What if No One Responds When You Try to Follow Up After an Interview?

Navigating the job market means getting comfortable with uncertainty. Even after getting an interview, you'll still need to wait to hear back from the employer, follow up, and potentially sit through more interview stages before finally receiving an offer. 

But what can you do when your follow-up isn't acknowledged? Our guide will answer this question and more.

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How to Follow Up After an Interview

After an interview, you want to stay fresh in the employer's mind. Do this by sending a prompt follow-up email that acknowledges the interviewer's time, thanks them for considering you, restates some of your key qualifications, and reminds them that you're excited about the role and what you can bring to it.

Here's a template for an effective follow-up email:

You should send your follow-up email roughly 24 to 48 hours after the initial interview. This will keep your conversation fresh in the interviewer's mind. If you miss this window, it's acceptable to send a follow-up a bit later, but exercise common sense. If you haven't heard from the employer in, say, a month, a follow-up email is unlikely to yield results.

Why an Employer Is Ghosting You After an Interview

What happens if the interview went well, you sent a follow-up email in an appropriate time frame, and the employer never responds? Unfortunately, "ghosting" is a common complaint among job seekers about the interview process. 

But why do employers ghost candidates, and does a lack of response always mean that you've been ghosted? Here are some common reasons why an employer may fail to respond:

Human resources policy

Some companies have human resource policies that, for legal reasons, don't allow company employees to respond to any inquiries from interview candidates. While this isn't common, it can account for those rare situations where an employer appears to be ghosting a candidate, only to resurface with an offer weeks later.

Lack of consideration 

Unfortunately, inconsiderate behavior is always a possibility. Recruiters and hiring managers may be interviewing many candidates and may have simply decided that keeping appropriate contact with each one isn't a priority.

While this is an accepted practice, it isn't a good one and can indicate a culture issue with the workplace in question. Whether you've been rejected or not, the right thing to do is follow up on the status of the interview process.

Stalling for time  

While the interview process is ongoing for multiple candidates, the employer may keep you in the dark because they haven't made a decision yet. 

Ideally, an employer in this situation would respond to you with an update on their process. However, employers may need to have an offer in hand when they reach back out, so they may wait until that offer is ready.

Inefficient hiring systems

Interviewing, hiring, and onboarding are standard procedures at larger organizations, but small companies with little turnover might not be prepared for the complexities of the process. Keep this in mind when you apply to organizations that don't have a large staff.

Ongoing interviews

With potentially dozens of candidates to go through, interviews can take multiple weeks to conclude. The employer may not be finished interviewing other candidates. Again, in this situation, an ideal employer would follow up and explain, but many don't.

Scheduling conflicts 

While your first interview was probably with a recruiter or talent acquisition specialist, subsequent interviews might require the participation of higher-ranking managers or entire panels of potential future colleagues. Coordinating these schedules can take time and may delay the employer's response.

Overzealous communication

Perhaps you received a polite reply to your first follow-up email. And then you took it as an open door to keep sending messages. It's appropriate to follow up again after a week or so, but if you don't get a response to your second follow-up email, it's time to move on. Avoid continuously following up, hoping to get a response that won't come. 

Spam filters

Since employers may not have your email address in their address book or recognize who is writing, it can be sent to spam. Make sure to put something in the subject line to identify the position you're writing about. A focused and specific subject line, such as "Enjoyed Our Chat – [Job Title] Interview," should help address this issue.

Internal disorganization 

Think about the jobs you've had in the past. Has there ever been a week or two where everything went haywire; important emails went out late, client questions went around in circles, and customers took notice? 

Every organization has its share of bad days and weeks. Don't assume anything if you don't hear back right away. Stay calm, pursue other options, and check your inbox regularly.

Lack of interest

Unfortunately, it's always a possibility that they've decided not to pursue your candidacy and have neglected to let you know.

This is frustrating, both due to the lack of closure and the inability to request feedback that can help you in your job search. A basic rejection email is a professional courtesy, and it reflects poorly on an organization if they don't send one.

It may not seem like it now, but being ghosted by an organization like this is sometimes the best-case scenario. If this is how they treat the talent they're trying to attract, imagine how they must treat employees!

What Can You Do if You Follow Up and Get No Response

Being left hanging can be a frustrating experience. You might start to feel like updating your resume and leaping back into the job search. But is this really the right thing to do? Yes! 

Think of the job search as a continuous ebb and flow until you land that new job. While you're interviewing for one role, you might slow down your pace for applying to other roles, but you shouldn't give up on job searching until you land the position you've been looking for. 

While it's good to keep an open mind, being ghosted by an employer is a pretty strong signal that you should continue applying elsewhere. 

Take a close look at your resume, finish that professional certification you've been thinking of pursuing, experiment with that interesting new resume template you've had your eye on, and get back out there. You can always accept the role if the employer gets back in touch.

As you prepare to pursue other opportunities, here are a few things you can do to follow up with the role after the interview:

Send another follow-up email

If your first follow-up email doesn't receive a response, that's a strong indicator that the employer isn't interested; however, a second follow-up won't hurt. Make sure your subject line is strong, relevant, and appropriate. Your second follow-up should be brief and to the point. Something like: 

Reach out on LinkedIn

If you haven't heard back after sending a follow-up email, you can also try reaching out politely via LinkedIn if you have the interviewer's LinkedIn details. For this scenario, send a short private message reminding them of your interest in the role and gently requesting feedback. Do not continue to send messages to their account after this. 

Here's an example of an appropriate follow-up:

Final Thoughts

As a job-seeker, it can sometimes feel like the employer holds all the cards. This can make communication—or lack thereof—with recruiters and hiring managers feel frustrating and confusing. 

The most important thing to remember is to keep moving forward with an open mind. Don't assume that you've landed the role because of a single good interview, and don't assume you've been rejected if your email goes unanswered for a few days.

Do all you can and then move on. This means following up politely and continuing to apply to other roles in the meantime. Every interview is a learning experience that brings you closer to the role you've been hoping for.

Key Takeaways

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Hailey Brophy

Career Writer

Hailey is a career advice writer dedicated to helping job seekers excel in their careers.

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