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Here is my situation and would like to know if I am being given the run around or not.
I applied for a mgmt position and a recruiter called me next day. My resume was then forwarded to company and I had a phone interview with HR last week of April. Went well and recruiter called me back with news they want me to have a phone interview with hiring mgr. Phone interview occurred exactly 1 week later. Recruiter calls and says they would like to see me in person and meet with several executives plus the hiring manager. This occurred on 5/20. Went very well and almost 3hrs. Before I left hiring manager asked about my salary expectations and I told her what I was referred at by the recruiter. She seemed a little surprised i was contacted by a recruiter as she said which firm? But I do know this company has used this agency several times over the last year so not sure why she seemed surprised. She also said they are very close to a decision and should have one my end of that week. I call recruiter to let her know how things went. No call from recruiter on 5/22 so I ask and she says if she doesn't hear back by Friday then should know by Tuesday due to holiday. I hear nothing on Tuesday so I contact recruiter and she says due to the holiday things were delayed. But should hear back by end of the week. Still no word so I asked on Friday if she can at least let me know if I am still being considered for the position. She emails me an hr later saying she heard back from the company and a final decision should be made by Tuesday and yes i am definitely still being considered. It is now Wed. I will call the recruiter again today but what do you suggest I say this time. It has been 2.5 weeks since the final interview and still no word. Would the recruiter really just string me along even if she knows I am no longer a candidate to not hurt my feelings? She hasn't even given me feedback on how the interview went. Granted I didn't ask because the final decision kept creeping up. How should I handle today's call? Should I email the hiring manager directly? Should I be more assertive with the recruiter and say I would like to have a definitive answer by tomorrow as I feel this is taking way too long?
Please give me some advice as this is all i have been thinking of for 2 weeks
Once the company has made a decision notifications will be made. I realize that this is really important to you, but every company has procedures to follow.
As a hiring manager, if I ever received an ultimatum from a candidate, I would immediately, without hesitation, eliminate them from consideration. I never, ever want to employ people who think that issuing ultimatums from a position of weakness is a good idea.
You can definitely let the recruiter know that you want a definitive answer, give them a deadline for when, and that if you do not get one you will contact the hiring manager directly. At that point, no matter what the company thinks of you, the recruiter will withdraw you as a candidate.
definitely stop contacting the recruiter. if they give you a timeline - like "you will hear from us by the end of the week", don't contact them on friday. contact them a week after that, if you absolutely must. and e-mail instead of calling so you're not interrupting their day. things can take longer than people expect, and the recruiter's not generally the person in control of the timeline anyway.
as has already been said, an ultimatum will almost definitely kill your candidacy. you are not in a position to issue an ultimatum.
i mentioned this on another thread recently, but think about what the possible results are from calling and asking yet another time. do you really think they are going to say "oh, we forgot to tell you, you're hired" or "whoops, we forgot all about the hiring process, we'll get right on it!"? really, all they can tell you is that they still haven't made a decision. MAYBE they will tell you you've been rejected. but they're not going to move any faster or hire you on the spot just because you're calling them all the time. on the contrary, you might end up annoying them and losing a job you could have gotten if you'd been more patient.
it's hard to control what you think about, but if this is really all you've been thinking about for 2 weeks, try to find something else to focus on. are you still applying for other jobs? you should be. i'd spend my mental energy on that if i were you, because at this point there is nothing you can do about this position but wait.
At the very least should I call the recruiter again today and say it is now Wednesday any news? I have never called the recruiter until her promised time has come and gone so I do not feel I am pestering her, just following up based on her timeframes. And you are all correct in that I should not go directly to the hiring manager
I would be more assertive with the recruiter first. Two and a half weeks is more than ample time for some simple interview feedback. It would be more efficient for all parties involved if you knew where you stood and could proceed accordingly.
If you still don't hear anything, you could contact the hiring manager, but I wouldn't do this until you feel you are already out of the running and would only do it for closure.
At the very least should I call the recruiter again today and say it is now Wednesday any news? I have never called the recruiter until her promised time has come and gone so I do not feel I am pestering her, just following up based on her timeframes. And you are all correct in that I should not go directly to the hiring manager
what do you think it will accomplish to call her? that's the really important question.
i totally understand how you feel - i've been in your position several times. but you have to weigh the benefits and risks of what you're doing. there is really no benefit except making yourself feel a little better (and possibly giving yourself a new deadline to obsess over).
remember, she is waiting for the hiring managers to make a decision. she is probably just as irritated as you (well ok maybe not QUITE as irritated, but irritated nonetheless!) that they are taking so long, and she can't do anything about it. and to answer the question in your first post, i don't think she would string you along. she's not going to spend time on your candidacy if you've actually been rejected already. that's not good business sense, especially since you've already established yourself as a bit high maintenance.
at the VERY LEAST i would wait til Friday and then e-mail her asking if the timeline has changed. but seriously, she is waiting too and it's not going to accomplish anything except giving you a new deadline which might be wrong again.
At the very least should I call the recruiter again today and say it is now Wednesday any news? I have never called the recruiter until her promised time has come and gone so I do not feel I am pestering her, just following up based on her timeframes. And you are all correct in that I should not go directly to the hiring manager
Do you honestly think they have some news and are just not telling you?
Congrats, you finally choose a legit recruitment firm that actually sends your resume out.
Anyways, I'm sure that since you managed to advance past the first interview. The recruiter is just as interested in awaiting feedback from the company just as you are. Remember, they earn commissions off of your hard work.
Last edited by Merchant_ZZZ; 06-05-2013 at 09:24 AM..
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