Hong Kong Careers: Should I send a courtesy letter / email to follow up after the interview?
by Olevia Yuen - Recruitment Consultant | 28/04/2015
Hong Kong Careers: Should I send a courtesy letter / email to follow up after the interview?
Hong Kong is a city with a total population of 7.2 million and has a very competitive job market. As a result many jobseekers are beginning to put more effort into making a good first impression on potential employers.
One of the widely known but not commonplace pieces of advice is to send a thank you / courtesy follow-up letter or email to your interviewer(s) after the interview.
We have asked job seekers their personal experiences and the following points should help you determine whether or not you should send a follow-up after your interview.
Could this simple gesture really be the difference between you getting the position or falling just short of the mark? Lets find out!
Company size
The size of the company effects whether your letter will actually be seen by the person you wish to reach. Larger companies often have complex HR departments and there could be a high chance that your letter will not even pass through the mailroom. With large companies a personal email to the interviewer will be more effective method of communication.
Consider carefully if an informal email or a more formal letter will be more effective. Asking for your interviewers business card after an interview is always a good way to indicate your interest in the company. The card will almost certainly contain the email address you need to send your follow up to them!
Level of position
One of our clients indicated he felt it was a nice gesture when they received direct appreciations and follow-ups from low-level applicants. They felt this showed good initiative and attention to detail and overall left a better impression of the candidate. However, another employer when asked felt that thank you / follow-up letters were a little over-the-top from a junior applicants but more appreciated from senior applicants. An email can be just as effective and is a less formal way of communicating with any potential employer after the interview.
Whether you are the candidate they are looking for
Some employers are often very matter of fact and straight to the point. Put simply if you are not the candidate for the role, a thank you letter won’t help you get the job. If you felt the interview went badly or if they indicated you were not successful in your interview a follow up email / letter will not be necessary.
There are often a lot of applicants applying to the same job. When there are other applicants that are equally qualified for the role an appreciative note could be an extremely helpful differentiator for you and could be a difference maker to you helping you secure the position.
In conclusion, you should write thank you letters / emails to employers if you felt the meeting went well. Please do not write expecting that it will get you the job although it could help you. Your focus should always be preparing well for a quality interview performance.
