Ask HN: Phone interview etiquette - How late is too late? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Phone interview etiquette - How late is too late?

7 pointsinterviewee8 comments

(A throwaway account - I'm an active HN participant)

So I had a bunch of phone interviews with an awesome company which you all have no doubt heard of. The interviews went really well (in my opinion, of course), but here's the issue...while I was told by the interviewer that I'd be contacted for an on-site interview "in a couple of days", it's been a week.

So what should I do at this point? I've already sent in my thank-you-for-the-interview email. Should I move on, and think all is lost? Should I send a reminder email (since it's already been a week) asking if they've any update?

Damn, I feel gutted.

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Contact them and ask them about the status. Sometimes applications fall through cracks and a reach out from you can put the train back on the track.

Yeah - especially if they are growing quickly and don't have dedicated HR. If it's something on the CEO's / founder's plate then a delay like this woudn't surprise me in the slightest.

I sent another email. I hope I'm not coming across as someone desperate for the position, but rather as someone who's really keen on working with them!

If I don't hear back, I'm guessing I should throw in the towel. I have their phone numbers though...would it be out of order if I called them, say, a week from now, if I don't get an email reply? Or would that be creepy?

The optimist in me has been crossing fingers in the hope that my application fell through the cracks, as you put it. I will be totally dejected if I don't hear back (at least an outright rejection will put my mind at ease!), especially as I had believed I had built quite a rapport with my latest interviewer who seemed keen on having me on-site.

Dont be so upset! I dont know what vertical youre in but if youre in CS then just read up, analyse the tech details you didnt get and apply to other companies. Theres a bunch of companies doing interesting stuff.

Surprise, surprise. I got an email for the on-site. Looks like I just needed to "nudge" them after all!

Time to learn to chill out.

Thank you, all!

This has been precisely my experience. In one case, the hiring manager had indicated interest but HR had not moved to set up the initial on-site interview. After I spoke with her in a phone call, she called them and, violà, interview.

I think it's just fine to follow up. Amongst other things, it shows your interest in working there and with them. You don't want to seem annoying, though. Maybe things have changed, but I'd say a call once a week is about right. And be respectful of their time. Treat it as a status check, and a chance for each of you to briefly clarify any remaining questions. Professional and concise, unless the person on the other end opens it up to be longer and/or more informal. You may leave the impression of someone who does not forget, who follows up, but who does not waste his/her fellow employees' time.

People want to work with people who like and are interested in working with them / on their projects.

If the company is google chill. It takes a while. Rejections come early. So feel good.

This reminds me of school applications. No news is sometimes good news (it may depend on the school), until the final notification date.

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