If there is any single point that irritates candidates when working with executive recruiters, it is the issue of getting updates or status reports on their candidacy. It ranks high in the literature as a major issue. How best should you deal with this as a candidate? What is acceptable and what is not?
To begin, you are clearly entitled to be made aware of your status following your initial interview, even phone interviews. The reason you are not called back in many situations is one of volume of calls more than inherent rudeness. A typical executive search involves over a hundred potential candidates. In both large firms and boutiques the initial contacts are being made by a research associate or principal (the titles vary). It is that person's job to do several things: build the potential list of candidates (called "sourcing"); call in to that list to begin presenting the opportunity and gaining interest; follow-up with individuals on this list after having received a resume; communicate with the partner as to who is emerging from this list as viable candidates to move to the next stage; and present candidates to the partner who then takes these candidates to the next level of the process. Researchers can be working on as many as ten searches in varying stages of completion. Six is the norm. Sometimes they are communicating with clients and candidates to arrange interviews. It is easy to understand at this point just how much time that individual is on the phone and doing back-up administrative work such as database management.
Given this workload, it is unlikely that you will be contacted again after an initial discussion if you are not considered a viable candidate at that time. Sometimes the research associate will be able to tell you that during the call. At other times that will not be apparent until a review of your resume. At that stage, and depending upon the workload of the research associate, a call will be made to you with an update. More often than not, it is in your best interest to make the follow-up call yourself. If you get through (and most of the time you will not) you can have that brief discussion. If you don't get through, leave a voice mail message and generally your call will be returned. Communicating by email is also acceptable (and often preferred). It is generally faster, as well, and easier for the research associate to do given the time constraints.
Assuming you have made it to the partner interview stage, you can expect more communication. At that point you have made the "long list" which is about 10 to 12 viable candidates. The partner will arrange to have a substantive conversation with you by phone (normally) and will have closely reviewed your resume prior to that conversation. The partner is in a better position to close the process during that call or continue to move it forward. If it is obvious there is not a good fit, the partner will usually say so. Often, however, it is too soon to reach that conclusion. The partner's aim is to reduce the field to a "short list." At that point, if not sooner, the partner will meet you personally. There is an emerging practice of doing the "meeting" by video conference, but the point here is that your candidacy is viable and requires this extra level of communication. On occasion, the partner will be able to leave that meeting with your knowing where you stand. A short list may range from five to eight candidates. From it there will be a "slate" of three to five candidates who are presented to the client. You absolutely should know from the interview or video conference where you stand in the process. Those updates will be provided to you by the research associate or the partner--more often the partner will be the one updating you.
If you have progressed to the slate presentation, the next thing you can expect to hear from the partner is how the client has reacted to the candidates presented and how they wish to proceed. Regardless of whether you will move to the next stage, you can expect to be notified one way or the other. Calling or emailing the partner is perfectly acceptable if you have not heard something in a week or so. The same situation applies if you have actually been interviewed by the client. Once that has occurred, the partner will know in a few days how the client wishes to proceed and you will be contacted immediately following that feedback from the client. If you are passed over, in most cases the partner will be able to give you some feedback as to why. But this is not always the case as clients sometimes are vague about this point. If you are a finalist or a back-up candidate you can expect to be in regular communication with the partner, but if that communication is not speedy enough for you, make a call (or send a short email). It should go without saying (but I will do so nonetheless) that you should never call the client directly for any reason. They are paying the recruiter to do all of the communicating.
The bottom line is this: If you have been contacted by a recruiter (regardless of the title) you have every right to want to know what is happening next, if anything. This right carries through to the end of the search. If you have not heard anything within a respectable time frame, call or email the individual(s) who called you. The farther along you are in the process the more communication you can expect.
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