Should I send thank you notes after an interview?
WHEN TALENT MATTERS®
YES! Sending a thank you note after an interview is a must.
While I do recruit mainly in agriculture where building relationships is king, sending thank you notes following an interview in any sector is an interviewing best practice… ALWAYS!
Why?
- You are interviewing for a new role which means it is a pivotal chapter in your life. If you don’t care enough at this juncture to send a thank you note follow-up, then when will you care?
The employer may immediately translate this to mean you will lack the attention to detail and care they are looking for when you are handling company affairs in the new role. For example, if your role is about building external partnerships with suppliers or key accounts, will you be at a disadvantage with competitors who do have the wherewithal to follow-up?
- It confirms you want the role! I don’t think this one warrants an explanation.
- It may be the deciding factor between two equally talented and great candidates. The devil is in the details! The other candidate may not follow-up and it could be the detail that wins you the new role in a tie situation.
- It is another display of your skills. Likely you haven’t had the opportunity to display your written communication skills, other than the format of your resume. Sending a thank you note will show off your ability to communicate business in writing. Be careful though if these skills are not up to par… always use spell check and grammar check. It is also a good idea to have someone else proofread it for you.
- What if you are not interested in the role? Send it anyway! Maybe there is another opportunity that the hiring manager has in mind in the very near future and perhaps it is a better fit for your liking too. Sending a follow-up thank you note might just affirm that you have the skills to step into an even higher-level position in the very near future.
My last piece of advice here is make sure to send thank you notes separately and in a timely fashion to each person you interview with. It doesn’t matter if it is a video, phone or an in-person meeting. Follow-up and follow-through are key traits that matter in business.