Just trying to get some consensus about interview etiquette. I just had a phone interview with some guy. I would normally send a thank you email. However, I never got the guy’s email address - the call was arranged by their HR. So, my options appear to be:
Don’t send the thank you email.
Somehow internet stalk the guy and find his email address that way.
Ask their HR for the email address.
I am leaning towards option 1), so as not to appear like a stalker. What do you think?
It should be pretty obvious that you do not send the email, especially since you weren’t given his contact info.
I pick 2. Shows initiative.
I would do #3
Three people with three different opinions? Now you guys are just messing with me.
Simple. What would qqqbee do?
I would say look for it online. If it’s someplace obvious, then it’s not stalkerish to shoot an e-mail thank you. If you don’t find it there, you can ask the HR contact, “Hey would it be possible to get [interviewer]'s email address for the purpose of thank you note?” If they say no, then you’re fine. You’ve made two reasonable efforts to thank the guy and the company has made it so you can’t do it without sending a “To whom it may concern” e-mail to some generic e-mail address, which I’d say is over the top for a phone interview. You might even get lucky by asking the HR person for the e-mail address, he or she says no, but then mentions it later to your interviewer and you get a little bump in reputation. Not gonna get you hired, but couldn’t hurt.
He would try to contact the CEO of the company
I would go with option 1. If an interview has been set up via HR, this person won’t be expecting you to follow any kind of post interview follow up email etiquette. I follow the etiquette that if you’re given a business card during the interview or have their contact details through some other legitimate way, then send them an email. But if you don’t have their email because interview was through HR or whatever, then don’t bother. Personally, if I got an email from someone I interviewed who didn’t have my details, I would feel a little weird, like I’ve sortof been stalked a bit, and think this person is a little too keen (i.e. I might end up working with some annoying brown nosing psycho who’ll stop at nothing to climb the corporate ladder type of guy). This is just my opinion. Regardless of above. This person will not think poorly of you if you don’t send them an email given the fact that you don’t have it. So I would play it safe and leave it.
Yeah, so I just got invited for office interview, so I guess it’s a moot point now. This feels weird - I haven’t had a serious job interview since 2007. Thanks everybody for input.
I guess it’s moot now, but for future reference: try your options in the following order: #2. Look for the email. If you can find it, send it out. A thank you is not stalkerish. It’s just polite. #3. HR may or may not give you their email… at the very least, tell them to pass on your thanks to so-and-so. You can even write the email and then send to them with the “please forward to so-and-so”. You can send a paper thank you. Some people think this is overkill, but a very simple and brief note can go over well. #1. Well, it was only a phone call.