HR says thank-you notes can still win candidates the job

Dive Brief:

A new Accountemps survey found that candidates' thank-you notes following an interview still matter. In a poll of 300 HR managers, 80% said they consider thank-you notes in selecting a candidate. However, only 24% of candidates send them, down from 51% ten years ago.
Survey respondents cited the most acceptable forms of thank-you messages as emails (94%) and handwritten notes (86%).
Michael Steinitz, Accountemps' executive director, said in a statement that when candidates send a note thanking hiring managers for their time, it shows that they're professional, enthusiastic and detail-oriented.

Dive Insight:

In a tech-driven age of lightening-quick interactions and informality, the thank-you note appears to have stood the test of time. Skills, knowledge and credentials are essential to winning a job, but HR still believes that civility can separate two worthy candidates from one another. The candidate that takes time to show appreciation for an interview is the person who may be a good team member — and who could be an active participant in a culture of thanks.

Cultures of thanks recognize workers for their achievements, an essential factor in employee engagement because employees consider recognition among the most valued of workplace practices. A Harvard Business Review survey found that of 1,000 employees, 63% said what they liked least about management was not recognizing workers’ achievements. A common complaint among employees is feeling unappreciated for their work and efforts.

In response to this widespread realization, employers are adopting value-based recognition, which points out workers' performance when it reflects the organization's core values. Employers also are using social recognition, whereby social media is used to point out and thank people in the organization.

Lou Solomon, CEO of Interact and author of Say Something Real, says employers can thank workers simply by telling them why they're appreciated and what their contribution is to the organization; thanking them for their actions or performance, either one-on-one or in a public forum; and greeting employees using their names, which he says is a high form of recognition.