Responses to Thank You Notes from Interviewers? Forum

[ReganSays]

Hello TLS Hive Mind!

I am just wondering if anyone has any insight on whether or not getting responses to thank you notes from callback interviewers (particularly partners, but associates too) is a good sign or if it is meaningless. If anyone has any anecdotal evidence or data, I would love to hear it!

Thanks!

[hoos89]

Hello TLS Hive Mind!

I am just wondering if anyone has any insight on whether or not getting responses to thank you notes from callback interviewers (particularly partners, but associates too) is a good sign or if it is meaningless. If anyone has any anecdotal evidence or data, I would love to hear it!

Thanks!

Unless the response includes "congrats on your offer" I'd say it's pretty meaningless. Stop reading tea leaves and start mass-mailing if you haven't already.

[wesker]

In my experience (ancedotal only), I’ve received an offer each time a partner or selecting official (fed gov) replied to my thank you note. I’ve also revieced offers when there was no response from my thank you note.

[hoos89]

In my experience (ancedotal only), I’ve received an offer each time a partner or selecting official (fed gov) replied to my thank you note. I’ve also revieced offers when there was no response from my thank you note.

To counter this: I've not received offers after receiving a reply from a partner. Some people are just polite.

[Anonymous User]

In my experience (ancedotal only), I’ve received an offer each time a partner or selecting official (fed gov) replied to my thank you note. I’ve also revieced offers when there was no response from my thank you note.

To counter this: I've not received offers after receiving a reply from a partner. Some people are just polite.

Agree with this point. I respond to thank you emails out of habit, but that has nothing to do with whether or not I recommended an offer (also - unless the interviewer is a respected partner that really pulls for you no single interviewer likely has the final say on whether an offer is coming). I know it is hard, but you need to try to avoid looking for signs one way or the other. The only sure sign that you will receive an offer is actually receiving one - you can't let up until that happens.

[Anonymous User]

In my experience (ancedotal only), I’ve received an offer each time a partner or selecting official (fed gov) replied to my thank you note. I’ve also revieced offers when there was no response from my thank you note.

To counter this: I've not received offers after receiving a reply from a partner. Some people are just polite.

Agree with this point. I respond to thank you emails out of habit, but that has nothing to do with whether or not I recommended an offer (also - unless the interviewer is a respected partner that really pulls for you no single interviewer likely has the final say on whether an offer is coming). I know it is hard, but you need to try to avoid looking for signs one way or the other. The only sure sign that you will receive an offer is actually receiving one - you can't let up until that happens.

What market are you in and are you at a V10/20/50/100?

[Anonymous User]

I always thought that a response to a thank you email was a good sign, especially from a partner, but this recruitment cycle I was rejected from a firm even though one of the partners I interviewed with responded to my email. There was no glaring issues with the callback that I noticed and have offers from some peer firms so I was a bit surprised/disappointed

[Anonymous User]

More or less meaningless and immaterial from my experience but always great to receive regardless

[objctnyrhnr]

Each time I’ve gotten favorable thank you note responses, I’ve gotten the offer. Each time i have not received a response to thank you note, I have not gotten offer. Anecdotal but there you go.

[Anonymous User]

this is such a dumb thread.

[Anonymous User]

for what it's worth whenever i interview someone, i give feedback within 5 minutes of them leaving my office, so unless you hastily pen me a thank you note and slip it under my door as soon as you close it, or text it to me from your next interview, it's not going to make a difference as it will be too late.

just don't bother (this is a NYC perspective, perhaps its different down south).

[Anonymous User]

for what it's worth whenever i interview someone, i give feedback within 5 minutes of them leaving my office, so unless you hastily pen me a thank you note and slip it under my door as soon as you close it, or text it to me from your next interview, it's not going to make a difference as it will be too late.

just don't bother (this is a NYC perspective, perhaps its different down south).

And if someone actually did either of those things to me I'd auto ding them for being a weirdo/try hard.

[melmarcar]

Hello TLS Hive Mind!

I am just wondering if anyone has any insight on whether or not getting responses to thank you notes from callback interviewers (particularly partners, but associates too) is a good sign or if it is meaningless. If anyone has any anecdotal evidence or data, I would love to hear it!

Thanks!

FWIW, I have a no-response policy for thank you notes from interviewees to avoid contributing to their inclination to read the tea leaves about what a response does or does not mean, like here. Though I am often tempted to respond to those candidates with whom I had a good rapport, I decided it was better to treat all interviewees consistently in this arena. Even if I loved an interviewee, I can’t unilaterally control whether they get an offer, and I’d rather not get their hopes up about it by playing favorites in my selective responses. Also, I figured a day would inevitably come when I’d be too swamped or simply forget to respond to an email from an interviewee I liked or that seemed promising, and I didn’t want that ever to be interpreted as a commentary on my opinion of them or the interview.

Having said that, when I was interviewing myself, I received callbacks and/or offers from all the firms where an interviewer responded to my thank you email. But I also received plenty of both from firms that were radio silent in that respect. In sum: it’s not dispositive either way.

[blurbz]

I try to respond to thank you notes from interviewees, particularly if I liked them, but my response or lack thereof is no indication one way or another of whether an offer is forthcoming.

[unsweetened]

totally meaningless.