How to ask for job application progress?

zobo88

I gave an interview 20-25 days ago and was give good feedback the next day and they asked for references
after a week I emailed the employer and asked for any updates/progress and he told me that he will get back to me in couple of days and that he is trying to close the process quickly
however it has been now 2 weeks since that and they have not told me anything
how should I ask them again ? I mean that how should I word it again so that it does not seem that I am repeating myself and asking same thing again and again?

Xantcha

Just ring them up and say that you're inquiring for a status update on your application. Don't worry about repeating yourself because you can only ask it one way.

Reasons for delay are generally because the guy has gone on holiday or the internal hiring process is slow to move even when the interviewer says he wants to process it quickly.
Here at our place it takes about a month just to decide who they should invite for an interview. After that (despite all the promises to the contrary) it takes weeks to decide if suitable applicants should come for a second interview and the same for the final decision.

zobo88

Thanks but I don't want to call them, I would prefer to email them so the manager can reply at his ease

MentholMoose

Then just reword your email.

Hi, what is the current status?
Howdy, I am wondering about the current status.
Hola, the status is currently what?
Yo, give me the damn status!!

And so on.

zobo88

anyway I called the manager directly
and the call went to his voice-mail
should I expect a call back or will I have to pester him again to get a reply?

zobo88

I has been 5 hours now and no reply/call back
does it seem appropriate that I call them again tomorrow or should I just send an email ?

tbgree00

zobo88 wrote: »

I has been 5 hours now and no reply/call back
does it seem appropriate that I call them again tomorrow or should I just send an email ?

I try not to leave voicemails for this very reason. You left the voicemail and now the ball is in his court to call back. I do think it is fine to follow up with an email saying "I left you a voicemail yesterday afternoon/morning and wanted to make sure you go it. I'm curious about the status of my application thank bye" or something like that.

Devilsbane

5 hours isn't a big deal. He might be in meetings all day and not see it until tomorrow. It might be longer before he has time to call you back. I do this all the time with personal emails. I receive them on my phone so I often see them right as they come in. If it's something simple, I'll email them right back on the spot. But then sometimes there are more formal emails that I would like to sit down at a computer to write, so sometimes this is 2-3 days (or longer if I forget, which has happened) before I get my response back. It isn't that I'm ignoring them, I just haven't got around to giving them the type of reply deserved. He might not want to call you in the 3 minutes he has before meetings.

zobo88

so I did get the reply the next day but I had to email him for that
he told me that the hiring process has been put on hold as their company acquiring another company and he will let meknow when things start moving .. now I don't know that how long will this 'hold' last
the uncertainty continues

Forsaken_GA

zobo88 wrote: »

so I did get the reply the next day but I had to email him for that
he told me that the hiring process has been put on hold as their company acquiring another company and he will let meknow when things start moving .. now I don't know that how long will this 'hold' last
the uncertainty continues

If you're in the market, keep looking. If it's true, mergers and acquisitions are rarely speedily done things, as they have to figure out what they're going to consolidate, and whether the position you even interviewed for is still necessary.

If it's not and he's yanking your chain, then you don't need to waste anymore time. Either way, it's better to keep looking, if they call back, great, otherwise, it's foolish to pin your hopes to one horse.

zobo88

It is true as I Googled it and it was in the news, small acquisition around $10mn
but you are right that they might not have the role available any more as of-course the acquired company will be also bringing in its staff and companies try to accommodate their existing staff even though they may not be the ideal match for the positions available

zobo88

so I secured a job with another organization and will be joining them next week, it is good but I will still prefer to work for the other company and as I mentioned above the manager had told that things are on hold and he will let me know when the acquisition settles.

so I am thinking that when should I ask him again? after around 1 month? I have no idea that how long will it take at their end for things to settle! and should I tell him that I have joined another company ?

Forsaken_GA

zobo88 wrote: »

so I am thinking that when should I ask him again? after around 1 month? I have no idea that how long will it take at their end for things to settle! and should I tell him that I have joined another company ?

If you're accepting another position anyway, I wouldn't bother with any further inquiries, let them follow up with you.

cyberguypr

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

If you're accepting another position anyway, I wouldn't bother with any further inquiries, let them follow up with you.

This. With the whole acquisition deal they may not even follow up at all. If they still want you, they have your contact info and will let you know. I would move on and reassess when/if they contact me.

zobo88

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

If you're accepting another position anyway, I wouldn't bother with any further inquiries, let them follow up with you.

so it has been 3 weeks now
I have joined the other place but It is really not something that I want
so I was thinking of again giving them an email and asking if anything has come around ? and at the same time letting them now that I have joined another place but still interested to work for you (may be that will reinforce their thoughts that their selection of my is not wrong ...hehe)
how does that sound ?

Forsaken_GA

zobo88 wrote: »

so it has been 3 weeks now
I have joined the other place but It is really not something that I want
so I was thinking of again giving them an email and asking if anything has come around ? and at the same time letting them now that I have joined another place but still interested to work for you (may be that will reinforce their thoughts that their selection of my is not wrong ...hehe)
how does that sound ?

I wouldn't mention that you'd accepted another position. If they knew you were looking before, and that you accepted another position in the interim, but were willing to leave that to come work for them, it's a coin flip. They may be wary that you're willing to move jobs so easily, after all, what's to stop you from leaving them if a better offer comes along? Or they may be flattered by your desire to work there. Either way, 50/50 odds are not good enough for me, so I'd just make a follow up inquiry about your interview and leave your present working situation out of it.

zobo88

Thanks Forsaken for providing an alternate point of view
so I emailed the manager and did not tell him about the new job
his reply was that things are still stalled and he said sorry for so much delay and that he will let me know when there are updates
however he also said that hopefully I am doing well in my search for employment