How to Follow up Your Interview (The Right Way)
Congratulations, you’ve made it through your first interview with a potential employer!
Now what?
Believe it or not, there are a few positive actions you can do to support your candidacy while you play the waiting game.
Working in recruitment, I have seen hundreds of different approaches to the interview follow-up ? the good, and the bad. While a positive follow-up can help a candidate stand out from the crowd, a negative follow-up experience can leave a hiring manager or interviewer with a bad taste in their mouth.
This is why your approach to interview follow-ups is so important, including your language and your timing.
With that in mind, here are some of our favourite interview follow-up tips here at Peopleconnexion PNG:
Need more guidance? Check out our free email templates below:
EXAMPLE THANK YOU EMAIL:
Subject: Thank You – JOB TITLE Interview
Dear Ms. Smith,
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me earlier today about the Recruitment Consultant role. It was great to meet with you to learn more about the position and where Peopleconnexion is headed over the next 12 months.
I’m excited about the opportunity to explore a potential career with the Port Moresby team and am particularly interested in how I could use my experience in __________ to benefit the upcoming ________ project you mentioned.
Again, I appreciate the opportunity to have shared my background and interest in _____ with you. I believe my experience with _______ aligns well with the team’s long-term goals.
Please feel free to contact me via this email or on _________ (your phone number) if I can provide you with any further information.
Kind regards,
Your name
WHAT TO AVOID:
1. Poor spelling and grammar – have someone proofread before you send it.
2. Following up too much – if you haven’t heard in a few days, this is normal. Send your thank you email/note after the interview then wait at least two weeks to follow up again. Don’t hound your interviewers, message them on LinkedIn or find alternative contacts at the company to message – this may negatively affect your chances of receiving the job offer.
EXAMPLE CHECK IN EMAIL:
Subject: Thank You – JOB TITLE Interview
Dear Ms. Smith,
I hope you are well.
I enjoyed speaking to you a couple of weeks ago about the Recruitment Consultant role. It was fantastic to meet with you and learn about upcoming projects, I look forward to your update.
Please don’t hesitate to let me know if there is any further information I can provide you during this stage of the process.
Kind regards,
Your name
WHAT TO AVOID:
1. Sending the email too soon ? as we mentioned in the infographic above, this is the kind of email you only want to send two weeks after your interview or the deadline you were given by a recruiter (eg: you?ll hear by next Tuesday). We understand just how frustrating it is to be met by radio silence, but sometimes decisions and internal HR processes take time.
2. Sounding impatient ? when you write your email, be careful of the wording you use. The intention of your email is simply to jog your interviewer/recruiter’s memory (they may have forgotten to send you feedback) and ask politely if there is any information they require from you. There are a million background processes which may be holding up the process, so it is important to be patient and respectful in your language (even when you’re frustrated).
If you need to ask for feedback..
Most of the time, employers won’t share a great deal of feedback on why they chose to go with another candidate. Unless you know the company particularly well (for example, you currently work there or an employee of the company recommended you for the position), asking for feedback can put your interviewer in an awkward position that may leave them with the wrong impression.
However, if you are working with an external recruiter, you should absolutely utilise their industry expertise and knowledge of the client to ask for feedback.
Best case scenario ? you are provided with valuable insights that may assist you in landing your next role and help you to continue to build a consultative relationship with your recruitment consultant.
Here are a few tips to assist you:
1. Ask for a short 2 minute phone call ? today, HR professions are less likely to put any feedback in writing for fear of unfounded litigation (unfortunately, it happens from time to time!). Instead, try sending a short email requesting a short phone call at a convenient time.
2. Don’t directly ask why you weren’t hired ? providing feedback to an unsuccessful candidate can be just as awkward as asking for feedback when you are the unsuccessful candidate. Try centring your questions around what you could do to improve in the future. For example:
- Are there any technical skills the organisation was looking for that I could improve?
- Likewise, are there any qualifications that may have been missing?
- Could my references have been chosen better?
- Is there anything about my presentation style I could improve for next time?
EXAMPLE FEEDBACK REQUEST EMAIL:
Dear Ms. Smith,
Thank you for the update, I enjoyed speaking with you and meeting with _______ (your interviewer’s name) to learn more about the Recruitment Consultant role.
If possible, are you able to take a 2-minute phone call this week? I would love to ask for some feedback about the ways I could improve in the future and value your insight as I continue my search.
Thank you for your time.
Kind regards,
Your name
To view the latest job opportunities, career advice and free candidate resources, head to: www.peopleconnexion.com/png