Thank-you Notes: Handwritten or Emailed?

Our recent blog post – Why You Will Never Get Hired At Our PR Firm, a lament on the lack of gratitude expressed by many in the job market – spawned a host of thoughtful replies from both employers and jobseekers alike.

One of the interesting questions that several job hunters asked was: Does it matter if a thank-you note is handwritten or emailed?

Great question. I do have a point of view on this, but before I share my thoughts, let me give you some feedback from others.

We asked our friends and clients at Salveson Stetson Group, a Philadelphia retained executive search firm that specializes in senior-level searches. I was particularly interested in hearing their thoughts, given that they spend every day interviewing and assessing candidates for corporate and non-profit clients who have hired them to fill leadership openings.

Founder and Principal Sally Stetson finds handwritten notes more memorable. “I receive so few handwritten notes that I actually read them and remember that they reconnected with me. I have also been impressed when someone sends a note on a unique, high quality note card.”

Sally’s partner at Salveson Stetson Group, John Touey, concurred: “I always read handwritten notes because I get them so rarely.”

But he had an interesting caveat: “I don’t think it would help if you were a techie or a social media type.”

Which brings us to an important point: The medium through which you communicate your thanks following an interview should be appropriate to the industry in which you are job-hunting. Don’t send a handwritten note on a flowery note card if you’re looking for a job in engineering.

When I asked others in our office which type of thank-you note registered the most strongly with them, the majority said handwritten.

But our office manager, who is usually the first to open those notes, offered this comment: “Many younger adults never learned the basics of handwriting; a mailed thank-you note probably doesn’t do you any favors if your handwriting is poor.” And for those who struggle with spelling, email provides the added reassurance of spell check.

I do a lot of interviewing (both formal and informational) of candidates hoping to secure a job in the public relations field. I may be the one holdout here, but I have a very slight bias toward emailed thank-you notes.

Why? The immediacy of the medium is very powerful. Whenever we leave a new business meeting, I try to have a thank-you note emailed to the prospect within 24 hours. I am similarly impressed when a candidate who has met with us follows up within a day or two, with an impressive thank-you note. She has been able to recreate the positive meeting – and remind me why I liked her so much – by capitalizing on the immediacy of email.

At the end of the day, though, it matters less which vehicle you use to send your thank-you note than it does that you thank your interviewer for meeting with you.

What do you think? Any thank-you notes or gestures that made an impression on you?