5 Actions To Take If You’re Ghosted After An Interview

As seen on Forbes.

Being ghosted after a job interview sucks. We’ve all been in this situation before: you meticulously prepared for your interview and gave it your best during the interview, only to find yourself in a situation with no call, no emails, and just the unsettling void of unanswered questions. Frustrating, isn’t it? 

A report from Greenhouse revealed that 45% of job candidates were ghosted after an interview, whereas nearly 9 out of every 10 expect to hear back from companies within 1-2 weeks following their interview. So, if you’re one of those who’s waiting for a call back from a potential employer, take these 5 steps to address your situation:

1. Wait It Out

Have you been anxiously waiting to hear back from a company after concluding an interview and itching to send that follow-up message a few after to check on your progress? That’s totally understandable, but hold on to that thought for now. 

Research shows that 37% of applicants get feedback within a week of applying for a job, so the golden rule here is only to follow up a week after the interview. It’s possible that they need some time to review your application or compare it to other candidates, they’re on vacation or are sick. You never know what’s happening on their end, so give them at least a week to get back to you. 

2. Reach Out To The Person You Interviewed With

If they haven’t given you feedback after a week, that’s when you reach back out to the person you interviewed with. It could be the recruiter, the hiring manager, or a member of the team you’ve already talked to in your application process. 

Here’s a sample script you can use to get you started with sending that follow-up message: 

“Hey [Name], 

Hope you are well! I wanted to check in about the next steps after our interview for [Role] we had on [Date]. Is there any update on your end?

I’d love to keep this progress moving and look forward to hearing from you. Thank you so much!”

Best,

[Name]

3. Reach Out To Someone Else On The Team

After following up via email and not getting a response despite waiting an appropriate amount of time, you can start reaching out to another point of contact. Indeed suggests looking into your network, like an internal connection you already have to get their attention. 

You can also use the company’s website or LinkedIn to connect to the right people, for example, an HR person, someone else from the team, or a senior manager. Be strategic about who to reach out to, make sure to provide adequate context of the situation, and keep it professional so they can help you properly address your concern. 

4. Try For A 3rd Follow-up

Has it been weeks since your interview and you’re still yet to be updated on your status? You could consider doing a 3rd follow-up with the team or HR. Reflect on previous communication, see if they indicated getting back on a specific date, and use past interactions to gauge how to reach out again or try with a different messaging channel.

While it’s generally acceptable to send a 3rd follow-up after being ghosted, proceed with caution and consider the specific circumstances of your situation. If in doubt, err on the side of professionalism in your communication.

5. Look For Other Opportunities 

If you’ve tried to follow the steps above and the company continues to ghost you, sometimes, it’s better to keep the ball moving and look for other opportunities. At this point, you’ll never know if they’ll reach back out, as 35% of workers say employers have ghosted them during the interview process. 

Instead, use the time to review and refresh your resume, keep looking at job boards for openings, or continue networking for new opportunities. Don’t beat yourself up over the situation and know that sometimes it’s just part of the job search process.

Carry on with the lessons you learned, and move forward with confidence that your time will come soon. I’m proud of you for sticking with it and not giving up!