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Coffee Chats With Recruiters and Employees: How to Prepare, What to Ask, and How to Follow Up

How to make the most of a coffee chat or informational interview with a recruiter or employee: whether it's really informal (often it isn't), why people you know less well matter (a 20-million-user LinkedIn experiment), how to ask for one with message templates, how to prepare a short introduction, 25 questions to ask, what not to do, virtual chats, how and when to ask for a referral, and a follow-up email template.

By Amine Boukioud Updated 6 min read
The Huru mascot at a small round cafe table by a sunny window, holding a coffee cup and a notebook and listening to a professional across the table, with pastries and a plant on the table

The short answer: a coffee chat is a short, informal conversation (in person or on video) with a recruiter or someone who works where you’d like to work. It’s a chance to learn about the role, the team and the hiring process, and to be remembered well. Treat it as friendly but not casual: recruiters often share impressions with hiring managers. Prepare a 30-second introduction, three to five thoughtful questions you can’t answer from the website, keep to the agreed time, and send a short thank-you within a day. Ask for a referral only once you’ve built some rapport, and make it easy to say yes.

Is a coffee chat an interview?

Not officially, but often in practice. With a recruiter, a coffee chat can be an early screen: they’re checking your interest, communication and fit for open roles. With an employee, it’s closer to an informational interview, but a good impression can lead to a referral. Either way, be prepared, be yourself, and be the kind of person they’d want to recommend.

Why coffee chats work

Most of us hear about opportunities through people we don’t know well. In a large experiment reported by MIT in 2022, researchers analyzed about 20 million LinkedIn users over five years, who created around 2 billion new connections and accepted 600,000 new jobs identified through the site. They found that moderately weak ties were the most useful for getting new jobs: “Not the weakest, but slightly stronger than the weakest,” as co-author Sinan Aral put it, with usefulness peaking at around 10 mutual connections.

In practice, a friend of a friend, a former colleague’s teammate or an alumnus at your target company is often exactly the right person for a coffee chat.

How to ask for a coffee chat

Keep the message short, specific and easy to accept.

To an employee (LinkedIn or email):

Hi Priya, I’m a marketing analyst exploring product marketing roles, and I saw you moved from analytics into product marketing at Acme. Would you be open to a 20-minute call in the next couple of weeks? I’d love to hear how you made the switch and what the team looks for. Happy to work around your schedule.

To a recruiter:

Hi Sam, I’m a backend engineer with five years in payments, and I’m very interested in Acme’s platform team. If you have 15 minutes, I’d value a quick chat about the roles you’re hiring for and whether my background could be a fit.

Tips: mention something specific you have in common or admire, ask for a short, fixed amount of time, and follow up once after a week if there’s no reply. See how to reply to recruiter messages for more templates.

How to prepare

  1. Research the person and the company: their role and path, recent company news, open roles.
  2. Prepare a 30-second introduction: who you are, what you’re looking for, and why them. “I’m a data analyst with three years in retail, and I’m moving toward product analytics. I’m especially interested in how your team uses experimentation.” See how to answer “Tell me about yourself”.
  3. Choose three to five questions you genuinely want answered.
  4. Have your resume or portfolio ready to share if asked, and make sure your LinkedIn profile matches it. See building a professional online presence.
  5. Know your one ask, if you have one: advice, an introduction, or a referral.

25 questions to ask in a coffee chat

About their role and path

  1. How did you get into this role?
  2. What does a typical week look like for you?
  3. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve worked on recently?
  4. What surprised you most when you joined?
  5. What skills have mattered most in your role?

About the team and company

  1. How is the team organized, and who does it work with most?
  2. What are the team’s biggest priorities this year?
  3. How would you describe the culture, beyond what’s on the website?
  4. How are decisions made on your team?
  5. What kind of people tend to do well here?
  6. How has the team changed in the last year?

About the hiring process (especially with recruiters)

  1. What does the interview process look like for this role?
  2. What do strong candidates do differently?
  3. Which skills or experiences are hardest to find for this team?
  4. Is there anything in my background you’d want me to highlight or explain?
  5. What’s the timeline for current openings?

About growth and advice

  1. How do people grow here? What does promotion look like?
  2. What would you do differently if you were starting your career in this field now?
  3. What should I learn or do in the next six months to be a stronger candidate?
  4. Which resources, communities or events would you recommend?
  5. Is there anything you wish you’d known before joining?

To close

  1. Is there anyone else you’d suggest I talk to?
  2. May I stay in touch as I continue my search?
  3. Is there anything I can help you with?
  4. What’s the best way to follow up?

Avoid questions you could answer with a quick search, and leave salary and benefits for the recruiter process unless they raise it.

During the chat

  • Be on time and confirm how much time they have.
  • Let them talk: listen more than you speak, and ask follow-up questions.
  • Take brief notes (ask first if it’s in person).
  • Watch the clock and offer to wrap up when the time is up, even if it’s going well.
  • Be positive about current and past employers.

What not to do

  • Open with “Can you get me a job?” Build the relationship first.
  • Treat it as fully casual: stay professional in language and tone, even in a relaxed setting.
  • Run over time without checking.
  • Make it all about you: show curiosity about them and their work.
  • Forget to follow up.

Virtual coffee chats

Test your video and audio, sit somewhere quiet with good light, look at the camera, and keep a notes document open but out of view. Video chats tend to be shorter, so prioritize your questions. See our video interview tips.

How and when to ask for a referral

Ask near the end of a good conversation, or in your follow-up, and only for a specific role you’re qualified for:

Thanks so much for your time today. I’m planning to apply for the Senior Product Analyst role on your team. If you felt comfortable referring me, I’d be grateful, and I’m happy to send my resume and a short summary of why I’m a fit to make it easy.

Accept “no” gracefully: they may not know you well enough yet, and staying in touch can still help.

Follow-up email template

Send within 24 hours:

Subject: Thank you for the chat

Hi Priya,

Thank you for taking the time to talk today. Your advice about building a portfolio of launch case studies was especially helpful, and I’ve already started on my first one. I’ll let you know how my search goes.

Best regards, Alex

Then stay in touch lightly: share an update when you act on their advice or land a role. See more follow-up email templates.

Frequently asked questions

What is a coffee chat with a recruiter?
A short, informal conversation, in person or on video, where a recruiter learns about you and you learn about the company and open roles. It's often an early screen, so prepare as you would for a light interview.
What questions should I ask in a coffee chat?
Questions about the person's role and path, the team's priorities and culture, the hiring process, what strong candidates do differently, how people grow, and who else you should talk to. Avoid questions you could answer with a quick search.
How do I ask for a coffee chat on LinkedIn?
Send a short message that mentions something specific you have in common or admire, explains what you'd like to learn, and asks for 15 to 20 minutes at their convenience. Follow up once if there's no reply after a week.
Should I ask for a referral in a coffee chat?
Only after building some rapport and for a specific role you're qualified for. Ask near the end or in your follow-up, offer to send your resume and a short summary, and accept a no gracefully.
How do I follow up after a coffee chat?
Send a short thank-you within 24 hours mentioning something specific they said, then stay in touch lightly with updates, especially when you act on their advice.

Sources

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Amine Boukioud

Amine Boukioud is Head of Growth at Huru and writes Huru’s company interview guides. Each one starts from the company’s own careers pages and what candidates report, and follows Huru’s editorial policy.

Published · Updated

How this article was made: researched and drafted with AI assistance, then written, fact-checked and signed by Amine Boukioud on October 2, 2026. Sources are linked where they are used. How we work: editorial policy.