Interview etiquette

I have an interview on Thursday (yay!) and I'm wondering if it is common practice after the fact to send a short thank you note? I've always done that for jobs in the US. The problem with this is that I have been communicating with the HR person but will be interviewed by potential colleagues. I only have the HR person's email, and a preliminary search doesn't bring up any emails for the people who would be interviewing me. I don't want to search too hard - since I feel it might send the wrong impression. Would it be appropriate to email the HR person my thank you and ask that my message be passed on to the interviewers? Or is there another option that I'm not thinking of?

I think you've got the right idea with asking the HR person to pass on your thanks. 

I know it's conventional wisdom that you should send a thank you note, but I never do, and I've never received one as an interviewer and never cared.  It would be different if I was looking for permanent roles in a niche industry.  I'm not, I'm a consultant having a meeting with a potential client and the  tech world is big enough that I'll never see them again. 

That's my two cents worth, good luck in the interview.  Don't forget that if, at the end you want the job, tell them straight out and make it clear.  Maybe even ask them if they've got any reasons they wouldn't give you the job so you can address them.  A British person would never do this and they are impressed when you do. 

Good luck!

A British person would never do this and they are impressed when you do. 

Uh, yes we do, or at least, we request feedback after the fact.

It's becoming much more common in the UK to request feedback now and companies often encourage it.

I've always requested feedback from unsuccessful interviews, as have my brothers too... and we're all British.



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Huh, I wrote a whole reply and then must have accidentally deleted it when I quoted jimbocz.

It was:

Personally, as a Brit, I wouldn't send a thank you note after an interview - It's not something I've heard of anyone doing before.

I would normally play it where I thank them at the end of the interview, then wait for a response from them regarding the outcome of the interview.

Once I knew if I'd got the job or not, I would then either thank them in my job acceptance letter/email, or I would request feedback from the interview and thank them within that letter/email.


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I always sent a thank you email after an interview in the US, reiterating why I was right for the job and addressing anything that I thought maybe I didn't do as clearly in the interview as I would have liked.  Not long, but I did do it.

In the UK, I've only worked with recruiters so I leave them to do the feedback bit and let them know if I'm interested and want them to reiterate my fit for the role.  Which has worked well.

If you are not working with a recruiter and are communicating directly with HR, I do think that a short note afterwards to HR (or the hiring manager, it's likely they'll give you their business card) is appropriate.  However, it's not expected.

ksand, I think what Jimbo means is during the interview "asking for the job."  I always do this (if it's a job I've determined I want).  It's basically saying at the end of the interview, "Have I told you enough to convince you I'm a good fit for this role?"  "Will you be recommending that I advance to the next stage?"  It is rather bold, but I've always done it in a polite, honest way.  It gives you the opportunity to address any concerns the interviewer may have right there.  And I also think it shows people that I have balls.   

But for Moogrit, it is VERY appropriate to ask for feedback after the interview from your HR contact or recruiter.  If you don't get the job, it'll give you a bit of insight you can use for your next opportunity.  Good luck!  Let us know how you get on. 

KFDancer got it, I was just talking about closing the deal at the interview.  Feedback is great, but a different thing.  I'm talking about looking them in the eye and saying "I'm really excited about this job and I think it would be a perfect fit for me.  What are your thoughts? "

Yeah, I realised that after I posted - that's what I get for replying quickly on my phone without double checking the wording


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No biggie, I do think you were right on with wether to send a note out at all

Thank you for the responses, you have given me something to think about! I was already planning to ask for feedback if the interview is unsuccessful, I feel like I could use all the help I can get because I've never applied in this market. Glad that it's common to do this.

Since I'm still in the US this interview will be over a web service, so I won't get the hiring manager's business card unfortunately. As for "asking for the job" I guess I'll see how the interview goes! I think that's a very bold move and I've never heard of anyone doing that. As of right now I'd be thrilled if they hired me, but of course I have to see how the conversation goes.

Another thing I have a question about is something I don't think anyone can answer. Prior to the interview I will be assigned a 30 minute task that the HR person can't tell me anything about. I'm guessing it could be some sort of verbal reasoning test, or it could be something that tests one of the skills I have. Anyone have any other guesses?

In my experience, it's pretty common to give all applicants a skills test just to be sure they've got some real knowledge.  I wouldn't expect it to be hard, but it might be.  It also could be completely unrelated to your skills, that has happened to me.  I once did a technical test for a client and
Must have left 4 pages blank on a 5 page test.   I thought the remainder of the interview was going to be pretty short and I would be shown the door, but I got the job.  Turned out they were so disorganised they just printed out anything that looked like code. 

Don't sweat it, just stay cool and relax. 

One other thing, if it is a skills test, don't tell any recruitment agents that may be involved what it's about.  They may have more than one candidate in the process and will surely turn around and tell the others so they can prepare.  He'll get paid if any of his candidates get hired.

Well the interview went well - very similar to how I've been interviewed in the US. I did end up sending a brief thank you note to the recruiter, since I felt weird not saying anything. I didn't end up getting the job, but this is good news, as I would have had to uproot my life a lot sooner than expected. I'm glad I had the experience - which is why I have begun applying to places at all, so hopefully the next interview I get will be a good fit.

Thanks for letting us know.  Good luck with the next one.

Sometimes you have a kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince.  Here's the hoping the next one is a perfect fit.   

I know I'm a bit late, but just wanted to reply re. the thank you note question.

In North America I always sent thank you notes after interviews, to anyone I met during the interview process (hiring manager, receptionist, et al). I did the same when I was finally allowed to work in the UK. The job I have now, I know the people involved with the interview were surprised to get thank you emails from me, as none of them had ever done or heard of this before. But I think that may have been to my advantage, as it made me stand out in a positive way.

In any case, I got the job and have been happily employed for almost 7 years :-D

Thanks! Your response was much appreciated - I think I will continue to send short notes since it feels kinda odd not to.