You applied for the position months ago; you even had an interview - why is it taking the hiring manager so long to get back to you with a job offer? While there may not seem to be any logical explanation for long delays, in fact, there are conditions which may arise which prevent hiring managers from getting back to you timely. While these explanations may not help you feel better immediately, it may provide a better understanding of what is going on in the world of hiring.

Many companies are short-staffed. Most departments are trying to do more with less; this includes the Human Resources department. One single job post can attract hundreds, or even thousands, of resumes. If the recruitment staff is working with bare minimum staffing, it can take a lot of weeding just to find the crème of the crop. A good HR department will not rely fully on electronic software to pick out the best. Hiring managers will still look through many of the resumes they receive. If there are multiple positions to fill, making the hiring decision on each candidate must be balanced with the other office work. Hiring is caught between the proverbial rock and hard place.

One major crisis can put many things on hold. Just one emergency situation can put a hold on all recruiting activity. The delay is even longer if the person who needs to handle the situation is also in charge of making the hiring decision. It is all about setting priorities.

In-house candidates can crowd the pool. Realistically a hiring manager can only hire so many candidates for a position, even if there are hundreds of qualified applicants. Many organizations also have to consider internal job candidates for the position as well, regardless of whether it would be a promotion or lateral move. Companies take extra time when internal candidates are involved – especially if it means considering hiring from outside or promoting from within.

Sometimes there are red flags raised during the applicant review process. If there are red flags waving based on a response to a question or reference check, hiring managers may pull back to re-think their choice. This simple glitch can delay the hiring process or cause the company to start all over again. It’s important to get the right people “on the bus”.

Don’t be discouraged and try not to jump to conclusions. There are hundreds of possibilities as to why it’s taking a hiring manager so long to get back to you. The worst case scenario, you may not be chosen for the job – one more important reason not to stop your job search until you have a firm written offer in hand.