Call or not to Call? 1

[HornTootinEE]

Short and sweet, here is my situation:

-Interviewed for a position March 26th (Monday)
-Was asked for references Wednesday April 4th
-Was asked to take an online third party personality survey Thursday April 5th.
-Email notified the company that online survey was complete, they told me "will be in touch soon"

Do I call for follow up this week? Do I leave it sit? It's a position I'd really like, but don't know the protocol.

Any opinions?

 

[jmw]

If you don't ask, you don't get.
Plus HR may be seeing who is interested enough to follow up: anything you do to show interest and commitment might be taken as a positive attribute and raise your profile with them.


Alternatively, HR may be blacklisting people who pester them before they are ready to make up a shortlist.
You pay your money and take your choice.

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[dwallace1971]

I would follow up with a "thank-you" call to the HR manager and the primary interviewer, showing your appreciation for their time, hospitality, etc. During that "courtesy call", simply ask, if HR have everything they need from you and "what is the next step in the process". That's a step right out of Interviewing 101, but many people fail to take it. It shows that you're interested, you're courteous, and you follow up.

I've done it on every job I've ever interviewed for and I've only once not been offered a position.

"On the human scale, the laws of Newtonian Physics are non-negotiable"

 

[MintJulep]

Don't call to ask if you got the job.

Do call to ask if they have any further questions for you, or if there is any additional information they need.

Don't call HR, it's pointless. Call the most senior person you interviewed with.

 

[KENAT]

As others say, do call to follow up but phrase it in terms of a 'thank you' & making sure they have everything they need from you.

Another approach is a thank you letter or email - I think I used that my first job out of school.

You could even do both, email/letter sent the day after the interview and a phone call when you haven't heard from them for a week or so.

Ideally call the person you'll be reporting to if you know it, as they are most vested in getting you on board.

Don't overdo it though - some places are long winded and find constant calls from interviewees annoying.

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[dwallace1971]

MintJulep,

I strongly disagree with your opinion on the uselessness of calling HR. During almost every job interview I've ever been on, it's the HR manager who has coordinated the interviews, escorted me about and managed the paperwork. In almost all cases, I'm sure the HR manager had input into the hiring decisions. In at least one case, the company I interviewed with decided not to fill the position and hired no one. The HR manager remembered me because on one of my follow up calls, we discovered we had a mutual hobby. I was the first one he called when, a year and half later, another position came open at that company. I interviewed for, and got the job.

I know that we analytical types tend to have a pretty negative view of HR folks, but, at least when interviewing, making nice with them can be quite a good idea.

"On the human scale, the laws of Newtonian Physics are non-negotiable"

 

[HornTootinEE]

I did email a thank you the day of the interview actually. Then I heard nothing for 10 days (per my timeline in the OP) and now it's been almost 4 business days I guess and over two weeks out of the interview.

I hate to hound them, but at the same time I'm sort of tearing my hair out.

 

[lacajun]

I flunked a personality profile and didn't get further than the interview, face-to-face. The HR guy was disengaged after bringing out the results. He asked for my thoughts. I didn't find the questions relevant but he wasn't curious about that one bit. He was closing down and moving on.

After some of my life experiences, I don't care about the peccadillos of people. I've learned to meet them where they are and work with them. So liking or disliking someone because of one peccadillo to me is irrelevant. After all, I've got my own peccadillos. Further, liking or disliking someone based upon one flaw cannot be answered with a yes, no, or undecided. I think Mr. Hogan needs to revamp his questions and model for those of us with a little life under our belts.

My friends have laughed loudly about this experience. The personality profile got it wrong. Very wrong.

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC

 

[msquared48]

I think I'd flunk any personality profile out there. No. I am not implying that I do not have a personality. I just do my own thing.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

 

[dwallace1971]

When in high school, we were made to take a series of surveys (aptitude, interest and personality) to help decide our future career paths. The aptitude test and interest survey returned all the usual suspects, engineer, scientist, etc. While these also turned up on the list of careers matching my personality profile, at the top of the list was "cab-driver". I never really understood that one.

"On the human scale, the laws of Newtonian Physics are non-negotiable"

 

[tickle]

When I am hiring for my department, it is usually because we are busy. Therefore once I have decided my preferred candidate I do not want to hear from them again until the start date. I rely strongly on HR to be the point of contact, who then only asks the relevant questions that require a response from me. HR also deals with all of the rejections.

Therefore I would disagree with Mints advice regarding contacting the most senior person you interviewed with. After a couple of calls from interviewees, I stopped giving my business cards out.

Back to the OP, this is easter week which conincides with school holidays, so I am not surprised that you have had no response. I suggest waiting until mid next week.

 

[ports394]

Give it some time. And keep trying at other places.

 

[HornTootinEE]

UPDATE:

Been nearly two weeks, no contact. Do I keep sitting? I guess they'll get back to me when they need to, but the wait is frustrating.

 

[lacajun]

Get on the horn and call them to settle the issue in your mind.

If the interview was on the phone not face-to-face, you may have not met their requirements from the personality profile. A friend of mine had that experience. They never called him and he didn't call them, just gave up.

I had the phone interviews, Hogan personality profile, and the face-to-face. I think the results of my personality profile biased them against me before I arrived for the interview. I am OK with it. They never called to say squat.

The personality profile said I was not goal oriented. It also said I was not inclined to develop people. So much for their model and its validity.

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC

 

[HornTootinEE]

I had a face-to-face and then a personality profile. I did the personality profile two weeks ago. It's been almost 4 weeks since the interview.

 

[jmw]

So ring them.
The personality profile was a sign that the interview went well.
Four weeks is reasonable.

No reason not to think you are seriously being considered for the job and in which case it is reasonable to ring them about now. Unless, of course, the psychometric testing revealed you are a worrier.

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[patprimmer]

I agree it is time to call them. It is good to follow up, but bad to appear anxious or pushy. two weeks is certainly long enough to warrant a follow up.

Regards
Pat
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[HornTootinEE]

I did call them back yesterday-had to leave a message. They got back to me and said they were making a decision yesterday and be in touch today, thanks for being patient.

So, it was worth the call.

Thanks for the input from everyone.

 

[jmw]

And in the end, well timed. It might just getting them looking again at your resume/CV.
You never know.

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[lacajun]

I hope it works out for you!

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC