How Long Should You Wait to Hear Back After a UK Interview, and When Is It Okay to Chase?

You were told you would hear by Friday. It is now the following Wednesday and your inbox is silent.

That is frustrating, and also very normal. From the employer side, the delays are often boring: the panel cannot find a time to meet to compare scores, a manager is on leave, HR is waiting for sign-off on the salary, or they are still interviewing other people. Sometimes the preferred candidate is negotiating, and you are the back-up. It is rarely personal.

A sensible timeline

If they gave a date, wait until that date has passed. If they did not, a week to ten days is a reasonable point to check in for most office jobs. Large organisations and public sector roles can take longer because of formal checks.

How to chase without sounding desperate

Keep it short and friendly. Something like this works:

Hi Sarah, I hope you are well. I just wanted to check whether you have an update on the timeline for the Finance Assistant role. I enjoyed meeting the team and remain very interested. Thanks again for your time.

Send it to the person who arranged the interview, not to the hiring manager unless they gave you their details.

Things to avoid

• Sending a message every day.

• Phoning reception and asking for feedback in the moment.

• Turning down another offer purely because you are hoping to hear. If you have an offer elsewhere, you can politely tell the first employer and ask whether they can give you a decision.

Keep applying while you wait. It is easier to cope with silence when you have other things in progress.