The web is getting riled up over interview etiquette.
On Tuesday, Alex Lieberman, an entrepreneur who cofounded Morning Brew, Tenex, and Storyarb, wrote on X that he’s “floored” that almost all of job candidates he interviews do not ship thank-you notes afterward.
“Again once I was interviewing for jobs, it was one of many greatest fake pas to not ship a thanks e-mail. Like on the spot disqualification,” he wrote.
Lieberman’s publish sparked a scorching debate on X, with some commenters describing the post-interview thank-you observe as “interviewing 101,” whereas others dubbed it pointless. As of publication time, the X publish has garnered almost 500 feedback.
‘Etiquette not exists’
Amongst those that weighed in was Matt Grimm, a cofounder of Anduril, who stated the thank-you card does not matter to him.
Others stated the thank-you observe continues to be important.
A number of commenters stated they felt sending a thank-you observe was as soon as thought of customary apply earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic.
However with extra interviews now happening remotely, the normal cues of in-person interactions and extra formal processes might have grow to be much less ingrained, they stated.
“May simply be me however that was the turning level for humanity altering how we work together with others,” one particular person wrote, referencing the pandemic because the turning level.
It could even be a hangover from the Great Resignation, a interval after the pandemic when expertise was in excessive demand and labor shortages meant that energy shifted to staff. Job seekers had the higher hand at that time and probably felt much less strain to stick to conventional etiquette.
This era of intense labor demand finally gave method to the Big Stay and the Great Frustration, the place the ability dynamic has shifted again to employers because the job market tightens. Job seekers now discuss being ghosted by employers through the interview course of.
The hiring course of has grow to be much less and fewer private and extremely bureaucratic and robotic. And it is a quantity factor. Individuals are making use of to and interviewing with dozens of firms. The method is time- and soul-consuming for many. They are not fascinated by folks or etiquette,…
— Tina Sindwani (@tinasindwani) December 31, 2025
“Communication norms go each methods. Etiquette not exists,” one commenter wrote.
Austin Hughes, cofounder and CEO of Software program firm Unify, wrote on X {that a} thank-you observe “most likely looks like sending a message into the void” within the present job market.
“But it surely 100% nonetheless stands out each single time somebody does it and needs to be primary etiquette,” he stated.
Nonetheless, some posters on X merely do not see the worth in a thank-you observe no matter the place the ability lies.
“I by no means did it as a result of it felt faux. You want an worker, I would like a job, who’re we kidding right here,” one wrote.
