What we found
- Half of hiring managers will bin any application that arrives without a cover letter.
- Recruiters, talent acquisition and HR couldn't agree, and each side was very adamant about what should be done.
- A cover letter is the cheapest way to filter hundreds of applicants.
- Keep it to half a page, and check the company name and file name twice before you hit send.
Cover letter?
Nobody in hiring can agree on cover letters.
When we put that question to the community, there was a line down the middle.
Recruiters, talent acquisition and HR couldn't agree and each side was very adamant about what should be done.
They're probably not being read.
A cover letter is the cheapest way to filter hundreds of applicants.
What's really being checked is whether you read the advert and have basic attention to detail.
Someone who skips the one instruction in the ad probably skips other things.
The real problem is AI.
When every letter comes out of the same model, a bias will be formed against anything that smells AI-generated.
There's only so much personalising AI can do without providing some substance behind what makes you different.
Say something your resume can't.
Keep your cover letter to half a page, and check the company name and file name twice before you hit send.
No point putting in all that extra effort if you're not going to follow through.
Source: The Aussie Corporate community poll, data as at September 2026. Spotted an error? Correct something.
