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The importance of a Cover Letter: Myth or Reality
Estimated time: 3–5 minutes
I am researching how recruiters and hiring professionals use cover letters during the hiring process, including the growing use of AI to write them.
Which country are you working from?
*
How many employees work in the organization you are?
*
A
1 - 100
B
101 - 300
C
301 - 500
D
501 - 1000
E
more than 1000
About your experience
1. What best describes your role?
*
A
Recruiter / Talent Acquisition
B
Hiring Manager
C
HR Manager
D
Recruitment Agency / Headhunter
E
Founder / Business Owner
F
Other
2. Approximately how many candidates do you review for a typical open position?
*
A
Less than 20
B
20–50
C
51–100
D
101–250
E
More than 250
3. How many years have you been involved in hiring?
*
A
Less than 1 year
B
1–3 years
C
4–7 years
D
8–15 years
E
More than 15 years
Do you read cover letters?
4. When a candidate submits a cover letter, how often do you read it?
*
A
Almost always
B
Often
C
Sometimes
D
Rarely
E
Almost never
5. At what stage do you typically read a cover letter?
*
A
Before looking at the CV/resume
B
After looking at the CV/resume
C
Only when the candidate is already shortlisted
D
Only when something in the application requires clarification
E
It depends on the role
F
I generally don't read them
6. Approximately how much time do you spend reading a typical cover letter?
*
A
Less than 15 seconds
B
15–30 seconds
C
30–60 seconds
D
1–2 minutes
E
More than 2 minutes
F
It varies significantly
7. How important is a cover letter in your decision to move a candidate forward?
1 = Not important at all, 5 = Extremely important
*
1
2
3
4
5
8. Have you ever decided to interview or advance a candidate partly because of their cover letter?
*
A
Yes, frequently
B
Yes, occasionally
C
Rarely
D
Never
E
Not sure
9. Have you ever decided NOT to advance a candidate because of their cover letter?
*
A
Yes, frequently
B
Yes, occasionally
C
Rarely
D
Never
E
Not sure
What makes a cover letter worth reading?
10. What makes you continue reading a cover letter?
Select up to 5.
*
It is clearly tailored to the specific position
It demonstrates understanding of the company
It explains why the candidate wants the role
It highlights relevant experience
It provides information not obvious from the CV
It contains specific achievements or examples
It is concise
It has a strong opening
It shows personality
It demonstrates knowledge of the industry
It addresses a career change or employment gap
It explains something unusual in the application
Other
11. Which elements make a cover letter particularly convincing?
Optional open-ended question.
*
What makes you stop reading?
12. What would make you stop reading a cover letter?
Select all that apply.
*
It is too long
It is generic
It could have been sent to any company
It repeats the CV
The opening is boring or predictable
It contains obvious clichés
It focuses too much on what the candidate wants
It doesn't demonstrate knowledge of the company or role
It contains grammatical or spelling errors
It is overly formal
It sounds unnatural
It feels exaggerated or unrealistic
It contains too much irrelevant information
It appears to be AI-generated
It is poorly formatted
There is no clear reason why the candidate is a fit
Other
13. What is the biggest problem you see in cover letters?
*
14. What is the longest cover letter you would normally read before losing interest?
*
A
Less than 150 words
B
150–250 words
C
250–400 words
D
400–600 words
E
More than 600 words
F
Length doesn't matter if it is relevant
Cover letters and AI
15. Do you believe candidates increasingly use AI to write cover letters?
*
A
Definitely
B
Probably
C
Not sure
D
Probably not
E
Definitely not
16. How concerned are you about candidates using AI to write cover letters?
1 = Not concerned, 5 = Extremely concerned
*
1
2
3
4
5
17. Can you usually tell when a cover letter has been written or heavily assisted by AI?
*
A
Yes, very easily
B
Usually
C
Sometimes
D
Rarely
E
No
F
I'm not sure
18. What signals make you suspect that a cover letter was written by AI?
Select all that apply.
*
Generic language
Excessively polished language
Repetitive structure
Overuse of corporate/business terminology
Clichés
Unnatural enthusiasm
Lack of specific examples
Lack of personal voice
Unusually long or detailed explanations
Perfect grammar/spelling
The writing doesn't match the candidate's CV or other communication
Claims that sound exaggerated or vague
I use an AI-detection tool
Other
19. If you believe a candidate used AI to write a cover letter, how does that affect your perception of their application?
*
A
Very negatively
B
Somewhat negatively
C
It has little/no effect
D
Somewhat positively
E
Very positively
F
It depends on how AI was used
G
I don't consider AI use
20. Where do you draw the line with AI assistance?
*
A
I prefer candidates not to use AI at all
B
AI is acceptable for grammar/spelling
C
AI is acceptable for improving wording
D
AI is acceptable for structure and brainstorming
E
AI is acceptable for generating most/all of the letter
F
I don't have a preference
G
Other
What would make you want to read more?
21. Imagine you have 100 applications to review. What would make a cover letter stand out enough for you to read it carefully?
*
22. What is one thing candidates should stop doing in cover letters?
*
23. What is one thing candidates should do more often in cover letters?
*
24. In your opinion, are cover letters still useful in modern recruitment? Why or why not?
*
Submit