50+ Cover Letter Statistics for 2025 (Hiring Manager Survey)

Table of Contents

The explosion of people using ChatGPT to write cover letters suggests that nobody enjoys writing one. But do hiring managers even read them? And are they still important for landing interviews?

We surveyed 625 hiring managers across the U.S. in 2023 to uncover how cover letters impact interview decisions.

Paired with updated insights from 2025, these findings reveal what you need to know to craft a compelling cover letter.

Key Takeaways

83% of hiring managers read most cover letters, even at companies where they’re not required.
94% of hiring managers say cover letters influence interview decisions, with 1 in 4 calling them “very important.”
60% of companies require cover letters — rising to 72% of medium-sized and 69% of large businesses.
45% of hiring managers read a cover letter before the resume.
49% of hiring managers say a strong cover letter can secure an interview, while 18% say a weak one can sink an otherwise strong candidate.
72% of hiring managers expect a cover letter even when optional in job postings.
Hiring managers at large companies rely on cover letters to distinguish similar candidates, while smaller businesses use them to assess cultural fit.
41% of hiring managers say the introduction is the most impactful part of a cover letter.
Tailoring matters — 72% of hiring managers say customization is “important,” and medium-to-large companies are twice as likely to consider it “very important.”
Hiring managers prefer PDFs and recommend keeping cover letters around 400 words.

94% of hiring managers think cover letters are essential

The vast majority of hiring managers (94%) think cover letters are influential when deciding who to interview. Hiring managers from medium and large companies find cover letters especially important, with 34% reporting that they are “very important.”
According to our findings, 6 in 10 hiring managers (60%) require applicants to submit a cover letter. And if you’re applying to a medium to large company, the chances are even higher that you’ll need one.
Hiring managers definitely read cover letters — 83% of hiring managers read the majority of cover letters they receive. And even at companies that don’t require cover letters, 73% of hiring managers read them anyway.
Hiring managers do more than just skim your cover letter, with 60% spending up to two minutes or more reading cover letters. Plus, 45% of hiring managers actually read your cover letter before your resume — meaning that cover letters shouldn’t be an afterthought.

Larger companies receive a higher volume of applications for each open position, so they rely on cover letters to distinguish between candidates with similar qualifications. Cover letters help candidates highlight their unique skills, experiences, and motivations, which may not be obvious from their resumes

Why cover letters are still important in 2025 (18 statistics)

What should you do when a job posting asks for your resume, but doesn’t specify whether a cover letter is required? Is a cover letter really optional or will it be a strike against you if you don’t submit one? And when it’s required, do hiring managers really read them?

According to our survey:

68% say cover letters are “important” when deciding whether to invite an applicant for an interview — 1 in 4 say that cover letters are “very important.” By contrast, 6% of hiring managers believe a cover letter isn’t important.
Medium and large companies (100+ employees) are over twice as likely as small companies to rate a cover letter as very important (34% of medium and large companies vs. 15% of small businesses).

Do companies require cover letters?

Based on our survey findings:

60% of American companies require a cover letter.
Medium and large companies are more likely to require cover letters (72% and 69%, respectively) than small businesses (49%).
When it comes to tech companies, start-ups are more likely to require a cover letter.

According to a survey conducted by The Ladders in 2022:

65% of tech start-ups (1-200 employees) require a cover letter.
55% of medium-sized tech companies (501-1000 employees) require a cover letter.
48% of ‘tech giants’ (tech companies with 5000+ employees) require a cover letter.

Do hiring managers actually read the cover letters they receive?

Are cover letters truly being read by hiring managers? Here’s what we discovered:

Of the hiring managers Resume Genius surveyed:

83% “always” or “frequently” read cover letters — only 4% never or infrequently read cover letters.
45% read an applicant’s cover letter before their resume.
36% spend less than 30 seconds reading a cover letter.
48% spend between 30 seconds to 2 minutes reading a cover letter.
15% will spend upwards of 2 minutes on a cover letter.
Among companies that don’t require a cover letter, 73% “frequently” or “always” read them anyway.

Our survey findings are consistent with trends found in previous research:

78% of recruiters prefer applicants to submit a cover letter (GetCoverLetter, 2020).
87% of hiring managers read cover letters (ResumeGo, 2020).
59% of hiring managers believe a cover letter can provide valuable insight into an applicant — 38% read them out of habit or to be thorough (ResumeGo, 2020).
74% of hiring managers read cover letters when the job posting requires them (ResumeLab, 2019).
72% of hiring managers expect a cover letter — even if the job posting says doing so is “optional” (ResumeLab, 2019).

How a great cover letter can give you an edge (16 statistics)

By understanding what hiring managers want, you can write an effective cover letter.

According to our survey of U.S. hiring managers:

49% say a strong cover letter can convince them to interview an otherwise weak candidate.
18% say a weak cover letter can cause them to throw out the application of an otherwise strong candidate.
33% say a good letter can elevate a weak applicant, and a bad letter can hurt a strong applicant.

Our findings were consistent with previous surveys, which showed that 83% of hiring managers think a good cover letter can earn you an interview — even if your resume isn’t strong enough (ResumeLab, 2019).

Increase your chances of making a good impression by learning how to write a resume the right way and choosing the right resume format to strengthen your professional image.

What is the purpose of a cover letter?

Resume Genius asked hiring managers what they think are the main functions of a cover letter. Here’s what our survey findings show:

The Resume Genius survey results

Across companies of all sizes, hiring managers report that the top purpose of a cover letter is to provide additional information and context about why a person is applying for the position. This finding is especially true at large companies (1000+ employees).
At small companies (less than 100 employees), the top reason hiring managers read cover letters is to determine whether a candidate is a good fit for the position.
At medium-sized companies (101-1000 employees), hiring managers say the top purpose of a cover letter is for the applicant to show their personality.

Results from previous surveys

In 2019, ResumeLab asked 200 hiring managers about the purposes of a cover letter:

63% said explaining your motivation for joining a company is an important purpose of a cover letter.
50% said outlining your career objectives is an important purpose of a cover letter.
50% said explaining why you’re changing careers is an important purpose of a cover letter.
49% said explaining gaps in your employment is an important purpose of a cover letter.
47% said showcasing your achievements is an important purpose of a cover letter.

In 2020, GetCoverLetter surveyed 2,000 recruiters. Of the recruiters who prefer that applicants submit cover letters:

47% said they prefer cover letters because they show an applicant is motivated.
30% said they prefer cover letters because they provide additional information about an applicant.
23% said they prefer cover letters because they show an applicant’s personality.

How important is a cover letter for an internal position?

47% of those surveyed classified a cover letter for an internal position as fairly to very important, compared to 25% who classified it as not at all important or only slightly important.
Hiring managers from medium-sized companies (100-1000 employees) were more likely than those from small or large companies to report a cover letter as fairly or very important when hiring for an internal position (62% of hiring managers from medium-sized companies compared to 53% and 35% from large and small companies, respectively).

How to write an effective cover letter (13 statistics)

Now that you know how important it is to write a great cover letter, these 16 statistics will help you avoid common mistakes when it comes to customizing the content, formatting, length, and more.

Do I need to customize each cover letter to the job?

Is tailoring your cover letter necessary to moving to the next round in the hiring process? Hiring managers seem to think so.

According to our 2023 survey of U.S. hiring managers:

72% of hiring managers say customizing a cover letter is “important” or “very important.”
27% consider customizing a cover letter to be “very important,” compared to just 5% who consider it “not at all important.”
Medium and large companies (100+ employees) are about twice as likely as small companies to consider tailoring your cover letter as very important.
Customizing your listed skills to the job posting is the most important way to tailor your cover letter.

These findings were consistent with a 2020 survey by ResumeGo, which found that 78% of hiring managers say it’s easy to tell when an applicant has invested time into tailoring their cover letter.

How should I address and submit my cover letter?

The hiring managers we surveyed had interesting opinions on how they like to be addressed in a cover letter:

According to our survey:

Hiring managers consider addressing them by name in the salutation as the least important way to customize a cover letter.
“Dear Hiring Manager” is the most preferred generic salutation and “Dear [Job Title]” was the least preferred.

How long should my cover letter be?

Hiring managers prefer to receive cover letters as PDFs — receiving cover letters as paper documents in the mail is the least preferred format.
Among hiring managers who read cover letters, the average preferred length for a cover letter is 400 words.
Hiring managers who view cover letters as important tended to prefer longer cover letters.

What is the most important part of my cover letter?

Resume Genius surveyed hiring managers on their thoughts on what the most essential sections of a cover letter are. Our findings show:

In our survey:

41% of hiring managers say that the introduction of a cover letter leaves the biggest impression on them.
21% reported that the body paragraphs leave the biggest impression.
18% say the header containing the applicant’s contact information was the most important section.
Only 13% believe that the cover letter format left the biggest impression, and 6% say it was the closing remarks that impressed them most. However, it’s always important to ensure that these sections are error-free.

Conclusion

Overall, the hiring managers we surveyed agree that a persuasive cover letter can increase a weak applicant’s chances of getting an interview. Our survey also found that cover letters are just as important to hiring managers when hiring for internal positions. That means every kind of applicant — including career changers, first-time job seekers, and internal applicants — should submit a cover letter, even if it’s not required.

A compelling cover letter can be the key to setting yourself apart in a crowded applicant pool. To make the strongest impression, applicants should always tailor their cover letter by:

matching the skills in the job posting
mentioning the company’s goals
using the company’s name
addressing the hiring manager by name (when possible)

Hiring managers consider every part of your cover letter important, so ensure each section is carefully planned out. Aim for around 400 words and begin with an engaging introduction that captures attention immediately.

Finally, format matters: submit your cover letter as a PDF unless otherwise specified in the job posting. By customizing and presenting your cover letter effectively, you’ll significantly improve your chances of standing out and securing an interview.

Methodology

Resume Genius surveyed 625 U.S. hiring managers using Pollfish. The survey respondents identified “hiring manager” as their primary role or key job responsibility, and the group was 55% male and 45% female. Percentages from our survey were rounded to the nearest percentage point for simplicity, and all analysis was performed using R. For inquiries, please contact eduardo@resumegenius.com.

Sources

GetCoverLetter, “HR Statistics You Need to Know for 2024”
Ladders, “Do Cover Letters Still Matter? Here’s What Data Shows”
ResumeGo, “Cover letters: Just How Important Are They?”
ResumeLab, “Is a Cover Letter Necessary in 2025? Do I Need One?”

About Resume Genius

Since 2009, Resume Genius has combined innovative technology with leading industry expertise to simplify the job hunt for people of all backgrounds and levels of experience.

Resume Genius’s easy-to-use resume builder and wide range of free career resources, including resume templates, cover letter samples, and resume writing guides, help job seekers find fulfilling work and reach their career goals. Resume Genius is led by a team of dedicated career advisors and HR experts and has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, CNBC, and Business Insider.

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Eva Chan

Senior PR Expert & Certified Professional Resume Writer

Eva Chan is a Senior PR Expert and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) at Resume Genius. Born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Eva oversees research and data-led campaigns that reveal key trends in today’s workforce and represents the company in media interviews and press features. Eva graduated from the University of British Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a minor in Critical Studies in Sexuality. Eva's career advice has been recognized by leading media outlets including Harvard Business Review, CNBC, The Globe and Mail, Fast Company, Newsweek, and Entrepreneur. For any media-related queries, connect with her on LinkedIn or reach her at [eva] @ [resumegenius.com]. Please note that we don’t accept any guest posts.

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