There’s no question that résumés remain critical pieces of the recruiting process. It’s arguable that they’ve become even more relevant in recent years, thanks to applicant tracking systems that parse their text to accelerate candidate screening. But what about cover letters? In the age of online recruiting, “text speak,” and short attention spans, do these documents still matter to hiring professionals?
To find out, iHire surveyed 603 U.S. hiring managers and recruiters from 56 different industries, asking “How important are cover letters in your hiring process?” The survey results showed that 65.3% of respondents believe cover letters are important in some capacity; 50.6% said they are either “very important” or “important”; and 14.7% said cover letters are “more important for higher-level positions.”
