Thank you notes after interviews

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only time a thank you note ever made a difference to me was one candidate who we liked but her answer to one question (an important one about delegation which is critical in our field) had me on the fence.

In her thank you email, she very smoothly wrote about how she was excited for the chance to work with a larger group as her current place was very small and everyone kept to their own tasks because of it. Worded better obviously but got the point across that delegation didn't really exist where she was and that's why she answered like she did.

We hired her, she was a fantastic employee.

This is a good example of the value of the thank you note. It's not really about thanking the person, it's about one more opportunity to make the case that you are the right fit for the job.

Exactly this. People who are saying they don’t think they should have to bother - that’s fine, but don’t think of it as saying “thank you”, see it as another chance to sell yourself.

Everyone knows this and the blatant self promotion is tacky and interviewers see right through it.

Now maybe if you have some amazing conversation and think of something material to share that is of value to them, maybe. Maybe.

So are you saying that if you’re a hiring manager and you received a thank you note, it would actually be a negative for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This week I've been part of a panel interviewing folks for an open position. The first two folks we interviewed sent a thank-you email within 4 hours, the third candidate hasn't sent anything. I wouldn't have cared if no-one sent a note, but because the first two folks did send one, I think less of the third because he didn't.

(One possibility is that the third candidate feels like he bombed the interview, and didn't send a note because he's already given up.)

I've never thought this way when I interview someone. I do not understand it at all. Does your employer know you take this stuff into account? If someone told me they were dinging candidates for this stuff, I would be livid. They're not interviewing to be your friend.

My role in the process is to determine whether the candidate is a good fit for our team and yes, being polite is definitely part of that!

[Anonymous]

My role in the process is to determine whether the candidate is a good fit for our team and yes, being polite is definitely part of that!

Do you send thank-you notes to candidates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This week I've been part of a panel interviewing folks for an open position. The first two folks we interviewed sent a thank-you email within 4 hours, the third candidate hasn't sent anything. I wouldn't have cared if no-one sent a note, but because the first two folks did send one, I think less of the third because he didn't.

(One possibility is that the third candidate feels like he bombed the interview, and didn't send a note because he's already given up.)

I've never thought this way when I interview someone. I do not understand it at all. Does your employer know you take this stuff into account? If someone told me they were dinging candidates for this stuff, I would be livid. They're not interviewing to be your friend.

Lol. That's exactly what most of my interviewers in a long career at one F500 company have been looking for.

They totally want people who pass their "have a beer with" / "airport test".

This a great disadvantage being a nerdy female applying for jobs controlled by alpha males.

Actually, I disagree. By the final interviews, you know the candidates are qualified. At this point, I am looking at how this person will fit in with the organization. I know they can do the job, but I want to make sure they will be a good fit with our organization. Now, being a nerdy female would be a positive for me, but I understand what the PP is getting at.

If you get to the end of the process and there isn't candidate differentiation such that you're going to thank you letters for tiebreakers, your hiring process is bad. It's not about "are they qualified?", it's about who's better. You don't know that until you see who sends a thank you letter?

[Anonymous]

Many interviews, many hires.

Send a brief thank you email.
Thank them for their time, nice to meet them, and reiterate your interest. General and brief. Keep it polite and short.
Don't use it to brag or rehash your qualifications. They know what they are.

Send it the same day as the interview, maybe a couple if hours later.

Send to HR to forward if you don't have direct emails.

If you had a panel interview, send one to each the interviewers. You can write one addressed to all panel members and copy each.

Don't send a written note by US Mail. I have gotten those days after the interview when we had already made a decision. It's too slow and offices can take a while to route mail sometimes. It's also overkill and not necessary.

It has sometimes tipped me toward a person. What I've found is that the receipt of one generally corresponds to the person being a good candidate. Insufferable candidates will write obnoxious thank yous so that also corresponds.

A thank you note shows attention to soft skills or EQ which also matter.

It's not absolutely necessary but it's a nice gesture.

If you don't really want the job, don't send one! Don't waste people's time.

Even if you don't get the job, you may encounter these people again.