Manager Says She Doesn’t Employ People Who Don’t Send A Thank You Email, Gets Roasted Badly
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Getting a job is already as hard as it is, but in addition to constantly worrying about your financial state and what will happen if you don’t get the job you also have to suffer through those dreadful interviews. After all of this, there’s still the terrible period of time where you have no idea whether or not you impressed them and you just have to patiently wait to receive that wonderful call which basically states that from now on you’re going to spend the majority of your time working only to survive. All of this sounds absolutely terrible and along with being one of the worst experiences in an adult’s life, getting a job requires knowing unwritten social rules that give you an edge over the other applicants. If only we could be judged solely on our skills, what a dream.
Recently, an executive managing director wrote an article where she claimed she had only “one simple rule” when it comes to hiring people
In her article, she states:
“As a hiring manager, you should always expect a thank-you email, and you should never make an offer to someone who neglected to send one.” This post started a huge debate online about whether or not it is okay to judge someone based only on their social skills and knowledge of unwritten rules.
Even though a few people agreed with the article
The majority were absolutely furious about this rule
Many claimed that this was not only unfair for those who lack social skills but was also disrespectful to the candidate who dedicated their entire day for the interview. People believed that this type of thinking also belittles the candidate and their knowledge and the possible value they might bring to the company, all of this just because they didn’t send a thank you email.
Others were really interesting to know if the author herself sends a thank you email to every candidate
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When you are hiring you can have any rules you damn well please. That said, if one candidate stood out amongst the rest but you didn't hire them because they didn't send a redundant email (I'm sure during the interview they thanked you) then you're a fucking idiot who should not be hiring people. Forget your ego (or race, gender etc), hire the most competent person, period.
You can make any rules you want but that doesn't make them legal.
This is 1000% legal and encouraged in many HR courses. Its also 5000% legal in "At Will" states. Don't make a stupid comment if you have nothing but your feelings to back it.
It must also be challenging to work with a manager with a God Complex. Phew! Close call for the well- qualified employees she did not hire because they did not kiss her feet for giving them the ‘honor’ of an interview.
You nailed it !!
If I were this person's boss and she has such a rigid "rule", I'd fire her because I believe she won't be able to hire the most competent/ suitable candidate.
part of competency is courtesy. Plus when I get a thank you email, it shows me that the person really did appreciate the opportunity.
Yes, they can have whatever rules they want, but the applicant should at least know what the rules are. How is a person suppose to have a fair chance when they didn’t even know what game they were playing, let alone that they were playing a game at all. Otherwise they’re signing up to play a game with the hiring manager that they don’t know anything about!
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I do the same thing. Step 1 - have my assistant black out names. Step 2 - I scan for spelling or grammar errors. Step 3 - If we are still good, look at qualifications. Then interview. If no Thank You email is received then I throw them out. The thank you email is them thanking you for taking time to consider them for the position that your company/you created. Without the hard work of the company, that person doesn't even get a chance to interview. So yes, I thank them for having competency and qualifications in their resume by interviewing them, and they better give thanks back. Its courtesy both ways.
Okay, just so we’re on the same page, you value SPELLING over qualifications??
Okay, I have to ask: Is sending such emails common courtesy in the USA and/or other countries? I‘m German and I‘ve never heard of anyone here sending thank you emails for job interviews. To an outsider, this seems quite weird. „Thank you for allowing me to ask you if you would hire me.“ I can understand sending thank you emails if they hired you, or if they re-scheduled your job interview for you (happened to me once when my train was delayed by over two hours) or similar. But just for allowing you to speak to them?
As a Brit I have literally never heard of this practice either! Must be a US thing?
Nope... it's just a pretentious idiot thing.
Not in Ireland either. Must be an American thing.
Aaaa sorry! My idiot phone replied to EVERYONE... sorry again!
Much liking shooting everything, it's probably an American thing.
i have never heard of this here before-it's a bitchy stuck-up thing...rme
This comment has been deleted.
In Spain we neither do this thing. We send lots of F-you emails though.
My guy!
nice
Aaaa sorry! My idiot phone replied to EVERYONE... sorry again!
American here. I have never sent a thank you email (or note) after an interview. It is weird and not something anyone but my grandmother would have done. If I don't get a job, despite being qualified everywhere else, because I didn't send a thank you email I don't want to work there. This type of requirement screams micromanager and sycophant work environment.
Hahaha so your grandma would beat all those people with current qualifications and skills. Great!
German here too. I would never do this. An interview is between equals, i would not see myself as an equal if i need this kind of thing.
Not done in Belgium either! it would be seen as superfluous and pointless. Also as a "look at meeee" type thing
European living in America, can totally confirm this is an American thing. I went to a job training a couple of months ago here and this is the kind of crap they teach you is a must. I always thought in Europe it would be viewed more as a desperate way of standing out or "sucking up" to the employer.
nowhere here have i ever seen this nonsense "requirement"-it is merely established by petty snobs like her...it's not a standard American thing
No. I’ve never even heard of doing this. If I were a hiring manager I would even question the integrity of someone sending such emails. It seems extremely fake and manipulative, an ass-kissing type of thing to do.
It IS a U.S thing actually. It’s a thank you note for putting you through hell by grilling you with questions. Corporate companies in the U.S like to have the upper hand and try to make you feel like you are lucky to work for them. If I am working countless hours and you are using my skills and talents, then it looks like you are lucky to have me.
I'm American so I can say, I have heard people and career coaches recommend doing this but I have never done this after any interview and have gotten good jobs in my field with no problem. I also can say that I don't remember any of my friends or family talking about this or doing this during the hiring process. I guess it probably depends on the industry you are in?
I agree that it's very much industry-specific. In industries, where networking is key, a quick "follow up" email, essentially saying (but not literally) "thanks for your time, I'm still interested in the job role on offer", can be really effective. In some industries, the "job description" in the ad is specifically vague. Interviewees only find out about it once they get to the interview... and it's only AFTER the interview, do the applicants know what the job actually entails, and whether or not they're actually interested. That follow-up email, is to let the company know that yes, you're still interested, now that you've fully found out about the job. For jobs that are more "do you have ABC qualification and XYZ experience"... I haven't seen it as being as important / effective to follow up.
Thank you. I am also german and this whole article surprised and confused me. I have never ever send an Thank-You-E-Mail after an interview. I think the same way you do. It seems to be an american thing.
no, not standard in America, thankfully
Never heard of it. I think it's not a culture thing but a personal thing. I also don't understand why I need to thank them for giving me an interview, if I'd already been polite and thanked them during the meeting (if not, then I'm probably not a polite person anyway...). Also, if I were to thank somebody, I would be thanking the future boss for interviewing me, not some HR person who is literally paid to interview me, and their job actually depends on being able to hire the right person for the job. Seems to me this HR person has some sort of God complex.
Same, I've never heard of such a thing! I simply thank them for their time at the end of the interview. This reminds me of my mother making me write screeds of personalised thank you letters on special occasions, even when I'd already thanked the person.....
In Belgium (from my experience) about 10% of candidates will send an e-mail to say thank you for either the interview or for having received specific feedback if they have not been withheld. It is not something that is expected though.
Hey, a fellow Belgian! I have worked in Interim kantoren and it's just not done... It would be seen as vleien to try to get the spot most of the time...
Working also in HR in Belgium, I would say such emails are more of a bad point for the candidate. You don't thank people for their time by wasting even more of their time with a pointless email. I just hate candidates who have to check up on the process every other day.
In the interim field I get that, when it comes to executive roles though it is more common.
As an American, this is the stupidest shit I've ever heard of. I say thank you in the interview. I've never sent a thank you email and I've received nothing back unless they called for hiring. Sounds like this woman wants to go back to the 1950's.
I'm in the U.S. and I've never sent a fucking thank you email after an interview. I thank them while I'm still in the room, upon completion of the interview. I've heard of it, but it's overkill. Nobody has time for that shit.
English here and I've never heard of this crap either, it seems more pushy than polite to me.
I'm American and I've never heard of this...Mind you, I'm only 14 :/
Former HR assistant from Hungary: I haven't heard of such a thing. In a job interview the representative of the company(!) thanks the candidate for taking their time for job interview (and vice versa, OFC). There is a new generation of employees who are not afraid to leave the company immediately if they are not satisfied or feel ucomfortable. They change companies like teethbrush, because they can find another job easily. I don't think Jessica would be successful in this area in the future :-o
This comment has been deleted.
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Schnauze, du Vollidiot! In Deutschland musst du das schon auf Türkisch tun.
I already thank them at the end of the interview, I would feel uncomfortable sending them an email thanking them AGAIN. I would feel like I'm bothering them, that I'm taking up their precious time by having them read an email with redundant information (because it's the exact same message). And it feels needy, like you're begging them to please please please hire you, instead of just waiting patiently. So I would assume they would find it annoying to get those emails. Now I'm wondering whether it is common in my country as well, or different in each country.
Exactly. It lacks integrity. That person doesn’t want employees, she want brown-nosing ass-kissers.
I agree. I have never kissed anyones ass to get a job never will. It's their loss not mine
Send the email. It makes you stand out as someone actually interested in the job. Calling is a bit needy.
Don't send the mail(at least not in Europe). HR people get a lot of mails. We don't need useless "thank you" mails. (also, if you're good and decent at your job, you don't expect a thank you from someone who just spent their time to answer YOUR questions, you thank them)
I always sent thank you emails prior to me being in a hiring position. After 10 years of hiring, the people that send thank you emails have higher retention rates than those who dont. Its actually shocking how much of a difference there is.
When you are hiring you can have any rules you damn well please. That said, if one candidate stood out amongst the rest but you didn't hire them because they didn't send a redundant email (I'm sure during the interview they thanked you) then you're a fucking idiot who should not be hiring people. Forget your ego (or race, gender etc), hire the most competent person, period.
You can make any rules you want but that doesn't make them legal.
This is 1000% legal and encouraged in many HR courses. Its also 5000% legal in "At Will" states. Don't make a stupid comment if you have nothing but your feelings to back it.
It must also be challenging to work with a manager with a God Complex. Phew! Close call for the well- qualified employees she did not hire because they did not kiss her feet for giving them the ‘honor’ of an interview.
You nailed it !!
If I were this person's boss and she has such a rigid "rule", I'd fire her because I believe she won't be able to hire the most competent/ suitable candidate.
part of competency is courtesy. Plus when I get a thank you email, it shows me that the person really did appreciate the opportunity.
Yes, they can have whatever rules they want, but the applicant should at least know what the rules are. How is a person suppose to have a fair chance when they didn’t even know what game they were playing, let alone that they were playing a game at all. Otherwise they’re signing up to play a game with the hiring manager that they don’t know anything about!
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
I do the same thing. Step 1 - have my assistant black out names. Step 2 - I scan for spelling or grammar errors. Step 3 - If we are still good, look at qualifications. Then interview. If no Thank You email is received then I throw them out. The thank you email is them thanking you for taking time to consider them for the position that your company/you created. Without the hard work of the company, that person doesn't even get a chance to interview. So yes, I thank them for having competency and qualifications in their resume by interviewing them, and they better give thanks back. Its courtesy both ways.
Okay, just so we’re on the same page, you value SPELLING over qualifications??
Okay, I have to ask: Is sending such emails common courtesy in the USA and/or other countries? I‘m German and I‘ve never heard of anyone here sending thank you emails for job interviews. To an outsider, this seems quite weird. „Thank you for allowing me to ask you if you would hire me.“ I can understand sending thank you emails if they hired you, or if they re-scheduled your job interview for you (happened to me once when my train was delayed by over two hours) or similar. But just for allowing you to speak to them?
As a Brit I have literally never heard of this practice either! Must be a US thing?
Nope... it's just a pretentious idiot thing.
Not in Ireland either. Must be an American thing.
Aaaa sorry! My idiot phone replied to EVERYONE... sorry again!
Much liking shooting everything, it's probably an American thing.
i have never heard of this here before-it's a bitchy stuck-up thing...rme
This comment has been deleted.
In Spain we neither do this thing. We send lots of F-you emails though.
My guy!
nice
Aaaa sorry! My idiot phone replied to EVERYONE... sorry again!
American here. I have never sent a thank you email (or note) after an interview. It is weird and not something anyone but my grandmother would have done. If I don't get a job, despite being qualified everywhere else, because I didn't send a thank you email I don't want to work there. This type of requirement screams micromanager and sycophant work environment.
Hahaha so your grandma would beat all those people with current qualifications and skills. Great!
German here too. I would never do this. An interview is between equals, i would not see myself as an equal if i need this kind of thing.
Not done in Belgium either! it would be seen as superfluous and pointless. Also as a "look at meeee" type thing
European living in America, can totally confirm this is an American thing. I went to a job training a couple of months ago here and this is the kind of crap they teach you is a must. I always thought in Europe it would be viewed more as a desperate way of standing out or "sucking up" to the employer.
nowhere here have i ever seen this nonsense "requirement"-it is merely established by petty snobs like her...it's not a standard American thing
No. I’ve never even heard of doing this. If I were a hiring manager I would even question the integrity of someone sending such emails. It seems extremely fake and manipulative, an ass-kissing type of thing to do.
It IS a U.S thing actually. It’s a thank you note for putting you through hell by grilling you with questions. Corporate companies in the U.S like to have the upper hand and try to make you feel like you are lucky to work for them. If I am working countless hours and you are using my skills and talents, then it looks like you are lucky to have me.
I'm American so I can say, I have heard people and career coaches recommend doing this but I have never done this after any interview and have gotten good jobs in my field with no problem. I also can say that I don't remember any of my friends or family talking about this or doing this during the hiring process. I guess it probably depends on the industry you are in?
I agree that it's very much industry-specific. In industries, where networking is key, a quick "follow up" email, essentially saying (but not literally) "thanks for your time, I'm still interested in the job role on offer", can be really effective. In some industries, the "job description" in the ad is specifically vague. Interviewees only find out about it once they get to the interview... and it's only AFTER the interview, do the applicants know what the job actually entails, and whether or not they're actually interested. That follow-up email, is to let the company know that yes, you're still interested, now that you've fully found out about the job. For jobs that are more "do you have ABC qualification and XYZ experience"... I haven't seen it as being as important / effective to follow up.
Thank you. I am also german and this whole article surprised and confused me. I have never ever send an Thank-You-E-Mail after an interview. I think the same way you do. It seems to be an american thing.
no, not standard in America, thankfully
Never heard of it. I think it's not a culture thing but a personal thing. I also don't understand why I need to thank them for giving me an interview, if I'd already been polite and thanked them during the meeting (if not, then I'm probably not a polite person anyway...). Also, if I were to thank somebody, I would be thanking the future boss for interviewing me, not some HR person who is literally paid to interview me, and their job actually depends on being able to hire the right person for the job. Seems to me this HR person has some sort of God complex.
Same, I've never heard of such a thing! I simply thank them for their time at the end of the interview. This reminds me of my mother making me write screeds of personalised thank you letters on special occasions, even when I'd already thanked the person.....
In Belgium (from my experience) about 10% of candidates will send an e-mail to say thank you for either the interview or for having received specific feedback if they have not been withheld. It is not something that is expected though.
Hey, a fellow Belgian! I have worked in Interim kantoren and it's just not done... It would be seen as vleien to try to get the spot most of the time...
Working also in HR in Belgium, I would say such emails are more of a bad point for the candidate. You don't thank people for their time by wasting even more of their time with a pointless email. I just hate candidates who have to check up on the process every other day.
In the interim field I get that, when it comes to executive roles though it is more common.
As an American, this is the stupidest shit I've ever heard of. I say thank you in the interview. I've never sent a thank you email and I've received nothing back unless they called for hiring. Sounds like this woman wants to go back to the 1950's.
I'm in the U.S. and I've never sent a fucking thank you email after an interview. I thank them while I'm still in the room, upon completion of the interview. I've heard of it, but it's overkill. Nobody has time for that shit.
English here and I've never heard of this crap either, it seems more pushy than polite to me.
I'm American and I've never heard of this...Mind you, I'm only 14 :/
Former HR assistant from Hungary: I haven't heard of such a thing. In a job interview the representative of the company(!) thanks the candidate for taking their time for job interview (and vice versa, OFC). There is a new generation of employees who are not afraid to leave the company immediately if they are not satisfied or feel ucomfortable. They change companies like teethbrush, because they can find another job easily. I don't think Jessica would be successful in this area in the future :-o
This comment has been deleted.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Schnauze, du Vollidiot! In Deutschland musst du das schon auf Türkisch tun.
I already thank them at the end of the interview, I would feel uncomfortable sending them an email thanking them AGAIN. I would feel like I'm bothering them, that I'm taking up their precious time by having them read an email with redundant information (because it's the exact same message). And it feels needy, like you're begging them to please please please hire you, instead of just waiting patiently. So I would assume they would find it annoying to get those emails. Now I'm wondering whether it is common in my country as well, or different in each country.
Exactly. It lacks integrity. That person doesn’t want employees, she want brown-nosing ass-kissers.
I agree. I have never kissed anyones ass to get a job never will. It's their loss not mine
Send the email. It makes you stand out as someone actually interested in the job. Calling is a bit needy.
Don't send the mail(at least not in Europe). HR people get a lot of mails. We don't need useless "thank you" mails. (also, if you're good and decent at your job, you don't expect a thank you from someone who just spent their time to answer YOUR questions, you thank them)
I always sent thank you emails prior to me being in a hiring position. After 10 years of hiring, the people that send thank you emails have higher retention rates than those who dont. Its actually shocking how much of a difference there is.