Comments on: Thank You Notes & Human Resources

By: Kathy

Kathy — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:09:20 +0000

I have to disagree – thank you notes are a must. Yes, of course it shows good manners and a good upbringing, but in the business world it shows that you are good at following up. I have noticed too that when I send a thank-you (esp. hand written) I am offered the job. Just my 2 cents for a Monday…

By: Terrible Example

Terrible Example — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:33:55 +0000

Quite honestly, my best hires were the ones I stole from the competition. The ones who brought in resumes were only about half as good as they promised on paper while leg work got me face time while they were on the job filling their positions. Background checks were useless since most did not want current employers to know they were shopping around and/or their former employers did not or would not acknowledge them in order to block their advancement. What the really amusing part was in this story is that alot of times I had already hijacked their best help and was only inquiring to see what spin they would put on their departure.
Can you name your companies mail clerk? I could and I can tell you where they lived, how many kids they had, and where they went after work. I knew all of this before they even applied for the job and every position was filled from a short list of candidates I had personally selected to apply. Head hunting is much better than blind ads but the resumes provided a list of potential candidates. The resume let me know where they were currently working and I would generate a meeting before they even knew who I was or for what my real reason for being there.
As far as thank you notes go they were appreciated but I would rather see you a couple of weeks down the road and check on your progress of transitioning to your new position. If I did not hire you then a thank you note was a joke. Trust me when I say that if you did not get the job it had more to do with someone having better credentials-not better manners. If I did hire you then you can thank me in person as I continue to look in on your progress or maybe I will just happen to be at your favorite after work hangout one day out of the blue. See ya then….

By: Debbie

Debbie — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:04:48 +0000

OK, let’s not just refer to it as a “thank you” note. Some kind of follow up is absolutely necessary! When I interview someone, it is their first time hearing about the details of the position and people usually give the impression they are interested in getting the job offer. Are they going to sit there and tell me “oh this isn’t what I expected, I don’t want to work here?” Their lack of any follow up tells me this. So yes, the follow up communication does usually “thank” the interviewer for his/her time but it is more about confirming the desire for the job.

By: HRM Today - Blog Archive » Inside the Mind of a Hard Core Recruiter

HRM Today - Blog Archive » Inside the Mind of a Hard Core Recruiter — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:14:49 +0000

[...] Punk Rock HR Pro, Laurie Ruettimann, started an HR controversy on her blog this week by suggesting that Thank You notes are a waste of time and trees for interviewers. She does however believe every gift received requires a thank you note (Laurie, in advance, I can tell you I will not be sending you a thank you note for my Christmas present…BTW, do you need my Christmas list or are you just going to surprise me?!) [...]

By: Janet

Janet — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:21:03 +0000

I think some sort of followup after the interview is appropriate. It shows whether the candididate is interested in continuing with the process and reminds the interviewer how the interview went.
I don’t think it matters whether the note is sent- snail mail or e-mail, but I think good manners never go out of style.

By: HRM Today - Blog Archive » Punk Rock HR Stuff & Controversy

HRM Today - Blog Archive » Punk Rock HR Stuff & Controversy — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 05:16:04 +0000

[...] Finally, you can see John Hollon

By: Punk Rock HR Stuff & Controversy « Punk Rock Human Resources

Punk Rock HR Stuff & Controversy « Punk Rock Human Resources — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:05:40 +0000

[...] Finally, you can see John Hollon’s response to my post on writing thank you notes after an interview. I still hold firm that writing a thank you note has no bearing on a hiring decision; however, I [...]

By: Brian

Brian — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:19:35 +0000

Coming from an IT background with no HR experience at all:

I was part of the interview team for new hires in my last position. It was exceedingly rare for us to see a relevant, customized cover letter, well-organized resume, and a thank you email of any kind all from one candidate. When I saw those, it definitely improved my impression of the candidate (though admittedly I’d give more weight to the thoughtful cover letter than the follow-up). I don’t think it ever swayed me from a “no” to a “yes” or a “yes” to “go get this person even if he/she is expensive” but it’s plausible that it could have.

I think it’s also possible that a thank you note may not help you get hired, but may still make a good impression to your new coworkers before your first day.

On the subject of paper vs email, I think an actual paper note would have been somewhat bizarre (I don’t think we ever got one), though not a negative.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:44:21 +0000

We have three generations of people at the office, but only one group (the boomers) really owns the budget/hiring process.

I think there are two things happening in the hiring process, Chris:

1. Incorrect assumptions about what makes a good hire (i.e., using behavior-based interviewing, which never really susses out results), and

2. old personal values being interjected into the new, flat, global marketplace.

You can’t be old school in a new school economy.

By: Chris - Manager's Sandbox

Chris - Manager's Sandbox — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:14:30 +0000

@Laurie, regarding snap-hiring decisions. Unfortunately, I think you’re right… which would explain why anywhere from 50% – 75% of candidates hired end up not being the best fit.

- Chris