We stopped asking for cover letters
Cover letters told us who was good at writing cover letters. Two questions told us much more.
For years we asked every candidate for a cover letter. We read them all. Very few of them changed what we decided.
What we ask instead
Every role now has two short questions written by the hiring manager, about the real work. For an engineer it might be what they would fix first in how teams book a trip. A few lines each is plenty.
What we noticed
Applications went up by a third, mostly from people who would never have written a letter. The answers were shorter, more honest and much easier to compare.
A small thing that matters
We read every application, and every person who applies hears back, even when the answer is no.
Keep reading
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