Always best to be prepared.

They have already hired someone for the position

Sometimes, things just don’t work out. We can’t get every single job we apply for. This is why, whilst you are waiting for a decision to be made, it’s best to not put your job search on hold. You should be taking all steps necessary to be getting ready for a new interview. For all the reasons above, you shouldn’t waste your own time, for someone that hasn’t called you back. There will be other opportunities with different companies. Afterall, everything happens for a reason, right?

You didn’t ask for feedback

Employers can be busy and unfortunately, if you’re not the chosen candidate for the role, they can fail to respond. After all, if a company has over 100 applications and only one successor, are they even able to call back everyone with the bad news?

However, it can be important to you and your development to ask the employer for feedback, not matter what the outcome. You can ask for feedback during your follow up email or call. You can read more here about how and why you should be sending follow up emails to the companies you interview for.

If you call them, they might be happy to provide you with some feedback. This shows that you care about the role and your development and some employers would be more than happy to oblige. You can use this feedback to improve yourself and your interview strategy. But if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Ultimately, for whatever reason there may be, we can’t control how an employer acts after the interview stages. If you haven’t received any feedback or information 10-14 days after the application deadline, I would suggest simply moving on to the next job role! There will always be another job, just keep moving and you will find an employer and a role that is perfect for you and your goals!