Do you always send a thank-you note after an interview? Although still a norm for most job seekers, a recent poll from Andrew Seaman, a Senior Editor for Job Search & Careers at LinkedIn, revealed some interesting insights about thank-you messages. In the survey, only 59% of participants said they always send a thank-you note. 29% said it depends on the situation or they sometimes they send one, while a shocking 13% of respondents never send one. So, should you be sending a thank-you note after each interview? Yes, you definitely should, and here is why they add value to your candidacy.
Thank-you notes express your gratitude
Some think writing a thank-you note is old school, but it’s an easy and effective way to express your gratitude. If you have ever been a part of a hiring team, you understand how time-consuming and stressful the hiring process can be. Sending a brief message that illustrates your gratitude to your interviewers for taking the time out of their busy schedules goes a long way. It also can help reinforce your interest in the position and keep you in the back of the hiring team’s minds as they make a decision.
We always encourage the candidates we represent to send thank-you emails after their interviews. Most of our clients let us know if they don’t, which shows how much importance many employers put on receiving them.
It can be more challenging during remote interviews
Many people said they don’t always send a thank-note after an interview because it can be challenging to reach everyone during a virtual interview. Some or all of the interviewers you meet with may all be working remotely. If someone from HR sets up the interview, it can be challenging to secure their details to send a thank-you message after your meeting. However, job seekers need to adapt their thank-you note strategy. If you don’t communicate directly with the hiring manager, you can typically find their contact details pretty easily online. Have a pen and notepad at the ready during your interview so you can jot down the hiring team’s names (and some notes about your conversations with them!). Then, after your meeting, look them up on LinkedIn or check the company website to see if their contact info is on there.
However, if you are still struggling to find everyone’s contact details, it’s okay to send a thank-you email to one of the interviewers and ask them to share your gratitude with the others.
Thank-you note best practices
If it’s been a while since you last crafted a thank-you note (or if you have never sent one), we are here to share some best practices with you.
First of all, send your thank-you note right away. We recommend sending it within a couple of hours after your meeting. The longer you wait, the least effective your message will be. Too often, a candidate sends their message several days afterward, and by that point, they may already be out of contention.
Furthermore, keep your thank-you message short and sweet. Hiring managers are busy, and they don’t have time to read a novel if they are actively interviewing candidates.
Also, in your message, make sure you are tying in specific details about your interview. Did you have a conversation about a mutual hobby? Was there a particular problem you enjoyed discussing? Do your passions align well with the company’s vision or mission statement? Whatever you discussed, tie it into your thank-you note to reiterate your conversation and show your interest in the position.
Finally, customize each note for every interviewer. Yes, we recommend sending a thank-you message to everyone in the meeting. If you took some notes during your interview, this should be a piece of cake! Try and make every message personalized to illustrate you were paying attention to each interviewer. A personalized thank-you will go a long way when the hiring team is discussing you and your qualifications amongst each other.
The perfect thank-you note example
Are you looking for an example to help craft the perfect thank-you message? Look no further! Here is a template with some pointers to help you write a compelling, engaging thank-you note.
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