Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?
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If not, you may just avoid this red flag when interviewing for Business Insider..
I've been hiring people for 10 years, and I still swear by a simple rule: If someone doesn't send a thank-you email, don't hire them.
An executive managing editor who has hired hundreds of people believes candidates who send thank-you emails show they want the job.
And not a few disagreements about it here:
https://twitter.com/ConstantFail/status/1114685704448163840
https://twitter.com/SmnRppn/status/1114181045052674048
An attempt at (lawyer-instigated?) back-peddling ends up doubling down..
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Thankfully this practice is unheard of in Poland.
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So what's her argument?
It signals that the person wants the job — or rather, no thank-you email signals the person probably doesn't want the job. The handful of times we've moved forward with a candidate despite not receiving a thank you, we've been ghosted, or the offer we make is ultimately rejected. A few times, the offer is accepted, but the person pulls out before their start date or leaves after a few months.
Funny thing - if this really becomes widespread rule, then candidates will adapt and will always send thank you email, whether they like the job or not, whether they plan to pull out at the last moment or not - and the rule will lose all its effectiveness.
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It shows resourcefulness, too, because the candidate often has to hunt down an email address the interviewer never gave them.
Oh, hell no. Like hell I'm going to spend an hour looking for an email address. I have 40 other job applications to send, you know.
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I've never sent a thank-you note for an interview, that's ridiculous. If they email anything then I'll respond with some pleasantry even if I have nothing to say, but that's just so they know the message was received and read.
Edit: I'd find it weird if I received a thank-you note. I'd suspect some sort of slimy, try-too-hard personality.
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- It's their job to interview you.
- They have themselves chosen you as a viable candidate to talk to.
- You're spending (potentially wasting) your own time, they - their (also potentially wasting).
What's there to thank for?
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From the follow-up:
These days, an estimated 95% of all Insider Inc. [note - it's the company where this woman is chief recruiter] editorial applicants send thank-you notes after interviewing, unprompted.
Geez, I wonder why.
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How's the saying go? "A-players hire A+ players. B players hire C-players that should behave meek and grateful, like the cattle that they are"?
@Gąska said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
So what's her argument?
It signals that the person wants the job — or rather, no thank-you email signals the person probably doesn't want the job. The handful of times we've moved forward with a candidate despite not receiving a thank you, we've been ghosted, or the offer we make is ultimately rejected. A few times, the offer is accepted, but the person pulls out before their start date or leaves after a few months.
Funny thing - if this really becomes widespread rule, then candidates will adapt and will always send thank you email, whether they like the job or not, whether they plan to pull out at the last moment or not - and the rule will lose all its effectiveness.
How long until Outlook includes a function for automating thank-you mails after you've made the calendar entry for an interview? Bets are open.
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@strangeways said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
You're spending (potentially wasting) your own time, they - their (also potentially wasting).
Not entirely true. The recruiter isn't spending their own time - they're spending company time. It costs them nearly nothing to do an interview - unlike the candidate, who often needs to take a day off at their current job.
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Does she send a "thank you for applying" email to candidates who send her their résumé?
(Rhetorical question, of course.)
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I'm on both sides of the fence.
When I recruit, it's usually through a recruitment firm. I don't send thank-you notes but I always give feedback to the representative on their candidates after an interview. I try to be constructive because I remember when I was rejected for a job some 15 years ago, the recruiter's feedback really helped me to understand I needed to start planning my career, instead of letting it just happen to me.
Yesterday I got a phone call from a company that is hiring people for a position that is very compatible with my skills and experience. After the phone call, she sent me an e-mail to thank me for the pleasant conversation. So I kindly replied and thanked her for the interest shown in me.
EDIT: numerous edits fixing numerous typos
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@levicki said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
They are literally the untouchable employees in every company -- who is going to fire them for bad behavior? Themselves? Yeah, I don't think so.
Huh? At what company do the HR people not report to someone??
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@levicki said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
who is going to fire them for bad behavior?
They've probably got success metrics. Those metrics may not punish failing to attract the occasional star candidate.
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I've always sent thank you emails (or letters
) after interviews, though it has admittedly been a while. It's like dressing appropriately and stuff. You're trying to make a good impression and possibly stand out among a crowd.I agree that a recruiting rule that enforced this is silly but people who scoff at sending thank you follow ups are social retards too.
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@levicki said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
Usually HR people report to HR manager who reports to the CEO.
As long as any complaints against HR people behavior end at HR manager's desk and don't go further they are untouchable.So go to the CEO.
My wife reports to the CFO, but you got C-Level correct so I guess that's close enough.
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I have sent thank you notes when I've had an e-mail address to send to. Usually recruiters hide that information so I suppose it only applies to internal transfers?
It's really one-sided to expect thank you notes though. How about giving people you turn down some feedback? I've had exactly one interviewer that was willing to do so and the response actually really helped.
I had interviewed for an appdev manager position because there were no appdev positions (lots of offshoring). In the last half decade, I'd had about 50/50 of "didn't know what a computer was" and "locked repository from everybody else" so I didn't know what sort of questions to expect. One question in particular that hit me was "what do you do with somebody who isn't doing what you tell them?" My answer was, because I would've been new to the bureau, see if they knew something I didn't know, and then, if my way was still better, ask HR how the disciplinary process worked (I have never experienced anything between happy/ignored and fired so I honestly don't know).
The interviewer told me I should find out why they weren't performing before I punished them. They could have a problem at home, or need training, or not have time, or...maybe they're just a jerk. The problem at home might go away, I could get them training, we could figure out how to make time, or, in the last case, yeah, I can ask HR how disciplinary actions work.
Edit: Wait, I had feedback from a recruiter once. He called me arrogant because, after pitching a C++ job to me, I said I could probably get back up to speed pretty quickly (it had been a few years). I mean I learned VB6 inside of a week, had been doing pretty complex C# for 10 years at that point, and was functional in 4 or 5 other languages. What did he expect me to say? Oh me, oh my, C++ is, like, hard and stuff?
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@Polygeekery said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
So go to the CEO.
Good luck with that.
"See your HR manager about that."
But sir, that's what I'm trying to explain, I...
"I don't have time for this. Go away."
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@Zerosquare said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
@Polygeekery said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
So go to the CEO.
Good luck with that.
"See your HR manager about that."
But sir, that's what I'm trying to explain, I...
"I don't have time for this. Go away."Yeah, fair enough.
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@levicki you and @Zerosquare were correct. I spoke from my frame of reference without considering that may not be possible for others.
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I send follow-up emails after the first full interview. It isn't just a thank-you, but a way to try and further distinguish myself from any other potential candidates, as well as to provide further insight into the job. (e.g. I was impressed by your office layout, which fosters collaboration while also respecting workers' privacy) Yes, I could mention that during the interview, but the thoughts from an email tend to stick around longer than a fleeting comment during the interview.
But, it is ridiculous to consider it a requirement. If I sent a "thank-you" email to someone after bombing the interview, while someone who proved to be a better fit didn't, they're idiots for considering me the better candidate.
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@boomzilla said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
I agree that a recruiting rule that enforced this is silly but people who scoff at sending thank you follow ups are social retards too.
Maybe so, but I’ve never even heard of the idea of sending an email after an interview.
Like, WTF, I was courteous enough when I met you, I’m waiting for your response now.
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@topspin said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
@boomzilla said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
I agree that a recruiting rule that enforced this is silly but people who scoff at sending thank you follow ups are social retards too.
Maybe so, but I’ve never even heard of the idea of sending an email after an interview.
Like, WTF, I was courteous enough when I met you, I’m waiting for your response now.Probably a cultural thing. I've never applied for a job in Europe.
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@levicki said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
@boomzilla said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
Probably a cultural thing. I've never applied for a job in Europe.
Cultural?!? Are you saying that interviewers expecting you to lick their anus because they gave you an opportunity to participate in hiring process is limited to USA only?
Are you replying to something I said or just talking about some weird anal fixation of yours?
Because if that's so, we from Europe would like it to stay that way and keep that kind of "cult-ure" to yourself.
Mutual.
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@levicki said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
@boomzilla said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
Are you replying to something I said or just talking about some weird anal fixation of yours?
Nah, I am speaking about anally retentive USA fixation that I should be thankful to the fucking recruiter for the opportunity to even be considered as a candidate when they should be thanking me for applying and making their job easier.
Do you also insult his family and spit on his desk? Seriously,
dude? Are you really as socially retarded as you are trying to appear?
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@Cursorkeys said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
I'd suspect some sort of slimy, try-too-hard personality
This
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@Cursorkeys said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
Edit: I'd find it weird if I received a thank-you note. I'd suspect some sort of slimy, try-too-hard personality.
This. I think I've only received one. It felt creepy. (Sent to the company - it would have been really creepy if it turned up at home!)
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@boomzilla said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
I've always sent thank you emails (or letters ) after interviews, though it has admittedly been a while
Really? I've never heard of this practice before today, so I assumed it was some new-ish millennial
bullshit.Serious questions: is it actually an old-school practice? Is it quite well known? Is it more prevalent in the US than in Europe?
Just curious.
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@DoctorJones said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
Serious questions: is it actually an old-school practice? Is it quite well known? Is it more prevalent in the US than in Europe?
It's definitely not new. I thought it was fairly well known. Seems like it's almost certainly more prominent in the US.
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@dcon said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
This. I think I've only received one. It felt creepy. (Sent to the company - it would have been really creepy if it turned up at home!)
Same. I think in some companies you need to distinguish between thank you notes to HR/the recruiter and to the interviewers themselves. As an interviewer, I've never given my e-mail address to an interviewee; all contact with the company is supposed to go through HR/the recruiter.
@boomzilla said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
It's definitely not new. I thought it was fairly well known. Seems like it's almost certainly more prominent in the US.
It sounds like even in the U.S. it may be region-based or sector-based. I've never sent thank you notes for an interview.
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@levicki said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
@boomzilla said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
Are you replying to something I said or just talking about some weird anal fixation of yours?
Nah, I am speaking about anally retentive USA fixation that I should be thankful to the fucking recruiter for the opportunity to even be considered as a candidate when they should be thanking me for applying and making their job easier.
That is a pretty shit attitude. You should both be appreciative of the efforts and time of the other.
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@levicki said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
@boomzilla said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
Probably a cultural thing. I've never applied for a job in Europe.
Cultural?!? Are you saying that interviewers expecting you to lick their anus because they gave you an opportunity to participate in hiring process is limited to USA only? Because if that's so, we from Europe would like it to stay that way and for the USA to keep that kind of "cult-ure" to itself.
Geez, what kinds of emails are you sending that they can be compared to licking asses?
Oh, you are still on AOL, aren't you?
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My thoughts on the matter: It certainly can't hurt, and can help distinguish you from others. It will help you to stand out.
I am in a habit of always following up with people I meet with. It is part of the sales process. I thank them for their time, bring up some small talk talking points to make myself feel more familiar, and then I follow up by going over the basics of the meeting and what was discussed so that they do not "forget" what was discussed. Bullet points. My sales style is more of a friendly type than high pressure. It brings me back in to their view after the meeting and by going back over bullet points I make sure there are no misunderstandings and if there are to get them taken care of before we are too far in the process. If you let misunderstandings go too far they become a bigger deal and are potentially a bigger waste of time if that will be a deal breaker.
This is all a good idea in an interview situation.
As for would I work for a place if I knew that a thank you note was a requirement? Fuck no. They can go kick rocks. That is asinine and pretentious and that HR person can go fuck their hat.
I fucking hate most HR people. The only notable exception is the one that I am married to, and she moved from legal to HR after we married. If she had been HR when I met her I probably wouldn't have made it past the first date.
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@Cursorkeys said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
I've never sent a thank-you note for an interview, that's ridiculous.
I'd thank them in person at the time, but not send an unsolicited thank you email afterwards.
@Cursorkeys said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
If they email anything then I'll respond with some pleasantry even if I have nothing to say
Yeah.
@Cursorkeys said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
I'd find it weird if I received a thank-you note. I'd suspect some sort of slimy, try-too-hard personality.
Also yeah. But I'd not change any judgement based on it, especially now I've seen that article.
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Never sent a thank you mail. There are plenty of thanking going on in Swedish culture (seriously, there are anything between 2 and 4 thank yous in a normal cashier interaction) but I've never heard of thanking for a job interview after leaving the interview. While leaving there are bound to be a few thank yous for whatever. Getting in touch a while later to get some information on how the job prospects are looking happens though.
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@Zenith said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
Edit: Wait, I had feedback from a recruiter once. He called me arrogant because, after pitching a C++ job to me, I said I could probably get back up to speed pretty quickly (it had been a few years). I mean I learned VB6 inside of a week, had been doing pretty complex C# for 10 years at that point, and was functional in 4 or 5 other languages. What did he expect me to say? Oh me, oh my, C++ is, like, hard and stuff?
Far too many hiring decisions are made based on ridiculous self-assessment questions like that. Either the interviewer is clueless about the Dunning-Krueger principle, or they think you're being arrogant (as in this case), or whatever. If you're hiring a salesman, sure. If you're hiring for anything else, to base your hiring decision on your perception of their salesmanship is absurd.
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@Zerosquare said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
@Polygeekery said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
So go to the CEO.
Good luck with that.
"See your HR manager about that."
But sir, that's what I'm trying to explain, I...
"I don't have time for this. Go away."Then expect to get called in to a meeting with your boss and grand-boss to be scolded for annoying the CEO.
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@DoctorJones said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
@boomzilla said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
I've always sent thank you emails (or letters ) after interviews, though it has admittedly been a while
Really? I've never heard of this practice before today, so I assumed it was some new-ish millennial
bullshit.Serious questions: is it actually an old-school practice? Is it quite well known? Is it more prevalent in the US than in Europe?
Just curious.
It is actually an old-school practice. It was considered good manners to send a hand-written letter after an interview. I remember being surprised when employers did not even bother to let me know that I was no longer under consideration. Then one time in the last ten years, I got a letter from an employer I had applied (but not yet interviewed with). The actual letter was not left in my mail box, because it was certified mail, signature-required. They must be very interested! I went to the post office, signed for the letter, and, you guessed it, it was a rejection letter.
I was pleasantly surprised when I applied for a job in Ireland by mail, and they replied with a personal rejection letter.
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@jinpa said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
@Zerosquare said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
@Polygeekery said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
So go to the CEO.
Good luck with that.
"See your HR manager about that."
But sir, that's what I'm trying to explain, I...
"I don't have time for this. Go away."Then expect to get called in to a meeting with your boss and grand-boss to be scolded for annoying the CEO.
Nah, it would be fine. It'd be pointless though as the result would be the CEO's PA just forwarding it to the same $IT_GROWNUP I could go to myself.
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@jinpa said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
I went to the post office, signed for the letter, and, you guessed it, it was a rejection letter.
That's just being evil and rubbing it in!
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@Zenith said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
Edit: Wait, I had feedback from a recruiter once. He called me arrogant because, after pitching a C++ job to me, I said I could probably get back up to speed pretty quickly (it had been a few years). I mean I learned VB6 inside of a week, had been doing pretty complex C# for 10 years at that point, and was functional in 4 or 5 other languages. What did he expect me to say? Oh me, oh my, C++ is, like, hard and stuff?
People who put in requirements like "10 years experience for $3_year_old_technology" cannot possibly comprehend that if you've been working with Java for the last ten years but never touched C#, learning a new language is going to be a trivial thing compared to learning the (potentially) new domain you're working in.
So what they hear is "I've worked with robotics before, but working with the federal tax code instead shouldn't take me more than a day".
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@loopback0 said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
Then expect to get called in to a meeting with your boss and grand-boss to be scolded for annoying the CEO.
Nah, it would be fine. It'd be pointless though as the result would be the CEO's PA just forwarding it to the same $IT_GROWNUP I could go to myself.
You have apparently not encountered the same sort of dysfunctional low-lifes I have many times over.
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@topspin said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
So what they hear is "I've worked with robotics before, but working with the federal tax code instead shouldn't take me more than a day".
Which to them makes as much sense as "I've ridden a bicycle before, so I should have that 18-wheeler turning tricks in a week"
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@dcon said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
@jinpa said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
I went to the post office, signed for the letter, and, you guessed it, it was a rejection letter.
That's just being evil and rubbing it in!
I pondered why they did that. My guess is that it was just bureaucracy, but who knows.
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@topspin said in Do you send thank-you notes after being interviewed?:
So what they hear is "I've worked with robotics before, but working with the federal tax code instead shouldn't take me more than a day".
Whereas when you literally move from robotics to tax code, it's no big deal and your knowledge is certainly very useful here as well.
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@Gąska Your software development knowledge, not your domain knowledge.
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@topspin you retain that knowledge between programming languages as well.
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What crazy world do people live in? You have your interview, assuming the usual social niceties, polite greetings, polite bye-byes, thank you, thank you too, blah blah, why should you send a follow-up email thanking the interviewer again?
do applicants have to reek of desperation?
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@topspin And then they go complain how hard it is to find people and how millenials are to blame for everything. I just had an application rejected today. I want to believe it's for lack of COBOL experience but it's just as likely my non-standard title didn't fit their "X years in Y role" rule so they didn't even look at my resume to see the absence of COBOL. They haven't taught COBOL at colleges in this state in 20 years. How deep do they think the applicant pool is? They won't let me read a book or help start them on an update path but they'll offshore the job on both accounts.
