How To Ask About Next Steps In The Interview Process

Knowing what to expect after your interview can give you more insight into the company culture and give you a clue as to whether or not they’re considering others for the position. 

Ideally, you should ask about the next steps in the interview process at the end of any interview. 

However, if you forgot or didn’t get a clear answer, calling or emailing them afterward is an appropriate alternative.

This article will be of instant use to you if you’re looking for advice on how to ask about the next steps in the interview process.

I’ll discuss how to ask about the next steps in the hiring process at the completion of your interview and via email, if you fail to do so in person, as I was a former recruiter.

How To Ask About The Next Steps In The Interview Process

At the conclusion of each job interview, it’s a good idea to ask about the next steps.

But firstly, here’s how to ask about the next steps in the hiring process in an interview:

“It was a great meeting with you! Thanks so much for your time. What are the next steps in the process, and when can I expect to hear from you?”

That’s a nice, simple way to ask about the next steps after the interview. 

If it’s a phone interview, just say, “It was great speaking with you” instead of “It was great meeting with you.”

It is necessary that you should ask this at the very end of your interview. It should be one of the last things you say. 

Maybe you already finished your interview. It’s still okay to follow-up with the employer to find out about the next steps. 

You can call the HR department or whoever has been scheduling your interviews for you, or you could ask about the next steps in the hiring process via email.

Here’s a script you can use, whether you want to call or email to ask about the next steps in the process:

Hi <Name>.

I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to follow up with you to ask what the next steps in the process will look like for the <Job Title> position that I interviewed for on <Date>. Any update you can share would be appreciated.

Thank you,

<Your name>

Three Things You Should be Doing While Waiting to Hear About The Next Steps

1. Be Patient

Sometimes things take longer than expected after an interview.

Sometimes you’ll be the last person to interview for the job, and they send feedback that same week. 

However, it’s possible that they’re interviewing a few other candidates over the coming weeks, so the soonest you’d hear feedback is 1-2 full weeks.

This is why you want to ask about the next steps in the interview process, because it’s better if you know where the process stands.

Employers won’t always give you these specifics, but simply asking how the process will look from this point onward often provides you with a lot of insight in terms of what to expect.

It also shows interest on your end.

It’s always better to seem interested after a job interview even if you’re not sure it’s the right fit. 

If they make an offer and you don’t want the job, you can respectfully decline and say that you didn’t feel it was the best fit.

However, if you don’t seem excited after an interview, it’s hard to recover if you do decide that the job is attractive after you digest all of the information gained during the interview.

Asking about future steps is just one way of seeming engaged and interested after your interview, which can only benefit you.

Read Also:

• How To Nail A Supervisor Interview

• How To Show Enthusiasm In An Interview: 6 Ways

2. Send A “Thank You” Email

This is another way of expressing interest after an interview, but it is also simply considered polite and professional to thank the interviewers for their time spent with you. Skipping this step can cost you the job offer.

If you spoke with multiple people, send a slightly customized email to each. It’s not very time-consuming, but it’s nice to have slight differences in the messages in case they compare the emails.

Here’s an example of what to send:

Dear Mary,

Thank you for spending time interviewing me on Monday. I really enjoyed learning about the Scientist position and how it would fit into the larger organization. 

The information you shared about the career progression is very exciting. I’m eager to hear about the next steps, and don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns in the meantime.

Warm regards,

(Your Name)

3. Apply For More Jobs

One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is relaxing and reducing their effort once they’ve secured one or two job interviews. 

If you just completed a job interview, resist the urge to stop all other efforts, no matter how much you want that particular job offer. Going on more interviews will only improve your perspective and decision-making ability when it comes time to evaluate job offers. Having multiple offers also provides you with leverage to negotiate with.

And most importantly, if you stop all other efforts and then are not offered the job you were waiting for, you’re back to square one. This is a huge mistake that job seekers make quite often. Until you’ve accepted an offer, continue your job search with full effort. You never know what could happen.

Now you know how to ask what the next steps are after an interview, whether it’s in the interview itself or via email or phone. 

It’s never too late to ask, and finding out about the next steps in the hiring process will help you stay relaxed and calm while waiting.

FAQ

Conclusion

In this article, I hope that you now know how to ask about the next step in the interview process. 

You can ask this question either during or after an interview by email or phone.

It’s never too late to inquire, and know the recruiting processes and following phases will keep you calm and relaxed while you wait.

Thanks for reading!