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You've probably been on several interviews in your life, but chances are that you still aren't positive about the proper etiquette. After all, every industry has its protocols, and even within the same industry, different organisations operate in different ways. The truth is that there is no one right way to interview, but there are certainly some practices that you should strongly consider with every interview. One such method is that of sending a follow-up thank you note to your interviewer. Read below to learn why you may be doing yourself a huge favour if you take the time to pen a short but succinct thank you letter.
The statistics back it up
A 2017 survey of HR managers across a variety of industries showed that 80 per cent of them claimed that thank-you messages were somewhat or very helpful when received after an interview. A separate survey found that 68 per cent of recruiters and hiring managers took thank-you notes into consideration when making their hiring decisions. Just under 20 per cent have actually rejected a candidate for failing to send a thank-you note. These numbers suggest that this simple task can go a long way in sealing your potential employment with the company of your choice. Manners are respected in the business world and saying thank you is one of the most basic manners that you can have.
It helps you to stand out
You never know just how many candidates are applying for the same position you had applied for. Thus, the person with whom you interviewed may have talked to 5 or 10 other candidates in just the one day that they spoke to you. Who knows how many more they will communicate within the coming days? When you send a thank-you note, you re-establish yourself as a worthy candidate. Any additional contact with your interviewer will keep you fresh in their mind and give you a leg-up on the candidates that failed to do so.
Exhibit passion for the company
When companies hire, they want to know that their future employee is passionate about the job and is willing to go the extra mile to help the organisation. A simple thank you can show just how much you care and may push them to consider you even further. You can also use the note to add anything that you may have skipped over in the interview, such as why you feel you are a fit for the company or that you have new exciting ideas for them to try out.
Build a relationship
An interview is a formal process that often gets forgotten in a short period of time. When you send a thank-you note, you are taking some time out of your day to establish a relationship with your interviewer and show that you care. Business may be about the bottom line, but it is still essential to harbour strong working relationships in order to remain functional. Thank you letters are just one step towards doing exactly that.