Submitted by TNoxtort on
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BLUF: How quickly should one follow up with a recruiter when they say they are talking to the hiring manager "this afternoon?"
I work in R&D in the pharmaceutical industry and have posted for several years about challenges I've had, jobs I've interviewed with, and that I wanted to stay because of my project since I was the inventor of it. Unfortunately, the company will not be going forward with my project. While my job is safe, I am now looking for new opportunities much more strongly than I was before.
I have always kept in touch with a lot of recruiters. At times, they are poor at returning calls. Then suddenly they have an opportunity and always picking up the phone when I call. I have made contact with many of them. A few said they were working on an opportunity and talking to the hiring manager the next day. Then I don't hear back. I follow up and they said they are checking on this or that. My question is, how quickly should I followup with these recruiters, or should I at all? It seems when they have a match, they won't stop calling me but when they don't, you don't hear back. Right now, since I am more interested, should I followup more? .
Assigning Tasks
You need to look at this a different way. The recruiter works for you, as far as you're concerned. Of course, from his point of view, you are a product he is trying to sell, but that is not germane to this discussion.
When I give a direct an assignment, I either give him a date and time it will need to be completed or I ask him at what date and time he will complete the task. In either case, once the task is assigned, we are both aware when the task must be completed. I also suggest the direct put a reminder into his cell phone if he has a smart phone (most of my directs have smart phones; all have Outlook, though, which is my second suggestion).
You did not ask for a time for the return call. You did not even ask for a date. He said he would call the manager later that day, but at no time did you and he set up a target date and time for the return call to you. Right now, you're waiting for "later" to come around in his mind.
You should contact the recruiter the following morning (after "this afternoon") and say something along the lines of:
"Can you talk? .... Great. Yesterday when we spoke, you said you'd speak to the manger later that day. Can you tell me if you got through to the manager like you said you would?"
Next time, set up the follow-up as soon as the task is assigned.
Thank you for this
Thank you for this suggestion and helping me get a good way to reframe it. I did contact one recruiter who told me it was on her list of things to do to let me know they were not as interested. We talked some more and she asked for me to write a few sentences on why I might fit. Other two recruiters didn't hear from when I E-mailed and called. But then talked to a few more recruiters this week, a few contacts of mine, and a few folks internal to my organization but in different divisions. I'm excited about possibilities, anxious about whether I can find anything that's an increase, sad that I never was able to get credit within my own department for the results I have delivered.