Do Cover Letters Still Matter? What Hiring Managers Say in 2025
"Nobody reads cover letters anymore." You've heard it. You've probably said it. But is it true?
What the Data Says
Surveys consistently show that 40-60% of hiring managers say they read cover letters "sometimes" or "always." But that number is misleading — it depends heavily on the role, company size, and industry.
Here's what actually matters:
Startups and small companies: Cover letters matter more. The hiring manager is often the founder or team lead. They're reading applications directly, and a good cover letter stands out in a stack of 50 resumes.
Enterprise and large companies: Cover letters matter less for initial screening (ATS does the filtering), but matter more in the final rounds when a human is comparing similar candidates.
Creative and communication roles: Almost always read. If you're applying for a writing, marketing, or design role, the cover letter IS the writing sample.
Engineering roles: Mixed. Some hiring managers skip them entirely. Others use them as a tiebreaker between technically similar candidates.
The Real Question
"Do cover letters matter?" is the wrong question. The right question is: "Does this specific cover letter help me?"
A generic template letter doesn't help anyone. It wastes the hiring manager's time and adds nothing to your application.
A specific, well-written letter that shows you understand the role and the company? That's a competitive advantage, regardless of industry.
The Cost-Benefit Calculation
The old argument against cover letters: "It takes 30-45 minutes to write one, and half of hiring managers don't read them."
The new calculation with AI: "It takes 30 seconds to generate a tailored letter. Even if only 40% of hiring managers read it, the expected value is positive."
When the cost drops to near-zero, the debate is over. Write the letter.
What Hiring Managers Actually Look For
When they do read cover letters, here's what matters:
Notice what's NOT on the list: formal language, specific format, "Dear Hiring Manager" vs. "Dear Team." Nobody cares about formatting. They care about signal.
The Bottom Line
Cover letters matter when they're good. Bad cover letters are worse than no cover letter. The bar isn't "write something" — it's "write something worth reading."
With AI tools that match your resume to the job description and generate tailored content in seconds, there's no reason not to include one. The downside is minimal. The upside is a hiring manager thinking, "This person gets it."