Q. Your recent post discusses when to follow up after sending a resume to an agency, but how and when do you do so after an initial interview? What’s expected by hiring managers? -HG
A. Before the initial interview ends, the hiring manager or HR manager normally asks if you have any questions. At that point, ask about the timing of their decision and when it would be appropriate for you to follow up. Otherwise, you should follow up immediately with a note (ideally handwritten) to each of the key people with whom you interviewed. Assuming that note arrives and is delivered within three days, you may follow up once via phone and once by email over the next two weeks. After that, persistent follow-up messages becomes a nuisance.
Additional follow up is appropriate if the hiring manager indicates the decision has been delayed and invites you to check back in a week or two. Unfortunately, some hiring managers and HR managers don’t respond promptly. This usually means no decision has been reached or they are awaiting assurances that the workload still requires hiring someone. Unless encouraged to call back, don’t make more than two follow-up calls.