A gentleman on LinkedIn wrote a post complaining about long interview processes and wasting time writing useless cover letters. It was easy to tell this person was struggling to find a job. I get it. I was jobless for nine months and homeless for two months when my former roommates kicked me out of the apartment for not helping them pay rent.
If you are a business owner and looking to hire, here are some things to think about regarding the cover letter.
As a hiring manager myself, I always want the cover letter. Now, looking back when I was applying for job opportunities, I saw them as a waste of time as the gentleman in the post mentioned.
The reason a hiring manager wants the cover letter is to learn more about the candidate that is not available in the resume or CV.
Think of this analogy when hiring a person for a role in your organization. I want to buy a refrigerator, and I'm looking for one that fits all of my needs. Similar to how you want to find a candidate that fits the role you need in your business.
Now, I know I don't want a microwave, dish washer, or oven. I know I want a refrigerator and so filtering do that one appliance is easy. Just like job boards gives you the ability to filter candidates.
The resume is like reading the technical specifications of the appliance.
What are the dimensions?
Side freezer or bottom freezer
Water and ice maker
and more
All this is important, but most people don't make decisions based on just the technical specifications.
They want the reviews of other people who also bought the refrigerator.
Now, you might be thinking that's what references are for. All true. But from the candidate's perspective, they have the cover letter.
In the cover letter, this is the opportunity to tell a hiring manager:
Why have other companies hired them?
What dream or career path do they want?
How they can help your company grow.
And personal ambitions and goals to look beyond the role.
You won't find that information in the resume. Yes, the executive summary might have it, but a cover letter provides a deeper insight into the candidate you are going to interview.
If you are working with a staffing or recruitment company, make sure to tell them that a cover letter is required. It doesn't have to be a well-published article, but it does need to provide some of the information mentioned above.
I hope this helps you understand the one thing that can completely change how you hire people going forward.
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