Thank you email after Zoom screener interview

[guest101]

I always send a thank you after a Zoom screener interview. I usually only send it to the search chairs, but want to see what other people do (i.e., if they email everyone on the committee).

Sometimes they respond (e.g., "nice to meet you, too"), sometimes they don't. I'm trying not to read too much into that...

[Don’t sweat it]

It’s a minor social courtesy that won’t affect your candidacy in any way. And these notes often don’t warrant a response. Some SC members will think it is over the top, and they won’t feel comfortable opening the door for further conversations.

One of my colleagues once told me that a SC chair can always respond with “I am so glad we had a chance to meet you” with complete sincerity to any candidate whether she liked them or not.

[Don’t sweat it]

Just to clarify: I think that sending a note to the SC chair is fine, especially if that is who you have been dealing with re logistics for setting up the interview. Initiating an email from scratch with a SC member is more awkward. Expressing appreciation for the labor required to manage the search is different from saying “thank you for asking me questions and listening to my responses.”

Tip: you can thank the chair and use the opportunity to clarify something minor about the search process or their next steps or the timeline. Give them a reason to respond without coming across as too needy or flighty, i.e., don’t ask them about something they already told you. Keep it light and professional.

[Gaga’s dress]

This cycle I have had two first-round interviews in which I sent a thank you email to the co-chairs of one of the search and forgot to send one to another. I think I did well on both the interviews. I got a full on-campus interview invite from one that I did not send a thank you email and rejected from the one that I sent a thank you email. As others have mentioned, it's more of a social courtesy and won't be part of their consideration to make a decision.