- After an interview, a tech worker was told she'd hear back within two days. She waited two months.
- Despite having four previous interviews, the company sent a generic email rejection.
- There could be multiple reasons, according to recruitment coach Nikita Gupta. Here's her advice.
Lisa Jimenez has more than 20 years' experience working as a marketing executive in Silicon Valley. She spent the last nine of those as a self-employed contractor and consultant, working across live events, marketing, and recruitment.
After her youngest daughter graduated from high school earlier this year, Jimenez decided she wanted the security of a full-time role again, but she admits that her current job search has proved more difficult than she was expecting.
Jimenez, 55, is one of several job seekers to have reached out to Insider, detailing their experiences of trying to navigate the current labor market.
Despite companies in many industries complaining of a labor shortage, some workers say the number of employers ghosting them has increased. Others, like Jimenez, say that they've been left waiting months before they received a response.
There's one experience that left Jimenez particularly frustrated.
She had three successful interviews for a field marketing position with a mobile phone company. In August 2021, she was asked to do a fourth, this time with a video call with a panel of recruiters.
She said it went well, and following the interview, the recruiter confirmed they'd be back in touch regarding a final interview, this time with the person who would be her direct colleague.
Jimenez was told they'd be in touch the following business day, although she said no specific date was given. The interview was on a Friday, yet by the following Thursday she'd not heard anything. She chased up with an email, which also went unanswered.
After two months of silence, on October 4, Jimenez received a generic email response, saying that she'd been unsuccessful.
Jimenez said she understands how things work. It's not the fact that she was unsuccessful, but that she was left with uncertainty, which was the most frustrating part. She added that she had turned down another role with a different company while waiting to hear back.
"We're all people, we all have emotions, we all have feelings," said Jimenez. "And treating people like we're objects versus human beings with feelings and needs ... we still have to feed our families."
Insider discussed Jimenez's experience with Nikita Gupta who has recruited for big tech firms and is the founder of FAANGPath, which provides career advice to people applying for tech companies.
There could be multiple reasons that it took a recruiter so long to respond according to Gupta.
For example, they might have been waiting to see if they could find another candidate who was stronger in a specific skill set and then replied only once the vacancy was filled. Sometimes recruiters might also just be lazy, or forget to send a rejection email, said Gupta.
There's not a lot you can do to guarantee you'll hear a response, but she does have some tips for how job seekers can try to avoid being overlooked.
Always specify a date for a response. If you haven't heard back within that timeframe, you should follow up, Gupta said. Make sure you're polite and professional, she said — even if you're frustrated.
Gupta said adding a "human effect" may prompt a recruiter to reply. For example, perhaps you're an international candidate and your visa is limited, or you're soon due to finish your degree and want to have a role lined up.
Reach out to hiring managers via LinkedIn and don't be afraid to escalate your query to someone more senior at the company if you haven't still heard back, she said.
Ultimately, Gupta said that it's important not to wait too long for them to reply.
"You need to move on with your job search and you need to focus on your next interview," Gupta said.
Even if they do get back to you after a few months, it's unlikely to be positive news, she said. Try and learn from the experience but don't let it distract you from looking for your next role.
Have you got a recruitment or career challenge that you'd like to talk about? Reach out to this journalist in confidence at [email protected]