You nailed the interview, or at least you thought you did. Days turn into weeks, and all you hear is...silence. If you've ever been ghosted after a job interview, you're not alone. While it’s frustrating and can leave you second-guessing everything, there are often hidden reasons why employers go radio silent.
It's Not You, It's Them.
If you've been ghosted after an interview, putting in a ton of work during the interview process—perhaps even attending and acing five interviews and putting 40 hours in on a special project—what that's telling you is that there's something happening on the employer's side.
You didn't do anything wrong. They are struggling to decide if hiring someone for the position is something they need. Do they have the money for it? Is this the direction they want to go in? Unfortunately, many companies list job postings and conduct interviews in order to figure out what they actually need in a candidate—what they actually need to do next in the work. It's just the reality.
I know that's hard to hear, but just because you've been ghosted doesn't mean you can't keep that relationship with the employer going. Here's what I would do if I were ghosted after an interview...
Stay On Their Radar By Sending A Helpful Resource
BigstockThe employer knows you invested a lot of time and effort into interviewing with them, and when they realize they can't hire you now, they don't know what to say to you. So they ghost you. And I know you're thinking, "Why can't they do the right thing and just tell me what's going on?" But let's give them the benefit of the doubt.
Instead of sending them another follow-up email asking about the job, I want you to try a cool technique. Find a really good article or video that talks about a pain you've discussed through this interview process. If you've done your homework, you know what their pain points are. You know exactly what's broken and, specifically, what's costing them money, what's making them lose money, or why they're failing to make more money. You need to tie yourself to the money. That's the only way they can justify hiring you.
So, find an article or video about that and send a message to them. Do not ask about the job. Just message them and say...
"Hey, I saw this article/video and it immediately made me think about our conversations. Thought you all would find it helpful. Hope you're having a great week!"
That's it. Now the employer is thinking, "Wait. This person isn't asking about the job. Have they taken another job? What's going on?" Unfortunately, it's a little bit like the psychology of dating.
When you send an employer a message with a helpful resource, you're showing your professionalism. You have no hard feelings, and you still want to keep the relationship going. You're still thinking about them in terms of value. When you do this instead of asking about the job again, it's incredible how you suddenly get a response.
So many of my clients who are getting ghosted after an interview use this strategy, and the employer immediately responds to them. All of a sudden, they have an update about the job and they're telling them where they're at.
It's unfortunate how common it is to get ghosted by employers after one or more job interviews. But by sharing a helpful article or video without inquiring about the job, you're going to keep that relationship going. If you're currently getting ghosted by an employer, try this strategy today.
Good luck! Go get 'em.
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