Further Questions: Can we talk about post-interview etiquette?

This week we asked people who hire librarians a question requested from a member of the Further Questions response panel:

Can you share your recommendations for post-interview etiquette in regards to thank you notes, follow ups via phone/email, providing additional information, etc.? Do you have examples, either from your own interview history or from candidates you have worked with, where conduct after the interview has influenced the hiring decision?

A thank you of some kind is great, considering how much time goes into setting up interviews even for paraprofessional positions. And sharing some further reason why you think you’re a good fit is probably a good idea as well. That’s it. In my experience, candidate behavior after the interview tends to confirm opinions formed during the interview process rather than change those opinions. However, I could imagine it making a bigger difference were things neck and neck between two candidates.

– Jessica Olin, Director of Parker Library, Wesley College

Usually for us, the decision to hire happens right after the interviews are concluded, so there’s not really enough time for a candidate to impress me with their post-interview etiquette ninja skills. I have received thank you notes, but the decision had already been made, so while I appreciated them, they didn’t influence me. My advice is to always make a good first impression because while thank you notes and follow-up phone calls or e-mails are all well and good, you’re going to score the most points during the interview, not after.

– Margaret M. Neill, Regional Library Branch Manager, Main Library, El Paso Public Library