How Many Calls Is Too Many?
by Jay Markunas, Career Consultant
You’ve called the hiring manager once. You left a message. Are you being a pest if you call again? Should you just move on?
Yesterday we talked about the importance of a making a phone call to the hiring manager, but how many times should you call before you hurt your chances for an interview?
I like to relay a story I heard about a hiring manager who was hiring sales people. The company held a mass interview with the candidates. He told them to call him back on Monday if they were still interested in the job. On Monday most of the candidates called back, but the hiring manager would not answer. The hiring manager was waiting to see who was calling back at the end of the week and even into the next week. He wanted tenancious sales people, and this was his test. Those who waited on a return phone call were left waiting.
My advice to you…
1. You should keep calling until they give you a definitive answer on the position - whether that means and interview or the hiring manager has closed the position. If after 3 or 4 follow-up calls without a response, it might be best to move on.
2. Know what you are going to say. If it is the first call, you would call to make sure they received your resume. Otherwise you just need to find out the status on the position. Have they put it on hold? (if so, get an anticipated date of when they will reopen the posting) Write out a script of talking points - what’s the status of the position, how far along in the process are they, when they plan to make a decision, etc.
Everyone is busy, and the hiring manager is no exception. Make your initial call to him/her. Wait 5 days, and call again. If no response, call about every 3 business days until you hear “no”, “stop calling”, or something similar.
If you time it right, ask the right questions, and are polite the chances of a job interview go through the roof!
