How to Follow up After an Interview
Most professionals find it hard to decide the proper medium to follow up after an interview.
Once an interview is done, it can be quite a harrowing time to wait in anticipation to get to know the results.
Here patience literally runs out & the conflict of getting through or falling short can take over quite easily.
While waiting for the result can prove to be quite a task once an interview is over, it's paramount that the right approach is used for your interview follow-up.
Unintentionally annoying an employer by constantly calling or messaging is the last thing any job seeker would want.
As per a survey, HR managers were asked, how long should a jobseeker wait follow up with the hiring manager?
Here is what they had to say,
19% of HR managers said that it should be less than a week, 43% said that it should ideally be within one to less than two weeks, 30% thought that it should be between two to less than three weeks & only 8% thought that job seeker shouldn’t follow up at all.
In this blog, we shall discuss appropriate ways to follow up after an interview.
How to Follow Up After an Interview?
Here are some appropriate ways to follow up after an interview.
Follow up Mail
A follow-up mail is considered to be the most professional form of communication. A post-interview follow-up mail should be sent ideally within a week after the interview.
Here are a few pointers to keep in mind while writing a post-interview follow-up mail.
1. Be Precise
An interview follow-up mail should ideally be of 2-3 lines. Be precise & to the point while drafting a follow-up mail.
Mention the date of your interview, position you have been interviewed for & request the status of the same. Restrain from writing vague long sentences.
Reply back in continuation of existing email communication received from their end as it would make it easier for an interviewer to recall while reading the previous mail thread.
2. Check Grammar/Spelling Errors
Since a follow-up mail is an official form of communication, ensure that the mail has been proofread properly before sending.
Check for any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. Any such error can hamper your impression on an interviewer.
3. Start with a Thank You!
Start an interview follow-up mail by thanking the interviewer. In one brief line, thank an interviewer for their time & forbeing allowed to interview for this role.
Follow up Mail Sample
Sample 1
Re: (The mail thread mentioning the scheduled interview)
Hello Sir/Mam,
I had applied for the post of XX and had interviewed for the same on (date of interview).
First of all, I would like to thank you for your time & for allowing me to be an interviewee for this role.
However, would request you if you could let me know the result of my interview.
I am very interested in the profile and am waiting for your revert eagerly.
Thank You
(Your Name)
Sample 2
Re: (The mail thread mentioning the scheduled interview)
Hello Sir/Mam,
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to be interviewed for the XX position on (Date of interview).
I would request you to provide me with your valuable feedback on the above-mentioned interview & also provide any relevant information regarding the result of the interview.
I am very interested in the profile and am waiting for your revert eagerly.
Thanking you
(Your Name)
2. Telephonic Interview Follow up
Calling in to know about the result of your interview is one of the most widely used follow-up communication methods.
Most job seekers find it more time-efficient & convenient to make a job interview follow-up call.
Ideally, this should be done one to less than two weeks post your interview.
However, most jobseekers don’t have a clue about what to say when calling to follow up after an interview.
Here are a few pointers to keep in mind while opting for a phone interview follow-up.
- Be polite & soft-spoken.
- Be precise & on point.
- Don’t show urgency & push for immediate results.
- Request for a time frame.
- Don’t overreact in case of a rejection.
- Request feedback on your interview.
- Be thankful at the end of the conversation.
3. Meeting in Person
Dropping in-person to know the status of your interview isn’t a popular choice amongst job seekers.
However, some job seekers find it more convenient & reassuring.
While trying to know the result of your interview in person, ensure that you have details about the concerned recruiting manager, the date of your interview & the position you had interviewed for.
However,as per a survey, 46% of hiring managers think that follow up mail is the best way to follow up after an interview, 39% of managers think that a phone call is an ideal way to follow up after an interview whereas only 7% managers think that meeting in person is a good post-interview follow up option.
Keeping all the above stats in mind, it's up to you to select the best way to reach out to a recruiting manager post an interview.
Best of luck!
