Part 5 of What Is The Hiring Manager Thinking? series addresses the need to send a thank you note after the interview, phone interview, and informational interview. Below are the answers to the questions that I have received from clients when talking about sending thank you notes.
1. Should I send a thank you note, and why?
The answer is almost always YES! It is a nice touch to send a thank you note to the employer after the interview. In some cases, it is almost required. I have heard of cases in which a candidate did not send a thank you note, and the employer either did not offer the job to the candidate, or it impacted the company’s willingness to offer him/her. Regardless, most employers expect to receive a thank you note. Different employers may place more value on thank you notes. Bottom line: Why risk not sending one?
Besides being an expected touch, I advise my clients to take advantage of the opportunity to make contact with the employer again. Why not take this opportunity to reiterate your interest in the company, reflect on a few important points, and get that “recency effect?” Employers gauge your interest in working for that company. Restating your interest in that company, and sending the thank you note soon after the interview, tells the employer that you really are interested in working for them. By doing this, your actions are consistent with your words.
You can also reinforce a couple of key points of your strength as a candidate. Write t that you enjoyed the conversation and the opportunity show them that your skills match what they are looking for. A word of caution–do not write a lengthy note reiterating your skills, as it will be over-the-top. All that is needed is just a quick reminder, which may consist of a sentence or two. By referring to a couple of discussion points of the interview, you are personalizing the note to the conversation you had with that person(s). This signals to them that you were listening and interested what they have to say!
And lastly, a timely thank you note can add to the recency effect. What do I mean by this? Well, think of how many candidates the person(s) you interviewed with talks to each day. There is a chance this person has also interviewed other candidates that same day. This is just one more chance for you to remind them about your interview. They are much more likely to remember you if they are reminded about your interview for a second time.
2. To whom should I send a thank you note?
If you interviewed with multiple people, send a thank you note to each of those people who you met. It is a good idea to send each of those people a thank you note, because often these are the people who help in making the decision on who to hire. They might not be the final decision-maker, but they might be in a meeting with the decision-maker afterwards, and may report their findings back to the decision-maker. It is also a good touch to send each person a note with something related to the conversation you had with that person. For example, if you spoke about company culture with only one person, you might include a reference to that conversation in the thank you note. As stated before, the key is to let the employer know that you are interested, that you were listening, and that you can pay attention to detail.
3. How should I send a thank you note, email or hand-written (typed) note?
I have had this debate with a few folks, and I’m not sure there is a definitive answer here. It is a very nice touch to send a handwritten note to someone–it shows that you have made the effort to make a personal touch, and spent some time on it too! And with the advent of email, fewer people handwrite (or type) their notes, which can help set you apart from other candidates in a very classy way (if written well). The downside of these notes, is that they are delivered by mail, so it might take a day or two for the person(s) to receive them. Some companies make hiring decisions quickly. If your note arrives late, you miss the window of opportunity to get your thank you note to them before the decision is made. Each company has different hiring practices, and sometimes different teams within a company will have follow different practices. But I have certainly witnessed situations where the decision is made rather quickly. My preference is to send an email, as it is acceptable, and I like to get my message there sooner rather than later.
4. When should I send the thank you note?
Again, there is some discussion about this. I typically advise people to send a note sooner, rather than later. I will typically send a thank you note that evening. Again, I like to show them that I am interested. Some might argue that you come off as desperate by doing this, and that you do not want to appear eager. I disagree with this tactic, as playing games can often come back to haunt you. I like to send that short message to them relatively soon after the interview. Hopefully the interview will still be somewhat fresh in the minds of the interviewers. Especially if the employer has interviewed more than one candidate that day, it might be a good idea to remind them who you are after they have talked to a few people. And while the employer may tell you their timeline to make a decision, you probably will not know when the team will meet to discuss the interviews (If you were interviewed by more than one person, which is often). You want to get that note to them before they meet to discuss and compare the candidates. If you send it after they have met, it might be too late!
5. Do I need to send a thank you note for each interview, even if I interview multiple times?
Yes! Again, this is your opportunity to continue to let them know you are still interested. With multiple interviews, the process can take more than a week, and in some cases months (Google). From an employer’s perspective, many things can happen to candidates over a period of time. Conventional wisdom tells the employer that the longer they draw out the interview process, the more likely the candidate may either become disinterested or find another job. It is a good way for you to check in and let them know that you are still available and interested in progressing to the next step.
In review, send a timely thank you note to each of the interviewers!
James
James Van's Career Blog 