Why Hiring Managers Never Call Back

Hiring managers have their hands full when there is a job position to be filled.

They sift through a lot of resumes and evaluate candidates to make sure that they make the very best decision and find the right person for the job. They definitely don’t have it easy, despite the fact that recruiters are the ones who engage in the initial screening and interview process.

While the recruiters get in touch with all the candidates who applied for a particular position and interview them in order to get a clear insight into whether he or she is suited for the job and can fit into the organization, it’s the hiring managers narrow down the list of interviewed candidates so that they can pick THE most qualified person who can truly contribute to their company.  It’s a tough job market and the number of applicants is always rising, so hiring managers often find it difficult to call back each and every one of those who are no longer in the running to let them know that they should continue their job search.

There are many reasons why hiring managers never call back candidates, but almost every recruiter agrees that these reasons are the most common ones for candidates not getting that long-awaited call.

1 – Lack of Organization

This may be the most common reason for hiring managers not letting candidates know that the job they applied for has been filled. Many companies are not organized well when it comes to who should be making that call and there is no clear agreement regarding this step among the responsible departments within a company.

Recruiters are the ones who sometimes call candidates back, but a recruiter rarely does that job unless they are given clear instructions to do so. Many hiring managers actually expect recruiters to continue doing what they are doing — recruiting candidates — without ever thinking that they’re the ones who should also inform the candidates that didn’t get the job.

This lack of organization doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Companies want candidates to have a good impression of them because they may reapply in the future, recommend the company to family and friends, or, they may even become customers.

This is why recruiters think it wise for hiring managers to take the time and follow up with candidates after the interviews so that they can improve their experience with the company and not lose any potential future prospects.

2 – No Candidate Follow-Up

Hiring managers expect candidates to follow up after the interview. Of course, doing so doesn’t guarantee they will get the job, but it’s certainly something that every recruiter and hiring manager appreciates.

When candidates follow up after their interview, it shows initiative and that they are truly interested in becoming a part of the company. It shows they really care about the job, and that is something recruiters and hiring managers value.

3 – High Volume of Applicants

Hiring managers are busy, especially when there’s an open job that needs to be filled. They receive a lot of applications — sometimes, an overwhelming number — and it can be nearly impossible to call back each and every candidate after their interview to let them know whether they are still being considered for the job or not.

Many recruiters think that responding to applicants and not leaving them hanging is the right thing to do, but unfortunately, some hiring managers don’t share that opinion. Of course, many do believe they should respond but they simply can’t take the time to follow up with all the candidates because of the high volume of applications they deal with.

4 – Keeping Their Options Open

Many hiring managers want to keep all of their options open, so they never call back candidates after their interview.

What does this mean, exactly? They may have a specific candidate in mind, but when they connect again and try to schedule another meeting, they find out that the candidate doesn’t want the job anymore.

This is where having an another candidate as a backup comes into play. Since they don’t want to keep their options open for when this happens, many recruiters decide to not call back everyone immediately after an interview in order to ensure they have backup candidates available.

Here’s another scenario: Perhaps a top candidate’s work experience turns out to be less than they made it appear to be, or maybe they were less-than-honest about their references. These are also reasons why hiring managers tend to prolong their decision-making process without letting any of the candidates know anything

In the end, recruiters and hiring managers want to be absolutely sure that they have found the right person for the job before they let their secondary candidates know they’re out of the running.

Final thoughts

There’s no denying that waiting for the call from the recruiter or hiring manager can be really frustrating.

For job seekers who get stressed waiting for a response back, it’s best to put the kibosh on the “what-if” thought process by pursuing online skill and career enhancement courses to gain an edge.

You can also get in touch with web tutors who create online training courses so that you are able to crack the next job interview without fail.

Authors

Kamy Anderson

Kamy Anderson is an ed-tech enthusiast with a passion for writing on emerging technologies in the areas of corporate training and education. He is an expert in learning management system and elearning authoring tools. He's currently associated with ProProfs. Follow him on Twitter @kamyanderson or connect on LinkedIn.