Survey Finds Most Candidates Make Mistake of Not Sending Thank You Notes

Remember the old fashioned thank-you note? A lot of job seekers may have forgotten, suggests a recent survey of executives. While 76 percent of respondents said they consider a post-interview thank you note of value when evaluating candidates, only 36 percent of job applicants actually follow through with this simple courtesy, according to executives polled.

The survey was developed by Accountemps, the world's first and largest temporary staffing service for accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 150 executives with the nation's 1,000 largest companies.

Executives were asked, "How helpful is it for a promising job candidates to send a thank you note following an interview?" Their responses:

Very helpful	33%
Somewhat helpful	43%
Not at all helpful	23%
Don't know / no answer	1%
Total	100%

In a related question, executives were asked, "What percentage of job candidates send thank you notes following interviews?" The mean response was 36 percent.

"Sending a personal, hand-signed note immediately following a job interview offers applicants a chance to display their continued enthusiasm for the job and reinforce the reasons they feel they're a good match," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps. "While not sending a thank you note will not necessarily eliminate you from consideration, taking this added step can increase your odds of being hired.

"Ideally, a thank you note should be sent by regular mail, but email is also acceptable if this has been your primary means of communication with the company," Messmer said. "Your message should be brief and courteous. It can also serve as an opportunity to allay any concerns over possible weaknesses you believe can be overcome, and to once again highlight your strengths."

Accountemps has more than 240 offices in North America, Europe and Australia, and offers online job search services.