Unfortunately, there is no definite timeframe for companies to respond after an interview. Multiple complicated factors go into a hiring decision, which leads to very inconsistent timelines. However, there are general time frames you can expect to use as a guide.
This article will break down the typical response times after different interview stages. I’ll also discuss what causes delays, when you should follow up, and what to do if the company goes completely silent on you.
Not all interviews elicit the same waiting period. Phone screens, video interviews and in-person interviews each have typical response times:
After an initial phone screen, you can generally expect to hear back from the employer within 3-6 days. Of course, there are always exceptions depending on the company and position. But phone interviews allow for quicker turnaround times since it simply involves a short screening between you and the hiring manager.
Expect a yes or no decision, or details about the next interview round shortly after your call. If they enjoyed speaking with you, they’ll want to bring you in quickly before you accept another offer!
In-person interviews require much more coordination, so anticipate longer response times here. It typically takes 1-2 weeks to receive feedback after an on-site interview when you meet multiple team members in a row.
The hiring manager needs time to compile feedback from everyone you met with and compare notes with their team and HR. This takes longer than just their initial gut reaction from a phone call.
If they bring you to the final interview round, feedback could take closer to two full weeks. At later stages, they may reference check and need to get approvals from upper management as well.
Speaking of later interview rounds, second and third interviews elongate the response time. These advanced interviews indicate serious interest, but also mean more people now need to evaluate you.
Coordinate schedules with an entire hiring committee, and it’s no wonder it takes 1-2 weeks to gather everyone’s thoughts. Running feedback up the chain for approvals also stalls the process. Consider this period yet another test of your patience.
Now that you know general response timelines, why does it actually take so long to get employer feedback? There are a few common bottlenecks:
Never assume you’re the only applicant they’re considering, no matter how well you hit it off. Until there is a written offer with your name on it, keep hunting. Even if you interviewed first, they likely have 4-5 other promising candidates still scheduled.
Though rude, some recruiters conduct “batch interviewing” where they arrange a full week of interviews before making any decisions. This ensures they select the best fit from the largest applicant pool possible.
So they cannot get back to you until finishing this batch and debriefing. Try asking slyly about this in your interview: “What are the next steps after meeting with you today?” That should reveal if more interviews are coming that week.
If even one of these decision-makers becomes unavailable, it grinds progress to a halt. Say the CEO who needs to sign off goes on vacation or gets tied up in investor meetings. Even if the direct hiring manager wants to make you an offer now, their hands are tied. Hiring choices require input from many critical players:
If even one of these decision-makers becomes unavailable, it grinds progress to a halt. Say the CEO who needs to sign off goes on vacation or gets tied up in investor meetings. Even if the direct hiring manager wants to make you an offer now, their hands are tied.
This also commonly happens when important people take summer Fridays off, or around the holidays in December. Consider this unfortunate timing if you hit radio silence after an optimistic interview.
As much as we want companies to revolve around us as applicants, they cannot drop everything for hiring. Departments juggle many simultaneous, demanding initiatives that take priority over recruitment.
For example, imagine you interviewed with an engineering team right as they discovered a major system bug affecting clients. Even if they liked you initially, that critical bug fix needs their full attention for now. They simply cannot spare mental energy to debate job candidates when they have a raging fire to put out!
Or, departments may be heads-down preparing for a huge product launch, company earnings or an upcoming shareholders meeting. No matter how qualified you are, they won’t have bandwidth to update you or move forward until after this project.
Many things can prompt a dreaded hiring freeze:
Again, a kind recruiter might vaguely explain if you ask the right questions: “How soon are you aiming to fill this role if the right candidate came along?” Or, “What factors might delay start dates here?” Flag any warnings signs that momentum could grind to a halt.
As much as we wish otherwise, people make mistakes. Recruiters and hiring managers often unintentionally drop balls when juggling many open roles at once. Details fall through the cracks.
Candidates that once seemed so promising get forgotten in email inboxes cluttered with resumes. LinkedIn messages go unanswered. Voicemails never get returned.
Recruiters overlook sending rejection emails just trying to fill their biggest priority roles first. Overworked managers set reminders to follow up but then fail to notice those reminders amidst their daily chaos.
As frustrating as it seems when you’re anxiously waiting for an update, unintentional silence happens. Business just moves extremely fast. Do not take it personally – just follow up!
Waiting around for responses after a promising interview feels miserable and precarious. However, overanalyzing daily why your phone isn't ringing will only drive you mad! Here is what to focus on instead to avoid unnecessary stressing:
Comb through your notes, records of any texts or emails, or memories of conversations about next steps. Did the interviewer or recruiter give any expectation of when you would hear either way?
Mark this date in your calendar and refrain from panicking until that time has come and gone. If no timeline was ever referenced though, follow the general guidelines earlier in this article for when to nudge them.
You truly never know if you have the job until a formal offer arrives. No matter how complimentary interviewers were about your experience, keep playing the field actively. Continue applying, networking and lining up additional interviews in the meantime.
Securing a sure offer elsewhere may end up being less agonizing than waiting on this employer. Don’t pause your entire job search counting on one company to come through!
Naturally spend some time reflecting on feedback and self-critiquing your interview answers after you leave. Make notes to yourself about what you could improve for next time.
However, don’t drive yourself mad rehashing fine points of how you might have came across. Pick yourself apart too much and you cannot internalize lessons as effectively for future interviews. Nothing productive comes from dwelling on the past!
If you want to accelerate hearing back from a potential employer, following up directly is your best bet versus waiting around. Take the bull by the horns if enough time has passed to reasonably check in.
Since phone interviews often warrant the fastest turnaround times, don’t delay reaching out if it has already been over seven days without an update. A week without engagement is excessive to leave a candidate hanging after a preliminary screening call. Fire away a quick check-in email to the recruiter or hiring manager to spark action!
If you completed a rigorous full day of multiple back-to-back interviews, but have not heard anything in over two weeks, take matters into your own hands!
Send a friendly email checking on application status and reiterating your interest. It takes serious time and money to send someone on-site, so silence this long means they somehow dropped the ball. Politely nudge them along to keep your candidacy alive.
Don’t hesitate to send just one follow up note either – recruiters and hiring managers are busy. If they somehow missed your first check-in, they may also miss a second. I would send up to three follow ups each spaced about 5-7 days apart.
If after three attempts you hear absolutely nothing, it’s time to get the hint and move onto greener pastures. Take the unresponsiveness as the communication itself – they are showing disinterest through their lack of engagement.
Be aware after months of agonizing silence, some companies do eventually circle back still wanting to interview you or make an offer. What is happening here?
Commonly they made an offer to another applicant who then declined or quit shortly after starting. So the hiring team reluctantly comes back to previously interested candidates they passed over to belatedly fill this hole.
This can work in your favor if you’re still unemployed and the role still interests you. At least you skip straight past the formal interview to the offer! However it may also signal high turnover or problematic management dynamics if brand new hires consistently bail quickly.
Proceed with caution understanding the context and ask polite probing questions about what happened. If you sense recurring issues within culture or leadership causing candidates to flee, also politely decline moving forward.
Alternatively, hiring could have entirely stalled for a few weeks or months due to any of the reasons cited earlier like:
Recruiters certainly should still inform waiting candidates that delays are happening via email or phone instead of ghosting entirely. But nonetheless, companies do reopen later down the line.
Do not let distressed companies off the hook for going silent without explanation! As their backup choice down the line you deserve transparency upfront about what issues originally prevented them from moving forward.
If the answers seem reasonable and hiring timelines seem back on track going forward, no reason not to continue where you left off. But it's still a red flag worth digging into before accepting any offers so you enter informed about this department’s challenges.
Put bluntly - yes. Particularly early on, how efficiently and professionally a company handles interview and hiring processes reflects how they likely operate overall. Pay close attention for red flags:
While an overly complex hiring process alone may just indicate inefficient systems vs. trouble, take notice. Combined with delayed responses, canceled interviews last minute or months long periods of silence, it can signal dysfunction.
Maybe the team itself works excessively long hours and constantly puts out fires. Perhaps company leadership keeps changing strategic priorities. Possibly HR is severely understaffed or talent planning practices are lacking.
Consider how reflective faulty recruiting might be of broader mismanagement issues before joining. While companies can certainly still pull things together and create a positive employee experience later, culture starts at the top.
Trust your instincts observing red flags versus excuses. Ask targeted questions about team dynamics, culture and processes before accepting offers to detect underlying issues. Protect your time and sanity by vetting carefully using the recruiting experience as telling data.
The limbo period after presenting your best self through the interview gauntlet provides anxious agony. Not knowing eats away at you while struggling not to overanalyze your performance.
Now that you know typical response timeframes though, set expectation checkpoints on your calendar versus fixation. Follow up if employers drag their feet to keep yourself top of mind. You alone control how long you allow them to string you along.
Most importantly, keep up momentum on your job search rather than staking everything on one opportunity. Protect your precious mental health by continuing to apply elsewhere so one ghosting company cannot devastate you! You’ve got the inside scoop on handling post-interview waiting periods. Now go use it to your full advantage.
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