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The Ultimate Cover Letter Guide for Employers




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How To Use Cover Letters To Shortlist Candidates


Discover the ultimate cover letter guide for employers! Learn how to quickly identify top talent, streamline your remote hiring process, + more!



With remote job postings on We Work Remotely attracting thousands of applicants, it’s not uncommon for hiring teams to feel like they’re drowning in a tsunami of resumes and ATS notifications.

But there’s an often-overlooked document that can be your golden ticket for more effective candidate screening and talent acquisition: the cover letter.

This treasure map contains clues about whether someone is actually the right fit for your team. The trick? Learning how to decode cover letters like a pro.

So in this cover letter guide for employers, we’ll explore what to look for in a cover letter, red flags to avoid, and how to improve your cover letter screening process.

👉 Want more talent sourcing and hiring tips? Our guide on How To Hire Remotely in 2024 To Win Top Talent for Your Teamhas you covered!

🤔 How To Review Cover Letters + Why It Matters

We see a handful of organizations with optional cover letter policies in their job ads, and that’s a huge mistake.

Cover letters go beyond the bullet points of a resume and provide insights into an applicant's personality, communication skills, and enthusiasm for the role.

They’re a job seeker’s personal sales pitch, but they’re an employer’s first step in candidate evaluation (after the ATS, of course). And that’s where the magic happens.

Improving cover letter review efficiency empowers your hiring team to:


Ultimately, the sooner you fill open positions at your company, the more time and money you’ll save. So, let’s discuss how to use cover letters to shortlist candidates and meet your hiring goals.

🕵️ Crack the Code: The Employer’s Guide To Cover Letters

Follow these tips to decode cover letters efficiently and effectively and glean actionable insights:

📄 Scan for Structure and Format

A well-structured cover letter is a fantastic sign. So when your team is screening cover letters, check for:

  • Proper Formatting. Is the letter professionally formatted? This shows they’re serious about the role, follow best practices, and care about making a good impression.

  • Length. Is it concise (around one page) but comprehensive? Overly long letters can indicate a lack of focus.

  • Organization. Is the cover letter easy to follow? Does it have a clear beginning, middle, and end? Clarity goes a long way for quick candidate assessments.

  • Clear Next Steps. A strong closing statement leaves a lasting impression. It also shows that a candidate has confidence and initiative — two cover letter green flags.


If they pass this visual cover letter evaluation criteria, you can move into analyzing the specifics in the body.

🎯 Consider the Custom Fit

A generic cover letter is an automatic Please, no. Effective cover letters are highly personalized and tailored for each role.

This means your cover letter analysis should uncover:

Specifics About Your Company. Candidates who’ve done their homework and mention specific projects, values, or recent news are likely more interested and motivated. This shows they’ve taken the time to understand your organization.

Role-Specific Details. Are they addressing the key responsibilities of the job? Tailored letters indicate genuine interest, understanding, and effort.

💪 Focus On Skill Assessment

Identifying strong candidates through cover letters ensures you find the perfect fit for your remote team’s needs without wasting time.

After all, resumes are like highlight reels — they show you the best bits. Cover letters are the commentary, explaining how candidates used those skills to achieve greatness.

These clues may prove an applicant has what it takes:

Relevant Keywords. Candidates who use similar language and keywords from your job posting are more likely to be in tune with the role and your needs and expectations.

Unique Selling Points. Identify what makes each candidate stand out. Do they bring a specific skill, experience, or perspective that adds value to your team?


Skill-Specific Examples. Don't just settle for generic statements like “I'm a team player.” Pay attention to how they describe their skills. 

Do they provide concrete, real-world examples? Share results and accomplishments? That’s what you want!

For example, “I led a team of five to increase sales by 20% through a targeted email campaign.”

Action Words. Strong action words like “spearheaded,” “developed,” “achieved,” and “optimized” indicate a proactive applicant who has a track record of making things happen. They’ll likely hit the ground running.

Problem-Solving Prowess. A stellar cover letter will show how the candidate has tackled challenges similar to those in the job description. They're not just listing skills; they're explaining how they've used them to win.

While skills are a mandatory part of cover letter assessment, sleuthing out immediate culture fits is critical for hiring process improvement.

🫶 Perform a Culture Fit Check


Hiring someone who doesn't fit can be a major headache for everyone. 

On the other hand, a strong culture fit is like finding your perfect Netflix binge partner — someone who immediately vibes with your company's energy and interests.

These are signs you’ve found your future MVP:

Value Alignment. Do their values align with yours? Look for keywords and phrases that match your company's mission and vision.

Tone, Voice, and Personality Matches. Cover letters reveal a candidate's personality and communication style. So, are they funny and casual, serious and formal, or somewhere in between?

Look for someone who can hold their own in your team's Slack channel and vibe with the team’s personality.


Enthusiasm. What makes them genuinely excited about the opportunity? It should be something about your company, mission, values, etc., that will spark joy for the long haul.

Passion Projects. People who are passionate about their individual projects are usually passionate about their work. So look for clues about their hobbies, interests, and volunteer activities for a glimpse into what excites them.

Bonus points if their passions align with your company.


💬 Check Out Their Communication Skills

Your cover letter assessment criteria must strongly focus on communication skills. Remote work hinges on clear communication, even if writing isn't directly related to the job.

A well-written cover letter shows a candidate can communicate clearly and contribute effectively. Here’s what every well-crafted cover letter has in common:

Impeccable Grammar and Spelling. Is it well-written and free of errors? This shows attention to detail and strong writing skills.

Clarity and Creativity. Candidates should creatively share their stories, effectively get their points across, and sound engaging and enthusiastic.

So, does it seem like they genuinely want to begin a conversation, or are they just going through the motions? Prioritize the former; ditch the latter.

🚩 Cover Letter Red Flags for Employers

An effective cover letter evaluation for employers involves identifying both strengths and warning signs. So keep an eye out for these potential deal-breakers:

🚫 Zero Connection to the Role/Company

If they use the same cover letter for multiple applications or make generic statements about skills and experience, they’re probably not genuinely interested or qualified.

🌀 Overuse of Jargon or Buzzwords and Obvious Lies

Heavy reliance on trendy phrases without substantial content can suggest a lack of genuine understanding or depth. Don't waste your time on “fake it 'til you make it” candidates.


Not getting enough qualified candidates for your roles? Learn how to get applicants to apply for a job the right way.

🙄 Negativity

Complaining about previous employers or focusing on negative experiences may signal a potentially problematic employee.

💥 Ego Overload

We all love confidence, but statements that come off as bragging without humility or acknowledgment of teamwork can indicate someone who’s not a team player or has difficulty receiving feedback.

🙌 The Ultimate Cover Letter Cheat Sheet for Employers

A well-crafted cover letter can be a powerful indicator of a strong hire. So, take the time to read them carefully, and you’ll find your next superstar employee sooner than later. 

Here are our favorite cover letter tips for employers to speed up the review process and track job applications effectively:

⏲️ Implement a Two-Minute Rule 

Give each cover letter that passes through your applicant tracking system (ATS) a two-minute scan to determine if it warrants further attention. 

This initial pass helps you weed out less relevant applications and sort promising candidates ASAP.

✅ Develop a Cover Letter Checklist

Draft a checklist of the role’s must-have qualities and skills to stay focused and instantly filter candidates who don’t meet the criteria we discussed in this guide. 

When you know what you're looking for, you'll immediately recognize those who don't quite meet your expectations.

📊 Create a Cover Letter Evaluation Rubric

Develop a scoring system to objectively evaluate cover letters quickly and consistently across your team. 

To do this, use your cover letter checklist of priorities, then rate each letter on a scale of 1 to 5 based on criteria like relevance, enthusiasm, communication skills, cultural fit, etc. 

You’ll easily identify and rank your top candidates in one go.

🤝 Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Involve your hiring team and department team leaders in the review process and get everyone on the same page with your cover letter rubric. Different perspectives usually uncover hidden gems and reduce bias in the hiring process.

📹 Consider Video Cover Letters! 

Many remote companies allow candidates to submit video cover letters. 


This allows your team to immediately gauge a candidate’s communication style, enthusiasm, vibe, and culture fit in a more personalized, dynamic way.

🎉 Keep It Fun and Engaging 

Make the review process enjoyable. Set up a system where team members can share standout cover letters and celebrate finding potential star candidates.

Remember, the goal is to find the best people for your team, not just fill a seat. By analyzing cover letters, you can identify top talent faster, build a stronger team, and boost your remote hiring metrics (+ ROI). 

🚀 Conquer Remote Hiring with We Work Remotely!

A strong cover letter can be the difference between a good candidate and the right one, so don’t put them on the back burner.

By mastering the art of decoding cover letters, you can significantly speed up and streamline your hiring process and recruit for retention.

Now go forth and conquer that application pile — your next top performer is just a cover letter away!

🚀 Ready topost your job on We Work Remotely and connect with top talent? We’re the number one destination to list incredible remote jobs that get noticed around the globe.

👩‍💻 Create your free Employer Account now to manage all your job listings from the same place and make your company stand out.


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