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Why Is It Taking So Long to Hear Back After Your Job Interview?

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I interviewed with a job at the end of January and then again in mid-February. I followed up with the company once a week. Finally on March 1st they called me to tell me they wanted me for the position. She said she was waiting on the head office management to decide on a budget for the position. The job was originally posted at the end of August 2011. I found it and applied the day after Christmas.
I was told that they would hire me for the job and that she was still waiting on the management deciding on a budget. I called last Monday and was supposed to get a call the next day on Tuesday but no one called.
How does a person interpret this kind of behavior and slow follow through? This is a dream job for me and I am so eager to start. Should I be concerned that I am getting responses such as this. I've called the head office once and the lady seemed upset that I called but I assured her it was recommended to me by one of the employees I interviewed with.

Jakea of CO 10:29PM March 10, 2012

This is a nice thought, but as I've been job hunting, this always ALWAYS boils down to #6.
Even if the reason is any of the first 5 points you've made (they're interviewing other people, they've decided to go a different direction with the position), most employers are under no obligation to tell you squat *unless* they actually want to hire you. I've asked and not asked, said I've had other job offers and not said so, called/emailed after 10 days and not - if they don't want anymore to do with you, they will either say, "we'll be in touch" (lie) or simply won't respond.
Send your emails if you have to, but keep applying and trying to get other interviews!

Morgan of TX 10:37PM October 30, 2011

Maybe you said what these candidates did, when they were filmed (on hidden camera) while interviewing: http://buystock.net

Trevor Oxford of WA 11:33PM September 28, 2011

This is probably a fair assessment of the interview process. My experience has been that after the interviews that I think have gone good, the challenge is receiving a response from the company. It seems that a common response from companies is "Thanks for checking in. At this point, the client has decided to go a different direction. I will keep your resume on file in case anything changes." Sometimes I wonder how truthful it is!

Wm of MD 9:33PM September 28, 2011

Alison,
Thank you for this post.
I have been more than anxiously awaiting feedback from a company at each step of the way. At each juncture they've offered timelines that are weeks behind. At last connection I was told I would hear back 9/16. On 9/20 I followed up with an email and got the HR manager's out of office (out in 9/22).
I am sure she has bigger fish to fry...but I am dying to know.
Do I wait a few more days and follow up with her via, or the hiring manager (who would be my supervisor) via email or do I just wait?
Thanks!

job seeker in Boston of MA 5:24PM September 26, 2011

This is a frustrating experience. I was laid off in June and still haven't had any job offers. In fact, I'm still waiting for an interview I attended at the end of July, and the recruiter has said that they're not interviewing yet because they've been traveling, had emergencies, and every other excuse. At another company, I had an interview in early August, and am still waiting. I've emailed the hiring manager and the recruiter. The recruiter said she hasn't heard from the hiring manager, and after 2 emails, I haven't heard anything either. I agree about it being rude not to even return email; even if it's bad news, at least I can write them off.

Jim of CA 3:24PM September 25, 2011

This is a great article that helps demystify the hiring process. I for one have thought of every one of the listed scenarios after an interview. It can be maddening to wait for a response, but one must move on and not dwell. Sometimes a job offer comes out of the blue during the wait, from an employer you never expected to hear from, as I've experienced during my job search.
On another note: I'm still trying to understand why some employers never tell applicants they are out of the race. In the last few months I've had companies (large and small) contact me profusely before an interview, and then nothing after--even when things went extremely well, and they provided a timeline. I have been the one to make contact, which usually follows with a rejection of some sort. Usually they state something like they moved on with candidates that they feel were more suitable. And they couldn't send an email to tell other applicants that?
I don't buy the "we get floods of applicants" story because they usually have no problem coordinating discussions with these "floods" of applicants before an interview. These situations leave a bad taste in my mouth, and others I tell, so these companies are actually tarnishing their reputation outside of hiring. Why would I do business with a company that can't provide decent customer service?
Waiting is part of the game after an interview, but common courtesy should be part of the game as well. But again, one shouldn't dwell on silence; keep applying to other employers and move forward.

Tony of CA 12:57PM September 23, 2011

Although I do agree to a certain extent with the job sites, I can tell you I have worked for a few of those companies, and left for my own reasons. Mostly those "disgruntled" employees said the correct thing, at least about the organizations I worked for.
However that should make you think long and hard about your deal breakers...
As for negotiations after interviewing for the last 3 months and finally accepting an offer, I can say that negotiations are mostly dead in this economy.

Anne of NY 10:10AM September 22, 2011

In my experience, I have found that the larger the company/organization, the longer you have to wait. Maybe it has something to do with more red tape, more rules, more HR steps, who knows. When I interviewed for jobs at small non-profits (under 50 employees), I received job offers within a week of the interview. I recently interviewed for jobs at two different large universities, it took each of them over a month to get back to me after the interview. In one case, they had hired someone else, but I got the second job, so I have no idea why it took so long! The school that hired me actually said they would be in touch by a certain date, and then they didn't call me with an offer until two weeks after that date, which was nerve-wracking! So, for all your hopeful job hunters, be patient, news is (probably) coming!

Be Patient of TN 9:33AM September 22, 2011

This is only peripherally related, but it might factor in if the hiring manager is less experienced, so I shall throw in a comment.
Everyone knows there are tons of those employee "review" websites where current/former employees can anonymously give the so-called "inside scoop" on the employer, but most people take those things with a grain of salt (maybe an under-performer got sacked, hence the review ends up being more negative than most other reviews would be, right?).
But assuming there are way too many negatives related to certain companies, you kind of wonder if some hiring managers, despite trying their best to be objective, do poke around and look at the "overall" online general consensus. If not above 70-80% positive, does it ever affect their decisions in salary negotiations? As in, if they think so many are jumping at the chance to leave a particular employer, will they try to negotiate a far far lower salary with an applicant wanting to leave the seriously dissed organization?
Perception matters, even subconsciously, so a possible recommendation for job-seekers is to make sure that if the first thing someone sees about their company on a review site is just awful, get together with other more savvy types and post positive reviews, instead. No one reads too far, just the initial reviews, and so if they just sound really really good, and someone is in current negotiations, there's just nothing to add to your case that you LOVE your employer, but want better opportunities, than if the reviews look pretty darn great!
It is unbelievable that others do not employ a little psych ploy by being less brutal about those reviews when they would be in a much better position to negotiate their way out of there if the "buzz" on the street (even the virtual one) is that those people over there are super-happy and won't budge easily if not enticed with a better financial deal!
So...perhaps take a look at the general trend when it comes to the "buzz" about someplace you work, but have to leave at some point (got a new degree that means you can get paid more elsewhere if limited positions exist where you're at, or you're moving to another state). Is it overwhelmingly negative? If so, change the perception and counter the disgruntled opinions by making a glowing review pop up first thing when someone searches reviews (getting coworkers to join in helps, too, as they can take turns replacing the negatives with positives as the negatives start to pop up).
I was amazed to learn, after some advising, just how many career counselors encourage applicants, themselves, to check out what the "buzz" is about various employers via review sites. You are encouraged to check out Vault.com or Glassdoor.com, yet once there, you might be absolutely horrified to see a lot of whining that makes it look very very bad to have worked there.
In this economy, please think long and hard before telling the whole planet that "everyone is trying to get out here," or "they treat you awful," or whatever. Imagine, instead, sitting in salary negotiations for a brand new job, but knowing the "buzz" is positive. You know you're going to be seen as well-taken-care-of, hence will be treated very well in negotiations.
So, if taking "too long," maybe check out the general consensus at one of the review sites and be sure to add your (overwhelmingly positive) opinion to help drown out the complainers.
Perception in negotiations is everything.
I continue to be shocked at how badly some disgruntled types complain. It just ruins it for everyone else out there who goes into an interview saying how they'd stick around at the old company easily if it weren't for the need to increase one's earnings (student loans, perhaps, or starting a college fund for a kid, for example). People have honest reasons for leaving places that aren't negative, so they should feel free to chime in and tell of their good experiences.
How much negative "buzz" might be affecting the ability of others to get the heck out of the place someone else just trashed?!

2 Cents of IL 11:39PM September 21, 2011