In your recruiting ads, ask all applicants to submit a resume and cover letter. In our experience, a surprisingly large number of people omit the cover letter, which tells us something about their ability to follow instructions. Of those who include a cover letter, most are generic, and that’s okay. Rarely, a few people wow us with language that describes how our unusual business model appeals to them. We hire a surprisingly high percentage of these applicants, not because we care that much about cover letters, but because we discovered  that the person who invests the time to learn about our company and express a passion for our values will likely succeed with us. Cover letters often reveal more about an applicant than the resume.