How to Follow Up After Applying for a Remote Job

That's the short version. Applying from Nigeria to companies in London, New York or Berlin makes it harder in three ways. Your message lands in a different time zone. The applicant tracking system may already show your status. And some of the "recruiters" who reply aren't recruiters at all.

This guide covers when to follow up, including the merged question of when to chase a remote job recruiter at each stage. It also covers how to check your status before writing, who to contact, the right channel and send time from Lagos, ready-to-edit templates, and the warning signs that a reply is a scam.

Quick answer

To follow up after applying for a remote job, first check the job portal for a status update. Then wait 7 to 10 working days, or until a few days after the closing date. Send a brief email or LinkedIn message to the named recruiter, mentioning the role title, the date you applied and one relevant result. Time it for the recruiter's morning. Follow up at most twice, and never pay or send ID documents to anyone who replies.

When to follow up: a timeline for each stage

How long you wait depends on where you are in the process. A cold application deserves more patience than a recruiter who has already spoken to you and promised feedback by Friday. The table below gives our rule of thumb. It's general guidance, not a rule employers publish, so always follow any timeline the company itself gives you.

"Working days" means the employer's working days. Remember the employer's public holidays, not only Nigeria's. A UK recruiter isn't reading email on a bank holiday, and a US recruiter in late November may be off for Thanksgiving.

Why waiting is not the same as being ignored

Silence in the first two weeks usually means the process is slow, not that you've been rejected. Hiring teams are handling far more applications than they used to. Gem's 2025 Recruiting Benchmarks report covers more than 140 million applicants from 2021 to 2024. Gem's summary of that report says the average recruiter now handles more than 2,500 applications, and that average time to hire rose from 33 to 41 days.

Employ's 2025 Hiring Benchmarks report, as reported by HR Dive, found an average of 257.6 applications per job and 63.5 days to fill a position. Companies measure these figures in different ways and mostly in the US market, so treat them as a sense of scale, not a forecast for your application. The point is simple: a recruiter with hundreds of CVs per role won't reply in three days, and a follow-up on day two only adds to the pile.

When not to follow up at all

Skip the follow-up in these cases:

• The ad or confirmation email says the company won't respond to follow-up messages, or that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and you shouldn't chase. Respect that.
• The only contact is a no-reply address and no person is named anywhere.
• The portal already shows you as rejected or "inactive".
• You applied in bulk through a one-click button and wouldn't be able to explain why you want this particular role.

Check your application status before you write

Many remote employers use an applicant tracking system (ATS), the software that collects applications and moves candidates through stages. Before you email anyone, check whether the system already tells you where you stand.

Greenhouse and MyGreenhouse

If the application page address contains "greenhouse.io", the company uses Greenhouse. Greenhouse will not tell you your status itself. Its support page on candidate status enquiries says it is "solely a processor of candidate applications" on behalf of its customers and tells candidates to contact the company they applied to. Emailing Greenhouse wastes your time.

What you can do is sign in to MyGreenhouse. If the employer has switched the feature on, you'll see each application marked "active" or "inactive". Greenhouse's help article on MyGreenhouse updates explains that an application moves to inactive after a rejection, and that candidates are not notified of the change. You only see it when you look. So check before writing, but remember that "active" can also mean nobody has opened your CV yet.

Indeed and LinkedIn

If you applied through Indeed, open My Jobs and look at the Applied tab. Indeed's help centre says employers can update your status to show they've viewed your application, contacted you or decided not to go ahead. Those updates usually only appear for jobs posted directly on Indeed.

LinkedIn's Easy Apply jobs also appear under My Jobs, sometimes with a "viewed" note. Jobs you applied for on a company's own site after clicking through from LinkedIn usually won't show any status there, so record those yourself.

Other portals

Lever, Workable, Ashby, Workday and similar systems differ by company. Some have a candidate login and some only send emails. Search your inbox, including spam and the Promotions tab, for the confirmation email. It often names the recruiter or tells you what happens next.

Who to contact (and who not to)

The best person to follow up with is the one who can actually move your application forward. In order of preference:

1. A recruiter who has already emailed you. Reply in the same thread so they have the context.
2. The recruiter or hiring manager named in the job ad. Some remote ads name the person you'd report to.
3. The recruiter for that team on LinkedIn. Search the company's people page for "talent", "recruiter" or "people partner" and check that their recent posts or role match the job's team or region.
4. A general careers or jobs address listed on the company's own careers page, if no person is named.

Don't contact the ATS vendor (Greenhouse, Workable and so on), the company's customer support line or its CEO. Don't message several employees at once with the same text. Recruiters talk to each other, and five identical messages look like spam.

If you're wondering whether you can approach a hiring manager before applying, that's a different tactic. Our guide to writing a cold email to a remote hiring manager covers it.

Email or LinkedIn: choosing the channel

Email is the default for a follow-up. It's asynchronous, it keeps a record, and it fits how remote teams work. Use LinkedIn only when you can't find an email address, or when the recruiter is clearly active there.

On LinkedIn, LinkedIn's help page on messaging says you can only message your connections directly. Contacting someone you're not connected to needs an InMail, which requires a Premium subscription. Without Premium, the usual route is a connection request with a short note. Keep that note to two sentences, because there isn't room for more.

Avoid international phone calls. Ringing a London or Toronto office from a Nigerian number to ask about an application is unexpected, costs you airtime, and puts the recruiter on the spot. Only call if the ad explicitly invites calls.

What time to send it from Lagos

Send your follow-up so it lands near the start of the recruiter's working day. Emails that arrive at 3am their time sink under the overnight pile. Nigeria stays on WAT (UTC+1) all year, so the gap changes when other countries change their clocks. UK clocks went back on 25 October 2026, and US clocks go back on 1 November 2026.

Gmail and Outlook both let you schedule a send, so you don't need to be awake at 2am for a Singapore recruiter. Write the message in the evening, schedule it, and go to bed. Tuesday to Thursday mornings are usually better than Monday, when inboxes are full from the weekend, or Friday afternoon.

What to write in a follow-up message

A good follow-up takes 30 seconds to read and makes it easy for the recruiter to find you. Include:

• The exact job title and any reference number from the ad.
• The date you applied.
• One sentence that connects your strongest relevant result to the role.
• A clear, easy question ("Is there an update on timing?").
• Your time zone and working-hours overlap, if the role mentions specific hours.
• Your name as it appears on the application, so they can search the ATS.

Leave out guilt ("I've been waiting for weeks"), long life stories, your full CV pasted into the body, and demands. Attach your CV only if the recruiter doesn't already have it.

Example (hypothetical): first follow-up email after applying

Subject: Customer Support Specialist (EMEA) application, Adaeze Okafor

Hi Sarah,

I applied for the Customer Support Specialist (EMEA) role on 14 October and wanted to check whether there's an update on the timeline.

In my current role I handle about 60 Zendesk tickets a day for a UK e-commerce brand, with a 94% customer satisfaction score over the last quarter, so the volume described in the ad is familiar to me.

I'm based in Lagos (WAT, UTC+1), which is one hour ahead of London in winter, so UK business hours suit me well. Happy to share anything else that would help.

Thanks for your time, Adaeze Okafor LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adaeze-okafor-example

Example (hypothetical): LinkedIn connection note

Hi Sarah, I applied for the Customer Support Specialist (EMEA) role on 14 October. I'd love to connect and would be grateful for any update on timing when you have a moment.

Example (hypothetical): second and final follow-up

Hi Sarah,

Just checking in once more on the Customer Support Specialist (EMEA) role. I'm still very interested. If the position has been filled or the team has moved forward with others, a quick note would help me plan, and I'd be glad to be considered for future support roles.

Best, Adaeze

Example (hypothetical): after a screening call

Hi Tom,

Thanks again for the call on Tuesday. You mentioned the team hoped to confirm next steps by the end of last week, so I wanted to check in. I'm keen on the role, particularly the plan to move support onto Intercom, which I've used for two years.

Kind regards, Chidi

Example (hypothetical): when you have another offer

Hi Priya,

I wanted to let you know that I've received another offer and have been asked to respond by Friday 7 November. Your Data Analyst role is my first choice. Is there any chance of an update on my application before then? I understand if the timeline can't move.

Best regards, Tunde

Only send the last one if the other offer is real. Inventing offers to speed up a process is easy for a recruiter to test and damages your reputation with that company.

How many times to follow up, and when to stop

Two follow-ups is the sensible limit for an application. Send the first after the waiting period in the timeline table and the second about a week later. If both get no reply, treat the silence as a no and move on. Don't delete the company from your list, though. Many remote teams hire again for similar roles, and a polite record helps you next time.

After an interview the patience window is longer, because the recruiter now has a reason to reply. Even so, three unanswered messages is the point to stop. If a "no" does arrive, our guide to responding to a remote job rejection explains how to reply in a way that keeps the door open.

Keep a simple log of each application, the date applied, who you contacted, and when the next follow-up is due. A spreadsheet is enough, and our article on tracking your remote job applications gives a layout.

Nigeria-specific points before you hit send

Make yourself easy to find and easy to trust

Use the same name on your CV, your email address and your LinkedIn profile. If your application says "Oluwaseun Adeyemi" but your email shows "seunbaby2001", the recruiter may not connect the two. An address based on your name looks more professional and is easier to search in the ATS.

Mention your time-zone overlap once, plainly

Recruiters sometimes hesitate over candidates outside their region because they're unsure about working hours. One sentence in your follow-up settles it, for example: "I'm on WAT (UTC+1) and can work 9am to 5pm Eastern, which is 3pm to 11pm in Lagos in winter." Only offer hours you can genuinely sustain with your power and internet setup.

Be ready for a quick reply

A follow-up sometimes produces a same-day invitation to a call. Before you send it, make sure your inverter or generator is fuelled and charged, your data plan has enough left, and a second connection (MiFi or a phone hotspot) is ready. Missing a call you prompted is worse than not following up.

Watch for fake "recruiters" who answer instead

Following up makes you visible, and scammers pose as recruiters for real companies. Be suspicious if someone who replies:

• moves you to WhatsApp or Telegram straight away and conducts the "interview" by text;
• writes from a Gmail or Yahoo address while claiming to work for a large company with its own domain;
• asks for a fee for "training", "equipment", "processing" or a "work permit";
• asks for your BVN, bank login, passport scan or NIN before any formal offer;
• offers the job without any real interview.

Real employers don't charge you to be hired. Our guide to spotting remote job scams in Nigeria covers the patterns in more detail. If someone has already asked you for money, read what to do if a recruiter asks for money.

Common follow-up mistakes

• Following up too early. A message two days after applying shows impatience, not interest.
• Writing to everyone. Messaging the recruiter, the hiring manager and three team members with the same text.
• Sending a vague message. "Any update?" with no role title or date forces the recruiter to search for you, and many won't.
• Pasting your whole CV. They have it. Add one new, relevant result instead.
• Ignoring stated instructions. If the ad says not to follow up, a follow-up shows you didn't read it.
• Chasing a weak application. If your CV wasn't tailored, a follow-up won't fix it. Our guides on why remote job applications get rejected and how to apply without being ignored help with the application itself.
• Getting emotional. Pleading, guilt or complaints about the process get remembered for the wrong reasons.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I wait before following up on a remote job application?

Wait 7 to 10 working days after applying, or 3 to 5 working days after the closing date if the ad gives one. Count the employer's working days and holidays, not only Nigeria's. If the company has given a timeline, wait until it has passed.

When should I follow up with a remote job recruiter who has gone quiet?

Follow up about 5 working days after their last message, or 1 to 2 working days after any date they gave you. Reply in the same email thread so they have the history. If they don't answer after two follow-ups, move on.

Is it rude to follow up on a job application?

No, one or two polite, specific follow-ups are normal in international hiring. What comes across badly is chasing too early, too often, or ignoring an ad that asks candidates not to follow up.

Can Greenhouse tell me the status of my application?

No. Greenhouse says it only processes applications on behalf of employers and won't share status, so contact the company instead. If the employer has turned on statuses in MyGreenhouse, you can sign in and see whether your application is active or inactive.

Should I follow up by email or LinkedIn?

Use email if you have the recruiter's address, because it's easier for them to search and act on. Use LinkedIn when no email is available. Messaging someone you're not connected to requires an InMail, which needs LinkedIn Premium, so the free option is a connection request with a short note.

What time should I send a follow-up email to a US recruiter from Nigeria?

Aim for their 9am to 10am. For US Eastern time, that's 3pm to 4pm in Lagos from 1 November 2026 and 2pm to 3pm during US summer time. Use scheduled send in Gmail or Outlook for recruiters in time zones far ahead of Lagos, such as Singapore.

How many times should I follow up before giving up?

Twice for an application: once after the waiting period and once a week later. After an interview you can allow one more message. Beyond that, treat silence as a no, keep a polite record, and apply to similar roles at the same company later.

Someone replied on WhatsApp asking for a training fee. Is that normal?

No. Legitimate employers don't charge candidates for training, equipment or processing, and they don't ask for your BVN or bank details during recruitment. Stop responding, don't pay, and check the company's official careers page to see whether the role exists.

Key takeaways

• Check the job portal (MyGreenhouse, Indeed's My Jobs, LinkedIn's Applied tab) before writing, because you may already have your answer.
• Wait 7 to 10 working days after applying, or 3 to 5 after the closing date, and follow any timeline the employer gives you.
• Write to a named recruiter or hiring manager, never the ATS vendor or a no-reply address.
• Keep the message short: role title, date applied, one relevant result, a clear question and your time-zone overlap.
• Schedule the send for the recruiter's morning, using the Lagos conversions above.
• Stop after two unanswered follow-ups, and treat any request for money or ID documents as a warning sign.

Next steps

Following up works best when you have several good applications in progress at once. Browse current remote jobs open to applicants in Nigeria. Each listing shows the company, its website and where applicants may live, so you can check eligibility before you apply. After a search, use "Get email updates" to receive a free daily email of new matching jobs. If your applications aren't getting past the first stage, our team can rewrite your CV and optimise your LinkedIn profile as part of Premium (see what our CV review changes). When a follow-up turns into an invitation, read how to prepare for a remote job interview.

Sources

• Candidate inquiries about application status, Greenhouse Support
• Share updates in MyGreenhouse, Greenhouse Support
• My Jobs: managing applied jobs, Indeed Help Center
• Messaging help, LinkedIn Help
• 10 takeaways from the 2025 recruiting benchmarks report, Gem
• Hiring benchmarks report: more applicants, HR Dive (reporting Employ's 2025 Hiring Benchmarks report)