Had final round interview & was told that offers would be made by the end of the week

[ramuman]

I'm not sure how a simple call saying something to the effect of:

"I was wondering if you had made a decision for the position I interviewed for. I'm currently evaluating some options and you were a company I was interested in working for."

could hurt you.

Like medtech said, don't e-mail them.

 

[Matt]

a couple of thoughts here.

1. i would call.
2. i was about to ask if you would be calling HR or 'management', and since you indicated a few posts up it would be an analyst, is there some excuse you could find to call...industry announcement, something to that effect. You have to frame it right of course, but some other reason than 'uh hi, so uh, ya, uhh did i get it' could be of use. It could otherwise be an excuse to email (I am generally not an email fan, i think it's what pussies do to avoid human contact, but it may be an option in that case to just remind people that you exist (dear analyst, came across this article today that i thought may be of interest to you. best regards me)
3. remember one other thing about it; what you are demonstrating here is a willingness to follow up - and that shows professionalism. It tells them that if their suppliers are three days late, you will put in a call to check on delivery dates. Again, a lot of this is about framing, but the implication is that you are someone who does not just let things drift.

 

[ramuman]

Originally Posted by Matt

a couple of thoughts here. 1. i would call. 2. i was about to ask if you would be calling HR or 'management', and since you indicated a few posts up it would be an analyst, is there some excuse you could find to call...industry announcement, something to that effect. You have to frame it right of course, but some other reason than 'uh hi, so uh, ya, uhh did i get it' could be of use. It could otherwise be an excuse to email (I am generally not an email fan, i think it's what pussies do to avoid human contact, but it may be an option in that case to just remind people that you exist (dear analyst, came across this article today that i thought may be of interest to you. best regards me) 3. remember one other thing about it; what you are demonstrating here is a willingness to follow up - and that shows professionalism. It tells them that if their suppliers are three days late, you will put in a call to check on delivery dates. Again, a lot of this is about framing, but the implication is that you are someone who does not just let things drift.
I don't think OP needs an excuse to call. All he needs to demonstrate in the call is that he's interested in the company he interviewed for and would consider them among his top choices but he also has a timeframe to make decisions regarding his career and wants to know where he stands. This shows that he's serious about the job and implies that both sides should pursue other options if they're not a match. I don't see how it could get any simpler. I would suggest OP not over think things.

 

[otc]

The real question is why are we still discussing this?

If the OP is a ***** and has not made the call yet, there is no point to debating it further because he is probably not going to make the call and he is probably not going to get the job (because his lack of confidence probably came out in the interview).

If the OP is not a *****, then the call has already been made and we are discussing events that have already occurred.

 

[imageWIS]

My timeline:

Week 1) Had interview, was told I would hear back by the end of the following week

Week 2) I hear nothing, so I call the HR manager on Friday and leave a voicemail

Week 3) Didn't hear anything by Tuesday from the HR manager, I sent an email to the most senior person that interviewed me. On Thursday, the person emails me back that they apologize that HR didn't get back to me and that they were still interviewing. The HR manager calls me back and leaves me a voicemail saying that they hadn't made their decision, but I was still in the running and would hear something by the following week.

Week 4) No communication.

Week 5) (which is this week, and it's now Thursday) No communication.

Should I call or email and inquire again?

 

[medtech_expat]

Originally Posted by imageWIS

Should I call or email and inquire again?

There doesn't seem to be consensus from those of us posting on this thread, so I'll just throw in my 2 cents. I wouldn't contact them at this point. As they already explained that they were going to interview additional candidates, they're either still in progress or they've elected to focus on someone else as the primary choice. A call at this point is unlikely to change either trajectory, but has potential downside as to perception which may ultimately impact the outcome.

Contrary to what others have said, I do believe that interviewing shares a few aspects with dating. As professional and objective as we expect people to be, it's just human nature. Specifically, those who come across as potentially over-eager are (perhaps unfairly) viewed less favorably. I experience this myself when interviewing candidates - it may not be rational, but it's no less relevant. Ideally, this company should have the impression that you are not only well-qualified for the role, but that you're fully engaged with your current company and perhaps fielding opportunities with other firms in parallel.

The last thing I would want is to secure an offer, only to have my negotiating position eroded away by perceptions of my eagerness or lack of available alternatives. A strong negotiating position is my primary goal, since I won't accept lateral moves nor less money.

If your primary goal is to maintain a relatively strong negotiating position, I'd wait for them to contact you.

If your primary goal is to simply get the job, I'd hold off on contacting them for another week.

If your primary goal is resolve your anxiety one way or another, you can call and let them know you've been offered an attractive role with another company, and need to know whether this particular role is "in scope" for your own deliberations. There is clearly some risk with this approach, but in my experience it forces the company to show its hand one way or another.

Good luck.

 

[cross22]

They told you they would make the decision by the end of the week. You should have called on Tuesday or Wednesday the following week. Any later and you look lazy and unmotivated IMO.

 

[GreenFrog]

Man I'm getting conflicting advice everywhere.

My older sister says I should email first, and if they don't respond, then follow up with a phone call.

My dad says I shouldn't even contact them because it only puts them on the spot and pressures them to make a decision they haven't made yet. He says that they're probably negotiating with other candidates and 'going through the list' before they get to me. He's had extensive hiring experience as CEO of several firms so I kind of trust his advice. He also said that if I wasn't even in the running, I'd know by now. I'm probably just not their TOP candidate as it stands.

 

[otc]

Originally Posted by GreenFrog

Man I'm getting conflicting advice everywhere.

My older sister says I should email first, and if they don't respond, then follow up with a phone call.

My dad says I shouldn't even contact them because it only puts them on the spot and pressures them to make a decision they haven't made yet. He says that they're probably negotiating with other candidates and 'going through the list' before they get to me. He's had extensive hiring experience as CEO of several firms so I kind of trust his advice. He also said that if I wasn't even in the running, I'd know by now. I'm probably just not their TOP candidate as it stands.

Don't put them on the spot, just ask if they have had a chance to think about it--do not make it look like you are asking for a decision, just that you are following up and maybe hoping they will give you an update on when they plan to call.

Your older sister sounds like someone who is scared to pick up the phone. It is hard to think about it when you are still in school and the phone seems like a big deal (sometimes professors gave out phone #'s...I would *never* have called one, always email), but 9-5 when my desk phone rings, I pick it up and respond professionally to whoever is calling. I often call data and service providers and end up talking to some random person who helps me get the information I want despite it not being their exact job. These people would probably ignore/put off an email but by calling and being slightly friendly, you can get a response in 5 minutes and as soon as they hang up the phone, they will think nothing of it.

 

[imatlas]

Sorry, Dad, but that's not great advice. While it's possible that you haven't heard because you're not in the top spot and they're negotiating with the other candidate(s) first, it's also possible that they're not able to make a final decision at the moment for any number of reasons. Asking them for an update just shows that you're still interested and that you're diligent. I don't really see a downside to it at all, as long as you're polite and respectful. Don't hammer them with constant requests for an update, but don't let them forget you exist either.

 

[dr.no]

It's now been close to 2 weeks, you didn't get it, move on.

 

[imatlas]

Originally Posted by dr.no

It's now been close to 2 weeks, you didn't get it, move on.

...but keep in touch with them while you do.

 

[otc]

Here is what is going on. The OP does not want to call because he is afraid he will call and find out that he fails.

To avoid this, he goes out searching for excuses by posting on online forums and asking his family members if he should call. When people give him the answer that he doesn't want, he points out "but these other people have all said I shouldn't call" hoping that he can maybe turn some of us to the "don't call" side and give him even more ammunition to use to shoot himself in the foot.

 

[Bill Smith]

Originally Posted by dah328

It is shockingly common these days across all manner of industries that candidates who do not receive offers are simply not contacted. I think it's really bizarre, rude, and inconsiderate, but I guess few of those companies are in a position where the kind of ill will that that generates among candidates is going to ever hurt them.

+1

If the firm does not have the courtesy to call if you were one of the final candidates if you did not get the position is rude and short sighted.

 

[fredfred]

Originally Posted by otc

Here is what is going on. The OP does not want to call because he is afraid he will call and find out that he fails.

To avoid this, he goes out searching for excuses by posting on online forums and asking his family members if he should call. When people give him the answer that he doesn't want, he points out "but these other people have all said I shouldn't call" hoping that he can maybe turn some of us to the "don't call" side and give him even more ammunition to use to shoot himself in the foot.


Yup. I'm impressed by your thinking/analysis.

Plus he thinks maybe if he calls he might screw up his chances of getting the job because they might think he is a pest. BUT he then let's himself get walked over by the SOBs who obviously don't have their act together OR don't have the courtesy to let him know they didn't pick him.

They deal is THEY NEED HELP because they are hiring somebody. HR is a filter/screen. I would have called the senior guy (It's his decision to hire, not HRs) and said, "hey, sorry to bother you but I know YOU were looking for some help and trying to hire someone and I thought I had the skills you need. I haven't heard from HR.. so I'm letting you know at the moment I'm available and interested in the position".

I'd leave that message ONCE.

People don't like calling or emailing and giving bad news sometimes... so calling them let's them quick tell you "oh... we picked somebody else".