Recruiter relations during COVID

Question

I'm wondering how often it is acceptable to reach out to my recruiter regarding my start date. So far my start date has been deferred twice because of COVID and now sits at mid September. They held a Q&A session back in mid May saying they were hoping to not have to defer again, but there have been no further updates since then and I'm really hoping to nail down some details to make decisions for the upcoming months.

I'm wondering if I should just accept that they'll give me an update if/when it's available, or if it's alright for me to check in every now and then (without being obnoxious about it) to see if they're planning to let us start remotely and on time, etc. I don't want to seem pushy for more information, but I do wish they were sharing more of their thoughts and plans with us to keep us informed and allow us to plan accordingly.

Anyone else going through this currently?

Answer 1

Hi!

It is perfectly acceptable to check-in every few weeks with the recruiting team. Just make sure to be polite and thank them for their time! I think it would also be fair to provide the feedback that you would appreciate regular proactive updates from their side every 2-4 weeks even if there are no changes to the plans.

-A

Answer 2

Hi Anonymous,

Don't be afraid to ask - it's very legitimate, especially since your starting date has been shifted already twice in the past.

Just lay down your argumentation and make it understandable from recruiter's point of view why it's relevant for you. You might want to plan your time meanwhile (e.g. to take another course in between, go for a holiday, whatever) - so it's more than legitimate to ask. No worries at all about it.

Needless to say, do so in a polite, non-pushy way and stay to the facts - if they have some updates for you, they will tell you. If not, there is no point for pushing something which is simply not there.

In any case I'd go for a phone call instead of an anonymous email. When talking, you also have a chance to listen a bit between the lines and get a better understanding what's currently going on and how their business and thus need for hires is progressing currently.

Hope that helps - if so, please be so kind and give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button below!

Robert

Answer 3

Hi Anonymous

I recently accepted an offer to join a consulting firm in September so in the same situation. If the last you heard from the recruiter was in May then it is perfectly acceptable for you to check in with them to see if plans have been impacted further by COVID (I followed up with my recruiter every 2-4 weeks during the process). However most probably they will not have an update for you as if they did - there was no reason for them not to reach out proactively. Consulting firms do care about candidate experience

If as I expect they don't have an update for you, just thank the recruiter for their time and offer to check in with them again in August

Best

Answer 4

Hello!

For sure!

Not only totally undesrtandable, but also showing proactiveness.

HR is there to help, particularly in this peculiar times, and for sure will give you guidance.

This question will be posed by most of the newbies, so it´s good to be practice and state that you will be interested in starting asap.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Answer 5

Hi there,

It is totally fine to contact HR now, given your last update was in mid May.

If you feel you may be pushy, you can use a separate reason to contact them (eg any training material you may start to work on), and ask about the starting date as a second point.

Best,

Francesco

Answer 6

Hi A,

It's totally fine to ask HR, since you get last update in the mid-May.

So, don't worry and go for it.

Best,

André

Answer 7

Hi there,

That’s very sad. I would recommend you contact HR every 2-3 week to know more about the updates.

You’ve got the offer, so nothing to worry about. It’s better to contact HR and wait a little bit.

Do you need any further help?

All the best,

GB