The secret is: Neither side of the desk likes the wait.
Sometimes Mr. Candidate decides to take matters into his own hands and follow up. There's a right way and a wrong way to follow up. Over on the Passive-Aggressive Notes blog, sales candidate Steve delivers a perfect example of the Wrong Way. Prior to sending the e-mail, Steve was one of the top five candidates. Here's a brief snippet of Steve's message:
Dan,You must see Steve's entire ego-filled e-mail, as delivered by an anonymous submitter in Kansas City. Steve was one of the top five candidates before he sent his e-mail.
Thought I would hear from you this week. I guess no interest. Part of the deal is you make commitments and stick to them, particularly in the sales process.
Droll commenter #38 raiseyourglass replies with the e-mail that many a recruiter or HR type would love to be able to send (but NEVER would):
Steve,Nothing against the Post Office, of course...
Sorry we did not respond promptly. You know how slow human resources can be with the hiring practices and job offers. We were very excited about accepting you as our new sales associate. However in light of the recent e-mail you sent, we are only able to offer you the door.
P.S. We hear the post office is hiring. Good luck in your future endeavors.