For many companies, the cover letter is still considered an important part of an application. However, a cover letter often demands a lot from applicants. After all, it’s important that it is individual, convincingly presents your motivation and highlights your personal suitability as best as possible. Recruiters often read the same clichés and phrases. Moreover, especially young talents increasingly see the cover letter as an unnecessary hurdle and might not apply at all if one is requested. These potential candidates prefer companies that, for example, only ask for a CV. So the question is: Isn't a cover letter today just a discouraging request without added value?
Does a cover letter really help in the selection process?
Depending on the industry and the position, there are good reasons in favour of a cover letter. It allows recruiters to evaluate your written communication skills – which can be extremely important in areas like PR, marketing or customer service. Still, it’s worth taking a closer look:
Does a cover letter really provide information about essential skills or your cultural fit? Is it decisive for or against your application? Does it really reveal more than the CV?
Does such a requirement promote or hinder diversity in the company? Especially in the war for talents, it seems unwise to maintain barriers that deter potential employees. Instead, companies should realise that you, as an applicant, now choose your employer – not the other way around.
Survey – Cover letter: Yes or no?
In autumn 2023, we conducted a survey over two weeks and wanted to know from you: Is a cover letter still necessary or not? Now the results are in and we’d like to share them with you. The survey achieved broad participation with 563 respondents – and here are the insightful results:
- 49% of respondents believe that cover letters are still an important part of the application process.
- 51% of respondents believe that cover letters are no longer necessary.
This balance shows how controversial and current the topic of cover letters is in the recruiting world – and how much it can influence discussions and decisions.
More applications without a cover letter
The logical consequence of these developments: Those who forgo the unpopular cover letter increase their chances of receiving applications.
Often, a well-written CV is enough – it also provides information about your work experience, skills and qualifications. Just without clichés and in a much clearer format. Whether you personally fit the company and which values you represent is revealed in the interview anyway.
And if you voluntarily submit a cover letter, this can even give you an advantage – for example, to show your motivation or to stand out from the rest.
This is where Refline’s e-recruiting solution comes into play. The application form is highly flexible – depending on the job, a cover letter may be required or not. You can also easily answer specific questions relevant to the role. Particularly popular, especially with young talents: so-called one-click applications. Fast, mobile-friendly – and significantly less effort than a custom-written cover letter for each role.
Speaking of less effort: With our e-recruiting software, you save up to 70% of administrative work. At the same time, you make a strong impression on applicants – with automated interview invitations, personalised rejections and transparent status updates. Other features such as an integrated talent pool or the easy creation of job ads ensure even more recruiting success. Try the live demo now or contact us for a non-binding consultation. We look forward to hearing from you!