I had an interesting conversation with some coworkers.  I was always under the impression that everyone sends a thank you note after their interview.  One coworker in particular said she refuses to do it and it's a waste of time.  What do you all normally do?  Do you send a thank you letter?   Do you ever follow up to inquire about the status of the decision?  How long do you wait?

I think that is the prevailing feeling among people earlier in their career......but the people doing the hiring are more mixed.  For example, I think cover letters are a waste and many agree, but some hiring managers still look very unfavorably on someone who doesn't send one (beside the point - if you do it right and network and/or track down the hiring manager to contact directly, an informal cover/email letter is kind of unavoidable).

In general, follow-up from companies is horrible.  Basically, if you don't hear in a few weeks then the position is on hold, canceled or they went with someone else.  You should be asking about next steps and leave the interview with a decent idea if you'll be considered further or not.

I send a short thank you letter after an interview, even if I know it's not a fit.  It's a pretty good read on where you stand - if they're interested, they'll usually acknowledge a thank you letter (in which case it's reasonable to follow-up after a few weeks).  By the same token, if they liked you and you don't send a thank you they may take that as a lack of interest.

It literally takes like 5-10, minutes to write a decent thank you.  It's hard not to perceive a lack of one as anything other than lazy and inconsiderate.  Even a mediocre thank you at least shows you get basic business decorum, and were thoughtful enough to at least appreciate their time and consideration.

posted by like_that

I had an interesting conversation with some coworkers.  I was always under the impression that everyone sends a thank you note after their interview.  One coworker in particular said she refuses to do it and it's a waste of time.  What do you all normally do?  Do you send a thank you letter?   Do you ever follow up to inquire about the status of the decision?  How long do you wait?

I send a follow up email to thank them for taking the time out if I have the info. 

posted by iclfan2

I send a follow up email to thank them for taking the time out if I have the info. 

You SHOULD have the info.  They really should hand you a business card when they introduce themselves, but higher-ups probably expect you to know who they are (in which case you should get contact info from the admin who scheduled things).

Someone looking for a job who can't be bothered to thank me for making time for them....makes me wonder how they interact professionally with people in general.  Lacking such basic communication skills and etiquette doesn't speak well to their potential for success.

My answer is I alway send a thank you note and sometimes follow up to inquire depending on the position.  I normally ask during the interview what they rough timeline is and inquire after their timeline has passed. 

posted by gut

You SHOULD have the info.  They really should hand you a business card when they introduce themselves, but higher-ups probably expect you to know who they are (in which case you should get contact info from the admin who scheduled things).

Someone looking for a job who can't be bothered to thank me for making time for them....makes me wonder how they interact professionally with people in general.  Lacking such basic communication skills and etiquette doesn't speak well to their potential for success.

Ha I was going to say something similar, but we had a girl interview the other day and I didn't give her a card. She was working through a recruiter too so it's hard to get a contact (she could have tried harder though).  But I didn't hold it against her for not reaching out.

posted by iclfan2

...She was working through a recruiter too so it's hard to get a contact (she could have tried harder though).  But I didn't hold it against her for not reaching out.

If after a second interview, I might care.

But there's really no excuse, other than maybe just being too inexperienced to know better.  Which, by that, I mean you SHOULD know ahead of time who is interviewing you so you can learn a bit about them beforehand.  A decent recruiter SHOULD be giving her those details, as well.

If I really wanted the job, there's no way I'm not going to find out how to send a thank you.  And I'd guess most hiring managers probably feel that way.  That may change in the future.

A follow up letter versus a thank you letter is a better rule of thumb. Thank you letters can come across like you're thanking Aunt Sally for the sweater you got for Christmas. A quick letter letting them know you're appreciative of the time, why you're interested and why you think you're a fit should suffice.

posted by iclfan2

Ha I was going to say something similar, but we had a girl interview the other day and I didn't give her a card. She was working through a recruiter too so it's hard to get a contact (she could have tried harder though).  But I didn't hold it against her for not reaching out.

I'm a director at a search firm and if that recruiter didn't give her the clients contact info for a follow up letter, he/she's (the recruiter) a moron. I've lost deals because the candidate refused to send a follow up letter saying "I never send those." The client was turned off and didn't move forward even though the candidate was an excellent fit.

posted by BR1986FB

I'm a director at a search firm and if that recruiter didn't give her the clients contact info for a follow up letter, he/she's (the recruiter) a moron. I've lost deals because the candidate refused to send a follow up letter saying "I never send those." The client was turned off and didn't move forward even though the candidate was an excellent fit.

I guess I'm more easy going then some of these executives. I hired her anyway, bc she was a good fit and we needed someone. She also got stood up by our CFO for the 2nd interview call, which was embarrassing enough. I think what level you are definitely plays a part, as well as the age of the interviewer. However, I still think a short email should be the bare minimum.

Send a short thank you email. Very short 

Thank you email. Never hand written. I’ve been told by people email is the way to go nowadays. I also follow up once the “expected to have a decision by xxx” is 1 day past. 

Thank you letter can never hurt you (assuming you don't fuck it up). I always do it. Key is to keep it brief, don't over think it, and point out something specific from that interview with that person (aka personalize it). Having been apart of an interview panel literally over a hundred times I can tell you it's rare that a candidate actually sends a thank you note. Maybe 10% of time, MAYBE. It's worth the time investment for sure.

I saw someone above point out contact info, always ask for it from the recruiter you're working with. If you don't get it, you have to have SOME form of contact, just send something, even if it's a blanket for everyone. I've even had candidates guess at my email, the hustle is appreciated. If you give a shit, do it.

@like_that your cowroker that says it's a waste a time is either a software engineer or an idiot. I would stop listening to them on career advice.

posted by Commander of Awesome

Thank you letter can never hurt you (assuming you don't fuck it up). I always do it. Key is to keep it brief, don't over think it, and point out something specific from that interview with that person (aka personalize it). Having been apart of an interview panel literally over a hundred times I can tell you it's rare that a candidate actually sends a thank you note. Maybe 10% of time, MAYBE. It's worth the time investment for sure.

I saw someone above point out contact info, always ask for it from the recruiter you're working with. If you don't get it, you have to have SOME form of contact, just send something, even if it's a blanket for everyone. I've even had candidates guess at my email, the hustle is appreciated. If you give a shit, do it.

 

@like_that your cowroker that says it's a waste a time is either a software engineer or an idiot. I would stop listening to them on career advice.

lol, I  definitely wasn't asking him for advice.  

Why would a person seeking employment not want a reminder to the person hiring that you exist?

Keep your name fresh in their mind, on top of the list

I went through this process earlier this year. I'd had enough interactions leading up to the interview and during the two days on-site to send a brief, relatively informal thank you email to the person who would be my partner from the airport that evening. Then followed up with a more formal thank you email to the hiring manager a few days later. I felt good about the interview and had been told I would hear back in about a week, so at 1.5 weeks without hearing anything I reached back out. Turns out I was their top candidate and they were just waiting on the Dean to get back from vacation to approve the offer.

When I've done hiring, I really don't give any weight to it.

However, I usually do send a thank-you email a couple days later and a follow-up about five days after that, if I haven't heard anything.

Thank you email immediately after interview. Status update a week later if necessary.

This just showed up in my Google News feed today.

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-write-thank-you-email-after-job-interview-2019-4

Depends and I don't think it affects your prospects one way or another. I quit my job and took a new one last year. I made up my mind that I was leaving about 4 months before I made the jump. In that time I interviewed for 5 jobs.

 2 of them I knew off the bat that I wasn't going to be considered before I walked out. I just wasn't a fit for them and it was evident, I was 99% sure I wasn't getting an offer and I knew I'd decline if I did. I sent neither of them follow ups.

1 of them I was loving the vibe, it was a great fit, interesting project and a great company. The day after my interview they offered the job to a buddy of mine who worked for that company in a different group and didn't even interview for the job. So I didn't send them anything. He eventually turned down the job (didn't want to move his family) and they did offer it to me, but by that time I had accepted the job I'm currently in.

1 of them it was evident that I was the guy they wanted. It was a job right in my wheelhouse, doing something I was doing for the previous 2 years and was beating their performance everyday (in our industry you see how the competition is performing although you don't know the specifics of how they get their results). WIthin 1 hour of a 3 hour interview (largely technical) I saw huge holes in their program that I could have filled and taken their performance to a new level in the first month. By the 2nd hour I knew why they had such glaring deficiencies. Their management team was fucking AWOL, the inmates were running the prison and the lead inmate had the full backing of the CEO of the company. This one wasn't going to work for me. I sent nothing, they offered me the job, I turned it down and they countered 3 times (to a point where it was almost 75% more than I was making at my old job) but I knew i wasn't going to be able to get the results they were expecting with the team they had and long term it wasn't going to work. That company is shutting it's doors in the next few months I hear and their assets are rolling into a new PE backed company under a new leadership team.

1 job was a perfect fit, great company, challenging work, big upside, etc.. I sent them a follow up just letting them know I really enjoyed the meeting, it literally said "even if I'm not the person you end up going with, I really think you're team is set up for tremendous success." That is the job I took

posted by j_crazy

Depends and I don't think it affects your prospects one way or another. I quit my job and took a new one last year. I made up my mind that I was leaving about 4 months before I made the jump. In that time I interviewed for 5 jobs.

 2 of them I knew off the bat that I wasn't going to be considered before I walked out. I just wasn't a fit for them and it was evident, I was 99% sure I wasn't getting an offer and I knew I'd decline if I did. I sent neither of them follow ups.

1 of them I was loving the vibe, it was a great fit, interesting project and a great company. The day after my interview they offered the job to a buddy of mine who worked for that company in a different group and didn't even interview for the job. So I didn't send them anything. He eventually turned down the job (didn't want to move his family) and they did offer it to me, but by that time I had accepted the job I'm currently in.

1 of them it was evident that I was the guy they wanted. It was a job right in my wheelhouse, doing something I was doing for the previous 2 years and was beating their performance everyday (in our industry you see how the competition is performing although you don't know the specifics of how they get their results). WIthin 1 hour of a 3 hour interview (largely technical) I saw huge holes in their program that I could have filled and taken their performance to a new level in the first month. By the 2nd hour I knew why they had such glaring deficiencies. Their management team was fucking AWOL, the inmates were running the prison and the lead inmate had the full backing of the CEO of the company. This one wasn't going to work for me. I sent nothing, they offered me the job, I turned it down and they countered 3 times (to a point where it was almost 75% more than I was making at my old job) but I knew i wasn't going to be able to get the results they were expecting with the team they had and long term it wasn't going to work. That company is shutting it's doors in the next few months I hear and their assets are rolling into a new PE backed company under a new leadership team.

1 job was a perfect fit, great company, challenging work, big upside, etc.. I sent them a follow up just letting them know I really enjoyed the meeting, it literally said "even if I'm not the person you end up going with, I really think you're team is set up for tremendous success." That is the job I took

And they still offered you?
lol jk

As a hiring manager, I do not care if I receive a thank you note - but it is nice.  All candidates will thank me in person following the interview for taking the time to discuss the opportunity with them.  I already know if I am interested in them following the interview.  The presence or absence of a thank you note wouldn't change my thoughts on them as a viable candidate for the position.

posted by O-Trap

This just showed up in my Google News feed today.

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-write-thank-you-email-after-job-interview-2019-4

If this thread didn't already prove it, the simple reality is not sending a thank you CAN hurt you.

But one thing about that article made me chuckle - you work for a small online magazine, and have "hired hundreds" of people over 10 years....maybe you aren't that good at hiring people!

posted by gut

If this thread didn't already prove it, the simple reality is not sending a thank you CAN hurt you.

But one thing about that article made me chuckle - you work for a small online magazine, and have "hired hundreds" of people over 10 years....maybe you aren't that good at hiring people!

Yeah, I think this headline fits better:

"I Haven't Been Doing My Job for 10 Years and Instead Have Just Been Bullshittin' It"

I just had my first private-sector interview in almost 40 years - a phone interview for an independent contractor position.  Was an interesting experience, and a positive one.  I sent a follow up e-mail an hour later, thanking the manager, re-stating my commitment and experience, and wishing her and the organization well.  

Since my main career was with the federal government, my experience with this subject is probably not typical.  Half of my interviews were with the manager of my department, for promotions within.  I already worked side-by-side with him every day, and we all pretty much knew which candidate would be selected, so other than a thank-you at the end of the interview, I never bothered with an e-mail. 

In all of the career development sessions we had, I don't recall anyone suggesting a follow-up email.  The emphasis was on the in-person interaction:  greeting the interviewer and shaking their hand, then having a solid closing statement, and shaking their hand and thanking them for the opportunity before leaving.  

However, if I wasn't selected for job after interviewing with a different department, I always asked for a follow-up meeting to review my application and interview, and get feedback on what I might have done differently, or what I would need to do to make a better candidate.  That way, they knew you were serious and thinking long-term, and that might influence them to drop your name to other managers.