Date: Thursday, August 14, 2014

Time: 11:30-1:00

Location: River's Edge Conference Center

1335 Dublin Road, lower level conference room

$20 Member Advance Registration/$30 Guests and Walk-In's

You never thought that the company would take so long following up with you. You don't get it. What's going on?

There are a number of things that can happen that may slow down the process. Here are three scenarios:

1. You've applied for a job, but that was weeks ago and you haven't heard anything. The problem may be that it's a commonly held position that attracts an overwhelming amount of candidates. For instance, a Marketing Manager role requiring 2-3 years of experience at a well-known company is going to be popular. And by popular, I mean that the role can attract over 300-400 candidates. It's going to take time to review all the candidates and decide who is worthy of an interview. You may not be notified of an interview until the pool has been decided. If you aren't selected for an interview, you should be notified. If not, the company has performed poorly. This is commonly referred to as a "black hole" - you submitted online and then never heard a thing from them again. It can be discouraging, but I always think: Why would one want to work for a company that treats people that way anyhow?

2. You've been selected for an interview and you've met with the hiring department's team. Internal deliberation settles in and a decision to move forward lingers. Sometimes, the delay is caused by someone on the team suggesting (harmlessly, they think), "The last person was good, but I'm just wondering if there aren't any other candidates to meet before we decide on this one." In a group dynamic, this can often signify to the others that if they push forward without going along with the suggestion of considering additional candidates, they'll be pinned with a bad hire and suffer possible consequences. This then becomes: No decision is better than a bad decision. The answer is that of course there are other candidates out there...but none of them are interested in the role and they aren't part of the current pool. Simplifying a counter argument, if a candidate fits your culture and has the experience you're seeking - hire them.

3. The offer you've expected just never comes. This may be the most frustrating result of all. The most likely reason is that something internal has happened. Perhaps, a piece of business was lost that the company doesn't want to disclose or an internal candidate, who was campaigning for the role, finally got through to the right person (using others in the organization to promote their candidacy - back to that group pressure thing). Or, this may be hard to take, they decided to hire the other person. It's usually never just you that this is about.