To all job seekers!
Do you feel like a fish in big fishbowl of brown matter? Are you just plain tired of attending job interviews with incompetent hiring managers who couldn’t interview a monkey if they tried? Do you feel like a failure each time you get that rejection letter (should you be so lucky to get the template with the chicken scratch-like signature) Most often, you are ignored, and discarded. What’s going on HR Managers? What happened to the word “Human” in Human Resources?
I’m burning bridges people! I no longer wish to remain silent! I hear advice like “ oh don’take it personally” or “ just keep trying” or “ you weren’t the right fit” or better yet, “ you’ll be notified in XX number of weeks once we have made the final decision” THAT one deserves an expulsion of a hairball!
When it’s determined that you are no longer a candidate, you become ignored and easily forgotten. Yes, there was an application submitted by the applicant – in response to a job ad. However let’s not forget that the job seeker was invited. This brings the issue of the Thank you note to the forefront. A trend amongst HR Professionals is the expectation that a thank you note/ email could make or break your chances of landing the job. A recent post on the website askamanager.com asked the question:
“How soon is too soon to send a thank you following a job interview?”
The majority of the comments , in essence, supported that a post interview “Thank you” from the job seeker is almost a prerequisite for even being a speck in the tiny brain of the HR manager.
The following is an anonymous post which summarizes this “Thank You” note absurdity:
“This discussion was pointed out to me today. It's very interesting! As a former hiring manager, a handwritten thank you note was an extra plus for a candidate, but that lack of any such note was more detrimental to stronger candidates than helpful to poor ones. A note is a common courtesy and another chance to sell yourself, shows your interest, and come across as an articulate winner…. “
Is this mentality for real? And then further posts go on to say:
“For the record, no one is saying that a thank-you note would influence you to hire someone who you wouldn't hire otherwise or who wasn't strongly qualified. And no one is saying that the lack of a thank-you note would make you change your mind about hiring someone you otherwise planned to hire. However, when you have two equally strong candidates to choose from and you're torn, if one sends a thoughtful post-interview note and one doesn't, then that's going to be something you think about.”
Oh really……???
And what about these so called lovely handwritten, templated letters/ emails? Do HR managers have a special keepsake box for such treasures? An email folder in their already overly inflated email? I would bet the farm these notes are sent right to the shredder or delete box. Most people with a decorum of etiquette will send a sincere thank you note for a wedding gift, or a baby shower gift. I have sent thank you notes to my cat sitter for taking such good care of my pets while on vacation. Nevertheless, this “Thank You” to HR BS leaves me completely speechless. The arrogance of HR Hiring Managers is unbelievable. If you are easily influenced by a templated thank you note, then you are a fool! Soon job seekers will be expected to bring gifts, loot bags and/or leave a tip as if a job interview ( that the job seeker was invited to attend) was some kind of service. I am done with the BS business of the thank you note, thank you very much!
