Are cover letters really necessary? Hiring professionals have differing opinions

“I’m a hiring manager at a local company looking to fill several positions. I’ve noticed that about two-thirds of our applicants don’t send cover letters while about a third do.  While I  feel a little guilty about it,  I have to say I pretty much discard the cover letters I do receive. The resume tells me everything I need to know to make that first sort of the applicant pile. I can’t be the only manager who feels this way. Should I be changing my advertising to say “no cover letters” so people don’t waste their time?

Cover letters are one of the most hotly debated components of job search today. Once an assumed part of the application process, cover letters traditionally provided an opportunity for candidates to explain exactly what they bring to the table and make the case for why a prospective employer should hire them.

But as more recruiters rely on platforms like LinkedIn to source candidates and applications are reviewed by computer algorithms, many recruiters believe that cover letters are becoming obsolete and say they don’t read them.

“I’ve never understood why job candidates need to write a cover letter,” writes job search coach Lynda Spiegel in a piece for MSNBC. “I periodically survey recruiters and human resources professionals in my LinkedIn network and every time I’ve asked about cover letters, 75 percent of those who respond say they never read them.”

In addition, many HR professionals admit that cover letters don’t affect their decision to interview candidates. And those who do read cover letters feel that they offer insight into the candidate’s ability to write, but that idea is not always based on reality, she says, as many job-seekers use pre-written cover letter templates or even get help from a resume writer.

Results of a 2021 survey by iHire.com were a little more supportive of cover letters. Some 65 percent of employers surveyed believed that cover letters are important in the hiring process in some way, with only 18.9 percent saying they are “very important” and 14.7 percent saying they are important for higher level positions.

Likewise, results of a survey of 200 hiring managers by the career advice website ResumeLab indicated that 83 percent believe that cover letters are important in hiring decisions, especially for those changing careers and nearly three-fourths expected applicants to submit cover letters even if they weren’t specifically asking for them.

But here’s where there’s a disconnect between recruiters and job-seekers – only 38 percent of candidates actually attach cover letters to their job applications even when they have been requested. Many job seekers complain that cover letters are simply too time-consuming, producing no reward for the effort, noted a Wall Street Journal article in March with the headline “The Hot Job Market is Killing Cover Letters.”

Given the debate over cover letters today, it’s okay to admit that you, like so many hiring managers, don’t actually read them, says Eric Derby, senior technical recruiter at Foundry, a Digital Currency Group company in Rochester.

“If you get everything you need from the resume then there is no need to feel guilty about not reading the cover letter,” he says. “If you really feel bad about it, then you can ask HR to remove the ability to attach a cover letter for your positions. Most ATS packages can handle that. “

Derby, a veteran recruiter and author of a 2021 book, “Recruiter Secrets: Insider Tips for Your Job Search,” initially stated in his book that most recruiters don’t read cover letters. “Most will go straight to the resume. I know some recruiters who read cover letters. It is not common but there are some.”

But in an interview, he said that he is making changes in the cover letter section of the book, noting that he actually reads them now because of the industry he’s in.

“Now, working as a recruiter in a crypto company, I often read cover letters. The reason is that many people do interesting crypto work at home, and never put it on their resume because it is not work related. The place where I learn about what candidates have done with crypto is the cover letter.”

So, the point is that if they’re going to do cover letters, candidates need to say something different in the cover letter than what is on the resume. “This is especially true if the candidate is applying for a position in which the skill set is not on the resume.”

If candidates are going to do cover letters, they should do them right, Derby says, noting that recruiters often don’t like them because they are often “too long, too wordy and unclear.”

“A good cover letter is short and concise. Equally important, it sells. “

Though there are many templates on the market, Derby suggests thinking of cover letters as a three-paragraph document with each paragraph containing about two sentences. “It should be a quick and easy read. Do not repeat what is on the resume.”

The cover letter should include how the job candidate heard about the job, mention contacts at the company and detail why they are interested in the job, Derby says. It should also include something that makes the candidate uniquely qualified for the role and how they can excel at the job. “Or include other things that you think might trigger the reader’s interest that may be specific to the profession. But at most three brief paragraphs.”

And the candidate should conclude by expressing appreciation and providing a date for follow-up, he says. One way or the other, candidates should tailor the cover letter to the opportunity as much as possible. If it all possible, the cover letter should be addressed to a specific person, ideally a hiring manager or HR representative, he says.

Indeed, the iHire survey data confirmed that, saying 77.3 percent of employers want candidates to customize their cover letters for the specific position.

Derby also suggests an alternative type of cover letter called a T chart, which is a table with two columns. On side lists the qualifications detailed in the job description while the other is a description of how the candidate meets those qualifications. “These are most effective when it may not be clear from your resume that you are qualified for the position. Again, you are not duplicating what is on the resume, but adding clarification.”

Managers at Work is a monthly column exploring the issues and challenges facing managers. Contact Kathleen Driscoll with questions or comments by email at [email protected].