The Interview Thank-You/Follow-Up-Note

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Recently, we were working with an excellent company to fill a management position for them.  Fortunately, we had an excellent candidate that met all of the company’s experience and educational requirements.  The company and the candidate met and both were very happy and we thought the position was filled, but a few days later the head of Human Resources expressed a hiring reservation, the candidate had not sent any of the interviewers a Thank-You-Note.  We were very surprised to hear this because, we knew the candidate was too professional to overlook sending a Thank-You-Note.  We contacted the candidate and he stated he had sent Thank-You emails to the company’s interviewers.  The candidate sent us a copy of the Thank-You-Note.  After a little investigation, we determined the candidate had left a period out of the email address.  We contacted the company, a recruiting disaster was adverted, and the candidate was hired.  This demonstrates how important a Thank-You-Note is to the interview process.  Also, if emailing a Thank-You-Note, how important it is to check and make sure the email was delivered (my computer is set-up to automatically check and make sure my emails are delivered and opened (I tend to make a lot of mistakes).

According to a survey published by CNBC, one in five hiring managers will automatically dismiss a candidate if they haven’t sent a thank you note by email.  But more than that, the thank you note gives prospective job seekers a last chance to add any details left out of the interview or to reaffirm other elements and strengths you want to emphasize.  The following is a list of suggested items to include in the Thank-You-Note:

  1. Convey your continued interest in the position.  If at all possible, send the follow-up email within 24 hours of the interview, basically stating the interview confirmed your interest in position.  Be specific and reference some of the information shared by the interviewer about the role which enhanced the appeal of working with the organization.
  2. Tell them why the job is a fit.  Include a short paragraph providing a examples of why the position is a good fit for both of you.  Mention key strengths that will allow you to excel in the position, tailoring your most critical qualifications for the position.
  3. Add more information to support your candidacy.  Was there something that that you wished you had said during the interview but did not mention?  This could include something the interviewer did not ask or a response to a question that stumped you during the interview.
  4. Provide information requested during the interview process.  If the potential employer asked for examples of your writing or design skills, they could be attached to the Thank-You-Note.
  5. Ask for the job.  Hopefully you asked for the job at the end of the interview but it never hurts to ask again.  Make it clear you want the job and are willing to accept a reasonable offer.
  6. Don’t forget to express you gratitude for the interviewer for taking time away from his or her busy work day to interview you.