A recruiter stopped replying after my interview: what can I do?

Being put forward, interviewed, sometimes twice, and then hearing nothing is one of the most common complaints from jobseekers. It's not a reflection on you. Recruiters often only hear back from the employer slowly, or not at all, and some don't pass on bad news. You still have options.

1. Chase the recruiter once, in writing

Email rather than call, so there's a record. Ask a simple question that's easy to answer.

2. Ask for feedback, specifically

"Any feedback?" is easy to ignore. Asking for one or two specific things (what would have made you a stronger candidate, or what the deciding factor was) gets better replies. On KindHire you can send a recruiter a one-tap feedback request: they choose a reason in about 20 seconds, and we follow up for you.

3. You can ask to see what's held about you

Under UK data protection law (UK GDPR), you have the right to ask an organisation for a copy of the personal information it holds about you. This is called a subject access request. It can include interview notes and comments written about you.

The organisation normally has one month to respond, and in most cases it's free. You can make a request in writing to the agency or to the employer. This won't get you the job, but it can tell you what was said.

4. Know when to move on

If two polite messages over two weeks get nothing back, treat it as a no and keep going. Keep the recruiter's details: good agencies come back with other roles.

5. Keep a record

• Who put you forward, for which role, and when.
• Each interview date and who you met.
• Every message you sent and any reply.
• On KindHire, all of this sits on one application, and agencies build a public record of how often they reply to feedback requests.