to think this is shoddy after a job interview?

No, because the candidate might ask for more money or you tailor the offer to what you think is appropriate given their reported experience.

What do you think was your more professional option?

You are not being unreasonable and I agree, it is shoddy!

I recruit people and everyone gets a yes or no email in a very timely manner. It's common courtesy.

Good luck with your job hunting.

God don’t do that. You’ll look really unprofessional and a bit unhinged. They’re either running behind for whatever reason (can be common in small businesses), or you are second choice and they are waiting for first choice to be confirmed.

the last time i went for an interview i heard on the day

@GladHedgehog The reply below by the other poster nails it. We don’t believe we missed out on the best candidate, but dodged a bullet and glad we found that out up front. Wouldn’t have had a problem with a polite mail enquiring about the progress. Sometimes when crises hit, and you swing into working 18 hours a day for several days running, you literally don’t have ‘a few minutes’ to let all candidates know things are running behind. In such a situation, you do accept you may lose one or two, meanwhile they may be offered another position and accept for example, but so be it. If people want to send through shitty emails, basically a ‘thanks for nothing and glad I didn’t get the job’ when it’s in progress, more than happy to place them in the bin, as this gives you info that resumes and interviews don’t!

Not really - the more professional option for the candidate was to enquire what the situation was - not berate their potential employer. I’d be wary of a candidate who was so reactionary over a short delay. I’d worry they’d be rude to colleagues or clients when things go wrong

What happens if you phone the interviewer or HR person and ask for an update / feedback when it feels like you’re in danger of being ghosted?

Not really - the more professional option for the candidate was to enquire what the situation was - not berate their potential employer.

I’d be wary of a candidate who was so reactionary over a short delay. I’d worry they’d be rude to colleagues or clients when things go wrong.

Ya sound a bit fresh to the modern job market to be honest! Ghosting is the norm, even after two interviews, one of which you drove hundreds of miles for at your own expense. It's soul destroying, but the way it is now.

They were your top candidate and you didn't even have the courtesy to drop them a quick email to let them know things were still in train? What sort of shoddy company are you running? You talk as though its such a "gotcha" for them, but you lost your best candidate.

A short email to explain this would have been professional though surely.

It is the norm in some places but i think that says a lot about the organisation as a whole.

I had similar. Went to an interview in January and did their cruddy 1 hour 'task' with not enough pink paper and a crappy pen.

Interview was 2 hours and not a word back. I didn't like the place but feedback would have been appreciated.

Conversely other interviews have called immediately with feedback.

I'll leave it another week and then email the woman who interviewed me and the boss of the company and let them have my opinion

I had someone who did this. We were running behind with the process due to some urgent priorities arising and recruitment was pushed aside for a few weeks. At that point they were the top candidate. Needless to say they then went in the bin.

Better option would be to email tomorrow with a positive email. Reiterating how enthusiastic you are about the job, how nice it was to meet them, and that you’d love to know if they’ve made a decision yet as you are keen to move on with other options if they have chosen someone else.

Lots of reasons it might take longer than they estimated. They aren’t going to let the unsuccessful people know until everyone has been interviewed and their first choice has accepted an offer - in case they need to go with their second choice.

So the delay could be that candidate 4 had to delay their interview for some reason.

Or it was a very competitive pool and they are still discussing who the best fit is.

Might be double checking references of their first and second picks.

Might have made an offer to their first choice and the candidate is negotiating for a better offer.

Things happen unexpectedly. Someone is sick a work emergency arises etc.

Ok so what are you going to do about?

I am still waiting to hear back from jobs i applied for over 30 years ago,. I just figure if I had the job they would have told me so I apply have the interview or not and then move on if i hear back I do if not I dont

I don’t think you’re being unreasonable op. I had an interview 3 weeks ago at a salon. I was told I would be contacted in a few days and I should text the employer my availability. When I didn’t hear anything after a week I messaged the employer and was told they would contact me by the end of the day - which they didn’t, and 3 weeks later they haven’t bothered to contact me. Very rude if you ask me! completely put me off this particular franchise.

I do understand how you feel but times have changed and it’s been years since this was the norm sadly.

Hope you hear soon or find another role.

It's not shoddy. It means that you may be the second choice candidate. Not hearing means you haven't been rejected for the role. They may have had difficulty contacting the first choice candidate or they haven't yet confirmed they want the position.

Alternatively someone in the process could be ill or they can't decide between you and another candidate.

Give it time. Unless you've got a pressing job offer, I'd just let it take it's time. I've been offered jobs after weeks of waiting before!

I've been job hunting myself. I'm extremely highly qualified for my area. For whatever reason, I'm not getting any bites.
I've applied to over 300 positions in the last 3 months across multiple countries. Interviewed for 18 of them.

Three of those got back to me. The rest ghosted me, many after multiple rounds of interview.

So yes, this is normal nowadays.

You are over invested in it, by a long way - when you apply for a job, go through the interview process and forget it, that's the end, unless you hear an affirmative response, no response or a no thank you is not worth a centisecond more of your valuable time.