Like everyone else, you know that it is extremely important to send a thank-you e-mail after a recruitment interview, but what about a more personal handwritten letter? In some cases, thank-you letters can be extremely useful to help you stand out from a future employer.
During an interview I had with Manel GHAZOUANI, HR Consultant of SIGMUND Tunisia, she told me that it was not necessary to send a handwritten note after the interview, but that it could be a useful practice to differentiate oneself from other candidates.
If you are not sure where to start, use the method below after an interview to thank the recruitment manager.
Who to send it to?
Although sending a thank-you email to anyone who helped you through the interview process is encouraged, it is not necessary to send each person a handwritten letter. Handwritten thank-you letters should be considered for people who have taken time out of their schedule to sit down and discuss the company, their position and your past experience with you. That being said, if there is someone in the office who has not interviewed you, but who has really helped you, such as a human resources manager, or if after having spent a personality test like 5FactorsProyou have had a discussion about your results, it never hurts to send a thank-you letter.
According to Manel, it's a great way to create a buzz about you in their offices. The more people who perceive you favourably, the more successful you are in getting the job. Deciding who to send handwritten mail to is also largely dependent on deadlines. Candidates should send a brief email to a recruiter or human resources representative thanking them for letting them move forward in the hiring process, according to Manel. If candidates meet with recruiting managers and know that the decision will not be made in a day or two, sending a thank-you letter the same evening is a good idea.
What do you mean?
Your thank-you letter should contain a different content from the thank-you email you sent a few hours after your interview. That said, you should make sure that you have enough to say to be able to differentiate between your email and your paper mail before sending both. If you have only had a brief conversation with someone in the company and you don't have much to thank them for by mail, a simple email is enough for that person. Thank-you e-mails usually have a structure that includes thanking the person who received you, complimenting them on the company or the quality of the conversation, commenting on a topic you discussed and why you are the best candidate for the job. On the other hand, handwritten thank you letters allow you to become a little more personal.
Sending a handwritten letter is a thoughtful gesture, so think carefully about what you will put in it. For example, it's a good idea to choose a topic that you discussed during the interview and develop it further. You will have more time to write this handwritten letter than an e-mail. So take your time to go deeper into the subject and try to come up with something interesting. Going beyond the expectations of your interlocutors will probably impress the recruitment manager and help him or her to make a safe choice.
When to send?
As you will be sending this thank-you letter by post, it will not be sent as quickly as by e-mail, which works in your favour. According to Manel, a candidate who really wants to stand out can send a thank-you e-mail a few hours after an interview and leave a paper thank-you letter in the mailbox in the evening. Is it too much to send both? No. This system is advantageous because the e-mail will add a good first impression immediately after the interview. The thank-you note, which will arrive a few days later in the week, will then remind the recruitment manager of your skills, manners and attention. "There is one thing you probably won't do and that is too much communication or follow-up after your face-to-face with the recruiter," Manel told me.
Where to send it?
Send the thank you letter to the head of recruitment at his or her office address. If you did not correspond with the recruitment officer to arrange the interview, ask for a business card at the conclusion of the meeting. This ensures that you will have all the information you need to contact them. As for the medium on which you will write your thank-you note, it should be a professional thank-you card that you can buy in a stationery store. When choosing this card, make sure you keep the atmosphere of the office or company.
If the company is more formal, a thank you card with a clear background will be more appropriate. If the company is more creative and relaxed, feel free to have fun choosing this card, keeping the right tone of their culture in mind.
Why send it?
Sending a handwritten thank-you letter is not a common practice for all candidates, and it is a practice that helps candidates stand out when done correctly. Writing a handwritten thank-you letter requires more effort than typing an e-mail, which shows that you are capable of thoughtfulness and that you have the motivation to make an extra effort.
Which style is adopted?
The tone of your mail should correspond to the company's culture, which you should get to know after one or two interviews or exchanges with them. "You need to step back and assess the culture, because you want to be able to reflect what you experienced that day," says Manel. Like the post-interview thank you email, your post-interview thank you letter should not be a novel explaining why you want to work for the company. Writing a note that is too long will give the impression that you don't know how to get to the point, that you don't understand the company's culture and that you don't have the spirit of synthesis. "You want to write concisely enough to fit on a business card," Manel told me.
Example after interview Hello (Mr / Mrs name of the recruitment manager,), I wanted to write to thank you for meeting me (the day you met him).
I really appreciated you taking the time to tell me more about (title of the position you are applying for), (name of the team you are applying to) and (name of the company) in general. In particular, I was thinking about what you said about the restructuring of (name of team you are applying to) and I realized that it was similar to the changes made to my team at (former company). It's a great idea to move practices around, and I think I could bring beneficial skills during this transition. These changes are really an exciting opportunity for (name of team you are applying to) at (name of company) and I would like the chance to be part of the growth we talked about. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely, (your first and last name)