tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post7047285708406878516..comments2023-09-29T06:09:21.089-04:00Comments on Ask a Manager: is it possible to send an interview thank-you note too quickly?Ask a Managerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05281942480230532899noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-21686694439110096632010-07-27T21:21:28.819-04:002010-07-27T21:21:28.819-04:00Is the statistic true that 80% of all candidates d...Is the statistic true that 80% of all candidates do not send a thank you letter to an interviewer? If so, then 80% of all candidates are pretty clueless.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-50352246313412985342010-07-26T18:08:01.118-04:002010-07-26T18:08:01.118-04:00Why has it reinforced your desire not to send one?...Why has it reinforced your desire not to send one? With hiring managers say it can make the difference in choosing between two great people, why wouldn't you send it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-17317243440833736362010-07-26T17:30:26.156-04:002010-07-26T17:30:26.156-04:00Never in my 48 years, have I been to an interview ...Never in my 48 years, have I been to an interview after which I sent a thank you... nor would I ever have thought to do so...<br /><br />This entire thread, in fact reinforces my inclination never to do so...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-2091963070071761842010-07-23T21:02:42.905-04:002010-07-23T21:02:42.905-04:00do you send a thank you note when you are applying...do you send a thank you note when you are applying for a job internally?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-7716457260343309292010-07-23T20:51:41.423-04:002010-07-23T20:51:41.423-04:00I had no idea this post would generate so much con...I had no idea this post would generate so much controversy.<br /><br />For the record, no one is saying that a thank-you note would influence you to hire someone who you wouldn't hire otherwise or who wasn't strongly qualified. And no one is saying that the lack of a thank-you note would make you change your mind about hiring someone you otherwise planned to hire. However, when you have two equally strong candidates to choose from and you're torn, if one sends a thoughtful post-interview note and one doesn't, then that's going to be something you think about.Ask a Managerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05281942480230532899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-48980176932211974292010-07-23T20:43:20.240-04:002010-07-23T20:43:20.240-04:00I sent thank you notes for the wedding gifts, baby...I sent thank you notes for the wedding gifts, baby shower gifts, I sent a thank you to my cat sitter for taking such good care of my pets while on vacation. But this thank you to HR BS leaves me completely speechless. The arrogance of HR Hiring Managers is unbelievable. If you are easily influenced by a templated thank you note, then you are a fool. And there has not yet been a response about what HR people do with all those lovely handwritten, templated, letters/ emails? Soon job seekers will be expected to bring gifts and/or leave a tip as if a job interview ( that the job seeker was invited to attend) was some kind of service. I am done with the BS business of the thank you note!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-44831950833659932062010-07-23T20:09:15.548-04:002010-07-23T20:09:15.548-04:00I think it's a matter of taste more than conve...I think it's a matter of taste more than convention. I work in a very small (<10), casual office where the staff are all under 35. When I'm screening resumes, I'm choosing someone with whom I'm going to be working very closely. I'm impressed by a candidate who takes my cues about culture at the workplace they're applying to be a part of (and assume they can and probably will take my behavior as typical of what culture they'd get working here). For instance, most of my job applicants address me as, "Dear Ms. [Last name]." When I email them to set up an interview, I address them, "Dear [First name]." Most candidates mirror this and their reply is "Dear [First name]." <br /><br />I haven't gotten a thank-you note yet. But that's OK, because we're a small office of young people who don't care much about convention. If you're applying to a law firm I'm sure the tastes of the hiring manager are different than if you're applying to an independent record store.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-3827654662540825492010-07-23T17:12:49.481-04:002010-07-23T17:12:49.481-04:00Anon.: I didn't say the *existence* of a cove...Anon.: I didn't say the *existence* of a cover letter, I referred to those with the correct polite salutation. And signoff. Those don't explicitly describe fitness for anything. Neither does a handshake or a "Good morning." <br /><br />Nonetheless, they're meaningful indications of the applicant's possession of a skill set, just like the thank you note. I'm sure there are fields where that skill set isn't particularly significant. Ours isn't one of them.fpostehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04585253003390376993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-3865587533790447672010-07-23T13:35:13.124-04:002010-07-23T13:35:13.124-04:00Anonymous, I really don't think that's tru...Anonymous, I really don't think that's true -- about it serving largely to stroke the interviewer's ego. For me, I consider thank-you notes to serve the function of telling me how interested a candidate it is in the position, and that he/she cares about presenting the best possible face to her candidacy.Ask a Managerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05281942480230532899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-29478999363834763822010-07-23T13:25:01.758-04:002010-07-23T13:25:01.758-04:00@Fposte: The distinction between a cover letter an...@Fposte: The distinction between a cover letter and a thank-you is very simple. <br /><br />A cover letter summarizes the candidate's qualifications for the jobs. That information is directly relevant to any hiring process.<br /><br />A thank-you letter, on the other hand, is supposed to express the candidate's thanks to the interviewer -- whether or not any thanks are merited or justified.<br /><br />If key tasks of the job include kissing ass and ignoring reality -- and for many managers, that is certainly the case -- I suppose such a thank-you note might be relevant as a reflection of the candidate's skillset.<br /><br />Otherwise, the thank-you note exists largely to stroke the ego of the interviewer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-29239230958521879472010-07-23T03:42:50.080-04:002010-07-23T03:42:50.080-04:00Anon 4:53: Entitled? I guess on the same basis t...Anon 4:53: Entitled? I guess on the same basis that I'm entitled to value cover letters that have the correct polite address form and to value applicants that demonstrate an understanding of courtesy and professionalism in their interviews. I'm in a service-based field--if they can't do that, they *can't* solve my problems. I think it's not coincidental that in the last hiring round, our two candidates that we immediately identified as our front-runners at the end of interview day were the two that we subsequently got thank-yous from. Obviously it's not a convention everywhere and plenty of people get jobs without it, but it's actually a useful indication of the possession of a skill set that's valued in many positions. Which we judge, because in that situation, we actually *are* entitled to do that.<br /><br />And yes, we do notify all rejected applicants and thank them for applying.fpostehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04585253003390376993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-70480352716782552142010-07-23T02:46:10.883-04:002010-07-23T02:46:10.883-04:00Not related to the thank-you note topic, but I rea...Not related to the thank-you note topic, but I really like the image Anonymous has painted about the candidate increasingly rejecting the company, or the position, during the interview.<br /><br />This has happened many times to me. Been hunted by recruiter, sweet talked, opportunities presented, the I've travelled to the company office for interviews after some phone screens, and I've seen myself getting less and less interested in the company from the very moment I entered the company building.<br /><br />Disorganized interview schedule, interviewers who did not have my CV in front of them, people who did not know what position I'm being interviewer for. And this were some of the big names in the industry. I would be ashamed if my company did something like that to candidates.<br /><br />In situation like this, missing thank-you note wouldn't probably even be noticed.Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-9428950872408883992010-07-23T02:32:29.618-04:002010-07-23T02:32:29.618-04:00Hello AAM, Anonymous,
I think it is a cultural th...Hello AAM, Anonymous,<br /><br />I think it is a cultural thing. I'm in Europe as well, and thank you notes are not "taught" here, I did not really hear about people sending them, and I never get one when I do hiring.<br /><br />So maybe it can be summarized as: If you seek job in the US, note that thank you notes are the norm; especially Europeans should be aware of this. In Europe, however, it might not be the case. So American person applying for a job in Europe or with European company might want to think a bit whether the thank you note is appropriate.<br /><br />I wonder what expectations are in Asia. ;-)Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-20544391216716049992010-07-23T01:32:49.286-04:002010-07-23T01:32:49.286-04:00Anonymous said: "48 hours is to long. As som...<i>Anonymous said: "48 hours is to long. As someone who just recently hired several new Account Executives 48 hours response was unacceptable."</i><br /><br />I tend to agree -- 24 hours would probably be a better turn-around time on the thank-you letter.<br /><br />That being said, I once was asked by a job seeker who had an interview the previous week and didn't send a thank you afterward if she should bother sending one at all. I advised her to do so; even if she was out of the running for the current position, it could help with future openings (she was at least showing some courtesy by doing it at all).<br /><br />Less than a week later, I received an excited note from the job seeker -- she got the job. Yes, her thank-you letter was late, but it paid off!Melissa Cooleyhttp://melissacooley.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-14385546126104441822010-07-22T19:55:17.929-04:002010-07-22T19:55:17.929-04:00@AskAManager: I get that point.
However, we are...@AskAManager: I get that point. <br /><br />However, we are no longer living in the nineteenth century, and etiquette is a trivial issue compared to real-world business value.<br /><br />Consider that any company interviewing candidates has, by definition, a problem it needs to solve: finding someone to perform tasks. <br /><br />Failure to solve that problem will take a business toll every day that it goes unsolved.<br /><br />A candidate, however, may or may not need a job at all. <br /><br />Most of my interviews have involved no need on my part whatever. I was there to explore a possibility -- the end.<br /><br />Now, if I don't get an offer in this scenario, what happens to me? Not a thing. I had no need to be there in the first place.<br /><br />But what if the company continues to pay more attention to absurd etiquette than solving its business problems? It tanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-23015443217683487332010-07-22T18:05:21.654-04:002010-07-22T18:05:21.654-04:00I've found that a lot of my interviews tend to...I've found that a lot of my interviews tend to be over the telephone and sometimes with a group of people. I have absolutely no idea how to contact them individually.<br /><br />Also, the hiring managers and HR people are geographically diverse as well. I honestly don't have physical addresses for them.<br /><br />Even for in-person interviews I'm lax and don't send a physical thank you note. Typically I only have the direct contact information for the HR person so I'll send a follow up e-mail and ask that they extend my thanks and appreciation for being considered.<br /><br />As nice as a physical thank you note is my skills deals in going paperless so it would be a bit hypocritical to send a 'dead tree' note when I could do the same via e-mail.Marie Bayerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13281263921399755808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-90274724748662396932010-07-22T17:57:00.627-04:002010-07-22T17:57:00.627-04:00Anonymous @4:53 -- I think you're missing a bi...Anonymous @4:53 -- I think you're missing a big point here, and that's what convention is. There are a lot of etiquette conventions that don't make strict sense, or that you could argue against. But the fact is that this IS convention (at least in the U.S.; can't speak for other places). It IS widely recommended to candidates. It IS widely considered appropriate and appreciated and something that makes a candidate stand out.<br /><br />Most hiring managers appreciate candidates who demonstrate that they understand etiquette and business conventions, whatever anyone's secret opinions of those conventions may be.Ask a Managerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05281942480230532899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-78513396367583279102010-07-22T16:53:22.937-04:002010-07-22T16:53:22.937-04:00You claim elsewhere that an interview is a two-way...You claim elsewhere that an interview is a two-way street: the company and candidate are interviewing each other. <br /><br />I agree with that.<br /><br />However, this being the case, it is no more reasonable for the company to get a thank-you note than the candidate.<br /><br />If anything, the candidate has done more that would *merit* thanks than the company. The candidate has, for instance, traveled to the place of convenience of the company. The company did not travel to the candidate.<br /><br />I have sometimes been struck by the arrogance of interviewing managers who have forgotten this basic reality. <br /><br />They think I am trying to sell them myself. But I am actually rejecting them increasingly over the course of the interview, because I can see the mismatch between their sense of entitlement and the nonexistent logical justification for it.<br /><br />Any manager who is suffering from entitlement to such an extent as to expect a thank-you note is not a manager for whom I would ever want to work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-79484991543485784822010-07-22T15:04:25.799-04:002010-07-22T15:04:25.799-04:00Maybe it's a cultural thing.
This blog is the...Maybe it's a cultural thing.<br /><br />This blog is the first place where I've heard of post interview thank you note. <br /><br />I'm in the IT field in Montreal. Over the past 5 years I have interviewed more than 100 peoples for various position in my team. <br /><br />I have NEVER received ANY thank you note after an interview.<br /><br />If I were to receive one, I would probably file the candiate as a wierdo or a suckup depending on the tone of the letter... It wouldn't make me not hire a top candidate, but it would definitly be a turn down in case of a close race.Louisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-62788908948968925832010-07-22T12:09:57.085-04:002010-07-22T12:09:57.085-04:00I am rather surprised that this debate is going on...I am rather surprised that this debate is going on. I do think that sending a thank you note 1 minute after an interview is not a good idea, because it's common advice to write a thank you note, so when you send a note so quickly it shows that you are just following advice and doesn't seem very sincere.<br /><br />However, I disagree quite a bit that a thank-you note in general is unnecessary. Thinking from a common courtesy point of view, it is just polite to send a thank-you for someone's time. Especially nowadays, where there is so much competition for a job, a thoughtful thank you can differentiate you from the many other candidates. Sometimes the interviewer is not taking notes, so how are they going to remember how you did in the interview? It is up to you to remind them of how well suited you are for the job by addressing specific issues that came up in the interview. I think it is sad that the HR person asked Charles why he sent a thank you note - it shows how rare his polite gesture was. I also think he shouldn't regret it at all - why should he be sorry for a polite gesture? As for appearing to try and get an edge - of course you want to get an edge... you want the job! If the thank you note ends up in the garbage, or the email is trashed - that's not something you have control over. At least you are not eliminated from consideration because you didn't send the note.Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-28459533374100395152010-07-22T11:44:26.434-04:002010-07-22T11:44:26.434-04:00This discussion was pointeed out to me today. It&#...This discussion was pointeed out to me today. It's very interesting! As a former hiring manager, a handwritten thank you note was an extra plus for a candidate, but that lack of any such note was more detrimental to stronger candidates than helpful to poor ones. A note is a common courtesy and another chance to sell yourself, show your interest, and come across as an articulate winner. I agree they should not be stock (pre witten either). They should be timely to the decision process. I sent one myself by email only when the hiring manager was leaving on vacation the next day, and told me he'd be mulling over the candidates while away from the office. I believe a well written, sincere, smart thank you note will never hurt you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-61235447983300479552010-07-22T11:10:34.966-04:002010-07-22T11:10:34.966-04:00Mike - aren't you "selling" yourself...Mike - aren't you "selling" yourself through the whole process? Just by sending a thank you note, you are still impressing the person who is making the decision. In many instances, if you don't send a thank you note, then you aren't "selling" your interest and might be disqualified. It's not disingenuous at all.<br /><br />What do you write in your thank you notes to make you think this way?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-7384804282554085552010-07-22T09:24:00.863-04:002010-07-22T09:24:00.863-04:00I recently had some interviews, and what I did was...I recently had some interviews, and what I did was write the notes that evening, and they went out in the next day's mail. <br /><br />Also, I keep seeing advice to continue to sell yourself in the thank you note, and this seems incredibly disingenuous to me. I could be way off here, but I figure that the time for that is in the cover letter, resume and interview.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-62355764795081935962010-07-22T08:47:12.765-04:002010-07-22T08:47:12.765-04:0048 hours is to long. As someone who just recently ...48 hours is to long. As someone who just recently hired several new Account Executives 48 hours response was unacceptable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558939360732260529.post-85880985591816295612010-07-21T22:36:44.741-04:002010-07-21T22:36:44.741-04:00To me it would be like getting a christmas gift fr...To me it would be like getting a christmas gift from the convenience story. You shouldn't have. No really, you shouldn't have.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com