Is it now normal practice not to receive a response after interview?

It's poor practice not to receive a response, from an interview, and also, I believe this extends to when Candidates send in application forms too. If a Candidate, suitable or otherwise, has taken time out to apply and has shown particular interest in an organisation, I think the decent thing is to acknowledge that and respectfully respond accordingly. I think everyone is entitled to a decision; it may not necessarily be the decision the Candidate prefers, but they are entitled nonetheless. Company branding and organisational reputation is everything these days, especially during an era of skills shortages when Hirers need to externally demonstrate more than ever their values as an organisation (and HR should be setting the example on this) and it really reflects so badly on an organisation if they don't recognise the value in closing off the process.

I also think it is very easy to blame recruitment agencies in these instances, as they often act as brand ambassadors when representing your business, but invariably, often can't respond because Employers don't provide them with an update or keep them informed of decisions.

Some next step decisions can take a while and interview processes can get protracted. It's important that you are kept in the loop and even if a decision hasn't yet been made (or a Hirer is stalling for any particular reason), you are informed of timescales so at least so your expectations can be managed. That said, Time kills Deals, and delays often don't always bode well for all parties involved.

Hope that helps :-).
Ginnie

It's poor practice not to receive a response, from an interview, and also, I believe this extends to when Candidates send in application forms too. If a Candidate, suitable or otherwise, has taken time out to apply and has shown particular interest in an organisation, I think the decent thing is to acknowledge that and respectfully respond accordingly. I think everyone is entitled to a decision; it may not necessarily be the decision the Candidate prefers, but they are entitled nonetheless. Company branding and organisational reputation is everything these days, especially during an era of skills shortages when Hirers need to externally demonstrate more than ever their values as an organisation (and HR should be setting the example on this) and it really reflects so badly on an organisation if they don't recognise the value in closing off the process.

I also think it is very easy to blame recruitment agencies in these instances, as they often act as brand ambassadors when representing your business, but invariably, often can't respond because Employers don't provide them with an update or keep them informed of decisions.

Some next step decisions can take a while and interview processes can get protracted. It's important that you are kept in the loop and even if a decision hasn't yet been made (or a Hirer is stalling for any particular reason), you are informed of timescales so at least so your expectations can be managed. That said, Time kills Deals, and delays often don't always bode well for all parties involved.

Hope that helps :-).
Ginnie