NCEPR - Are emails/letters after interviews still a thing?

[pixy0stix]

Thank you emails after an interview - still something to do or not?

[taratru]

I do.

[Vespasia]

I get them occasionally and they do make me look at the candidate more favorably. I don't think it's ever made a difference in who we hire but if we were torn between two people it might help.

I only hire one or two times a year though so I'm definitely no expert!

[aurora]

I think so. I get them from >50% of candidates I interview.

ETA - they're always email

[pixy0stix]

Aug 7, 2019 12:25:45 GMT -5 @heyitsme said:

I get them about 50% of the time and they are usually emails. We're making decisions/wanting to move forward quickly, so if you send a letter I won't get it for ~ a week (our mail system is slow in the office) and by then it doesn't matter because the decision is already made anyway.

I was leaning more toward an email. They've already discussed the candidates, so I'm not sure whether the email would sway them either way. There's also the added factor that these people are my colleagues that I work with in another dept.

[eddy]

I was on a committee last week and got them from everyone we interviewed.

Just email though.

[goldengirlz]

I get them from candidates about a third of the time and it doesn’t influence our decision one way or another.

But if you ARE going to send one, make sure it’s additive. Like a generic thank you isn’t enough. I would address something that was said (or not said) in the interview. Use the note as an opportunity to further make the case for yourself. (I actually got annoyed when I asked a candidate a question, she said she’d need to think about it and her thank you note didn’t mention the item!)

[BlondeSpiders]

Ask a Manager says always send a follow up thank you. I think an email is sufficient, as the speed of business moves faster than the post office. I can't imagine denying a qualified person the position because we didn't get a hand-written TY note until 3-4 days later, though.

[al320]

Yep, email

[georgeglass]

I have gotten both email and handwritten from our recent search. I think I would do email.

[winecat]

I've had people order cupcake deliveries after interviews. If only I was closer....

[NitaX]

Aug 7, 2019 12:21:44 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Thank you emails after an interview - still something to do or not?

Yes. I still do it. 

[AndyCohen]

My H definitely takes thank you emails into account when it’s a close decision between a couple candidates. If one sent an email and the other didn’t, he will lean toward the one that did.

[ESF]

I would send a thank you email.

In your case, I think it may be helpful to communicate that you see yourself as a regular candidate, i.e., that you take the offer to let you interview very seriously, and you want to impress them and work hard in a new role. They aren't just getting someone who takes for granted their entitlement to the position switch, KWIM? I'm sure you didn't give that vibe off, but I'd tie it up with a nice bow.

[yaga]

I expect them from internal interviewees. I don't from external ones because we have no contact with them during the application/interview set up process (HR handles it) and our emails are not easy to figure out even if you know first and last name. It would be a guessing game, one that I actually did guess correctly once when I interviewed here myself. I would not recommend that, though. However, employees here can very, very easily look up my email and my full name is given to them. (I also don't have business cards to give out.)

I would expect one, though, if I had any contact with an external applicant.

[beetea]

I occasionally get them. I really don't care one way or the other and occasionally even get annoyed at another email that I have to open. 😂

[rubysoh0]

Aug 7, 2019 13:29:11 GMT -5 AndyCohen said:

My H definitely takes thank you emails into account when it’s a close decision between a couple candidates. If one sent an email and the other didn’t, he will lean toward the one that did.

Agree with this 100%

[pixy0stix]

I sent them an email. I thanked them for the opportunity, and invited them to ask me follow up questions about an internal program that I'm working on concurrently that they were interested in during the interview but we didn't have time to delve into.

[goldengirlz]

Good luck!!

[carmenere]

I always send a thank you email. After a second-round interview I mail handwritten thank you notes, but that’s because I work in a relationship-driven field where personal touches are important.

Make sure your thank you message is tailored and not totally generic.

[jinkies]

I don't actually care one way or another, but one of my coworkers gets really upset if she doesn't get a thank you after an interview. Like, the candidate would have to be an amazing unicorn for her to recommend them if they didn't send a thank you email.

I figure that since they are never offensive, but could be important, you may as well err on the side of sending them.

[Michelle]

Aug 7, 2019 14:02:58 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I sent them an email. I thanked them for the opportunity, and invited them to ask me follow up questions about an internal program that I'm working on concurrently that they were interested in during the interview but we didn't have time to delve into.

This is perfect.

As a hiring manager and HR professional I view thank you emails as evidence of:

Professional polish
Confirmation of continued interest
Demonstration of written communication skills for a professional setting
Demonstration of follow up. Follow up and closing the loop with good communications are KEY to success in HR and my department in particular.

[orangeblossom]

I always send an email/thank you. I think it does help, or at least it certainly doesn't hurt.

Good luck!

[LoveTrains]

In my line of work we routinely need to send thank you notes/emails. If I don’t get one from a candidate, that makes them less compelling. I also want the thank you email to be personal and hit upon something we discussed in the interview. All things being equal, if I had two amazing candidates, I would hire the one with the better thank you note.

[shauni27]

Good luck, pixy0stix!

I always send an email and ironically H just had a phone screen interview this week and I made sure he sent an email thanking them even for that.

[formerlyak]

I work in fundraising, so donor relationship and following up is a huge part of what we do. I have definitely not hired someone who I may have been on the fence about if they didn't send a thank you. But that may be industry specific in my case.

[msmerymac]

Askamanager once got a letter from a hiring manager who said she literally won't extend a job offer to someone if they don't send a thank you. Which seemed to be an odd hill to die on, and Alison told her that (more forcefully, actually, I think she told her it was terrible policy). So some hiring managers are terrible people. I guess that means you should cover your bases? But usually, it's probably just going to leave them with a good impression.