I’ve gone through the interview process several times now since losing my job five months ago. Many gave every indication that I would be the next person on their payroll. Then for one reason or another, the process came to a halt.
Now, I know that sometimes a person just isn’t right for a certain position, and that sometimes personalities don’t match. But these were situations that I had never experienced before. I’ve defined them as the following:
- The Houdini Job: A position which vanishes into the ether sometime during the interview process. What was an open rec just disappears. Poof.
- The Flounder Job: A position that was advertised at one level, but then moves up or down the seniority chain to another level.
- The Blackjack Job: A speculative position that may become real if certain things happen, i.e. a new client or lifted hiring freeze.
This is reality, and usually there’s nothing the candidate can do. Or is there? Here are a few proactive tactics both the job seeker and hiring company can take after both parties end up empty-handed. Hopefully it spurs some healthy debate and people comment with options I didn’t consider.
If you’re a candidate recently informed of the lack of a position (because of one of the above phenomena):
- Be gracious: after the initial white-hot rage, take a moment to process. Give the company the benefit of the doubt that they did the best they could to get you hired.
- Kindly, gently ask for a referral: if you went far enough in the process that a company wanted to hire you but couldn’t, it could mean they still want you in their network. They should be receptive to referring you to others that may be seeking candidates for unpublished jobs.
- Discuss specific plans for future consideration: if the company is suddenly not hiring but has said they are interested, discuss plans with them to check back in on specific regular intervals (monthly should be fine) and follow-up! This one’s on you.
If you’re a hiring company that is genuinely interested in a candidate but, for reasons beyond your control, cannot pull the trigger on an offer letter, please consider the following:
- Communicate: Job searchers understand that 95% of the responsibility in the interview process is on their shoulders. Be considerate enough (as one recent company did for me) to have a specific time-path-to-hire in mind. Communicate in that time period, answer questions that come via email and generally keep candidates in-the-know. It’s easy to forget that these are living, breathing humans on the other end of this process whose livelihoods depend on your telephone call.
- Please do your homework: Each candidate has (or should have) done their research about you and your company. Consider doing the same to make sure the position is approved to be hired for, and that the role is set. It’s also delightful (and obvious) when hiring managers have done just a little more than review a candidate’s resume. The interview process is more efficient and the conversation quickly turns to how candidates’ experiences are valuable to the position. And in this socially-networked world it’s easier than ever to investigate.
- Honesty trumps all: If a position you were recruiting for should suddenly get eliminated or if a hiring freeze suddenly takes effect, please explain it to the candidate(s) you were considering, even if it’s the ugly truth. People respect honesty a lot more than an easy answer. And the ugly truth usually makes sense.
Hiring managers aren’t required to help a person in the job-search process. But if the candidate was a good one and you just couldn’t make it work, these little tips go a long way to build future supporters — even if they don’t end up there. Plus, if you became known as the company that cares about it’s candidates (both hired and potential) enough to help them in their search outside of your own walls, well, that’s the kind of thing that always, always comes back to you in one way or another.
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Josh Copeland is a Chicago-based account service veteran pursuing emerging media marketing. Connect with him on twitter.com/jbc95a.
19 Comments
“What To Do When Interviews Go Nowhere.” A guest post on PFTA by Josh Copeland ( @ jbc95a ): http://bit.ly/jcR0I
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“What To Do When Interviews Go Nowhere.” A guest post on PFTA by Josh Copeland ( @jbc95a ): http://bit.ly/jcR0I
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Thanks for brining this phenomenon to light. In my experience (which, sadly, has gone for more than five months), this outcome is incredibly common. For one reason or another, the “no result” is the new rejection letter. I’d rather be told simply that my work stinks that they’re hiring someone better.
To throw the situation on it’s head, I have to wonder, genuinely, do I really want to work at a place that isn’t organised enough to set up time-appropriate, logistically-backed interviews, and isn’t courteous enough to let you know that you didn’t get the job. Sometimes the answer is no.
What To Do When A Job Interview Go Nowhere – A guest post on PFTA by Josh Copeland ( @jbc95a ): http://bit.ly/jcR0I
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
I think I’ve experienced everything described in this post RT @eproulx What To Do When A Job Interview Go Nowhere http://bit.ly/jcR0I
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
This is good RT @eproulx What To Do When A Job Interview Go Nowhere – A guest post on PFTA by Josh Copeland ( @jbc95a ): http://bit.ly/jcR0I
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Josh – great post…I like that you’ve categorized the dead-end interviews, and shared suggestions for HR/talent managers. I hope they read this and give it some thought.
I’m a jr (hopeful) planner/strategist, job searching in Minneapolis and I’ve been in a variety of job lead situations. Some not so surprising, some confusing, and some helpful even if the meeting didn’t end in an offer.
Thanks!
Courtney
Sorry Erik – thought you had written this…didn’t mean to call you the wrong name.
@JBajancopymaker Universally autobiographical. RT What To Do When A Job Interview Go Nowhere http://bit.ly/jcR0I
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Good article from PFTA: I’ve had a couple of houdinis, latest was a blackjack…someday, perhaps a flounder: http://bit.ly/jcR0I
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Great post, Josh. I can completely relate. I’m conducting my job search here in the SF Bay area and I’ve had a combination of all three of these interviews, most recently the Houdini job.
I was beginning to think it was just me – I take some comfort in knowing it’s not.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Ginny
Thanks for the post Josh. There are so many interviews that do go nowhere and it’s good to be able to consider some of them a non-rejection, but simply a shift in the company’s needs.
Good idea on the referral…
Thanks,
Dan
What you can do when interviews go nowhere by @jbc95a
http://tinyurl.com/n8j8tn
Definitely have had my share of houdinis & blackjacks!
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I’ve experienced each of the scenarios you’ve highlighted and was left with that familiar “Was it something I said?” nagging me…I always left each encounter with my best foot forward, and in many cases managed to keep relationships positive so the door stayed open to future working collaborations. I’ve also had relationships dead-end because the potential employer did not take any of the advice you noted, and it left a sour taste that frankly if they wanted to hire me now, I doubt I’d take the bait.
That all said, I do think that sometimes the universe knows better than us and that it’s just an indication that your path is still unfolding and that those opportunities wouldn’t have seen you to your full potential.
What To Do When Interviews Go Nowhere http://bit.ly/Mrzl8
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Thanks for posting this! The Houdini Job, The Flounder Job, and The Blackjack Job are so common that I am SO appreciative when a hiring manager merely responds or appears to be honest about the situation.
Wow – so many comments. I’m truly humbled. Each of you and your comments is an affirmation that I truly am not alone in these experiences. Maybe it was my naivete or innocent optimism that these situations were flukes – but as Sam Pogue mentioned (and I agree) sometimes the universe knows better than is…that the unfulfilled opportunities wouldn’t have enabled us to go to our fullest potential. Props to Erik for PFTA, and giving this whole process a constructive & growing voice.
From PFTA “What To Do When Interviews Go Nowhere.” by Josh Copeland @jbc95a http://bit.ly/jcR0I good read for frustrated unemployed folks
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Josh, thank you for your honesty and great insight in this very tough process. It’s hard to focus on the positives like—getting the interview over the hundreds not chosen is really proof that you’ve got something that brought you to the top of the heap. It is tough to put your best out there, feel so great about it and then all communication stops. I’ve experienced this, too.
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