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

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I can understand a company not getting back to an applicant due to volume of applications, however I think it is totally rude not to advise those who have taken the time to meet and interview for a position, at least provide them with feedback when requested.

Margaret of CT 7:58AM July 07, 2012

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