Post Interview Note dilemma, who to send thank you note to?

February 14, 2009 8:22 AM

Post Interview Note dilemma: Second interview, two people interviewed me, but I only got the first name of one of them. What's next?

I interviewed with two people. One gave me their business card, the other just told me his first name. I'd like to send thank you notes to both, but aside from only getting the first name, its also a name that could be spelled different ways. I tried the company's automated phone directory for the company with the variants of spelling his name, and did get a single match, but I'm not sure if its the right person, or the spelling of the last name.

Any personal follow up at: [e-mail]

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (7 answers total)

Was there someone who arranged the interviews for you? A person in HR perhaps? Usually you'd call them and say "I'd like to send a thank you note to my two interviewers. Before I do, I'd like to ensure I have their names correct...."
posted by vacapinta at 8:30 AM on February 14, 2009

Yeah, just call reception even. "There was a gentleman, Bob, who interviewed me on friday .... can you tell me his full name?"
posted by jamesonandwater at 8:52 AM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]

Company website for staff biogs? Many companies enjoy putting all of their staff names online to make them look big, important and successful.
posted by merocet at 9:03 AM on February 14, 2009

Receptionist. I did this exactly last time I had a job interview. I just called and said "Hi, I spoke with a woman named Susan in the blah-blah department in the Chicago office today. Could I get the spelling on her last name?" I got the job, although I'm not sure how much of a direct result that was to having the correct name.
posted by Meg_Murry at 12:34 PM on February 14, 2009

Call HR or the receptionist and, if possible, confirm it on Facebook or LinkedIn, which usually have pictures. I had to do this just last week.
posted by 8dot3 at 12:08 PM on February 15, 2009

Don't. Especially if it is professional role.

Follow up notes are naff and very 'brown nosey'. I have only had one instance where someone sent a follow up note, we went with the other guy for this reason.
posted by lamby at 5:12 AM on February 16, 2009

I would completely disagree with lamby. It may be that they are "naff" in the UK, but in the US they are standard. Frankly I have a hard time believing someone would actually make a business decision against hiring someone because they sent a followup note (unless it was written really poorly in a brown-nosey fashion, I guess); it seems like a pretty foolish reason not to hire someone.

In the US, on the other hand, sending a followup keeps you in the minds of your interviews (particularly if your followup e-mails are substantive rather than just "Thanks for interviewing me ps I am awesome"). To avoid sending a followup would often count against you for a job.

That being said, I would send a follow e-mail rather than a thank you letter. And since you only have one interviewer's e-mail, I would just send it to that person thanking both of the interviewers.
posted by Deathalicious at 8:04 PM on February 16, 2009