How to make a real connection

We’re not saying it’s impossible to hire a candidate without pulling out all the stops, but creating an instant connection can be highly beneficial. This first interaction can make or break whether the candidate agrees to move forward in the recruiting process.

 Here are a few ways to build connections that can increase your response rate.

Research the candidate

A little research into each candidate can help you personalize your outreach message to them. 

So how do you learn about the candidate in a short amount of time?

It’s not uncommon for candidates to build out their online presence, so run a quick search for them on the web. Try searching their name on professional networking sites to learn about their current and previous roles and responsibilities and their skills. Personal websites, blogs and social media accounts can also give you more insight into who they are, both professionally and personally. 

For tech candidates, try GitHub, a social coding network where over 31+ million tech professionals collaborate and show off their most recent projects. 

Researching the candidate is two-fold: It shows you care about them as a professional and a person and helps you target the right candidates for the position. While it takes a little more time upfront, you’ll generally save time in the long run by limiting communication (e.g., emails, phone screens) to only candidates that are a true potential match.

Write like a human, not a robot

People are wired to make connections with other people. While you won’t be building a deep personal relationship with candidates, you still need to connect if you want them to see your outreach as more than spam.

One way to spark a human connection: write like a human. Be yourself and show a little personality. If you’re worried about coming off as less professional, don’t. You’ll simply be writing in a friendly conversational tone, kind of like how you would speak.

Here are a few ways to keep your message conversational:

• Use contractions (e.g., “you’re” vs. “you are”)
• Start sentences with conjunctions (e.g., “and,” “but,” and “because”)
• Keep sentences short, simple and jargon-free

At the same time, make sure your language speaks to your audience. For example, while candidates with their hearts set on a trendy startup won’t bat an eye at “Hey Matt,” a more professional greeting like “Dear Ms. Simmons” may resonate better with those looking for a stable traditional company.

Tips for writing an engaging cold recruitment email message

The last thing you want to do is blast hundreds of candidates without personalization. In the beginning, you’re only trying to get them curious enough about the role and company to take the next step. Your goal is to simply schedule a conversation. 

Sending out a cold recruitment email message is a balance of writing enough but not too much, which might take some practice. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered with some of the basics, so grab your notes from the candidate research you did earlier—it’s time to pull it all together.

Write a subject line they’ll want to open

When you reach out to a candidate already overloaded with emails, how can you pique their interest enough to avoid getting trashed before they’ve even read what you have to say? Write a subject line that makes them want to know what you have to say.

Do: Be personal and show you did your research. Include their name. Spark curiosity. Flatter them a bit.

Don’t: Be generic, wordy or boring.

Write a message that drives more responses

To reiterate, use the subject line to get candidates interested enough to open the email. And follow these tips for higher response rates:

Say enough, but not too much. Because you have limited time to catch the candidate’s attention (maybe even a few seconds), be brief and bright. Only give them the details they care about. A message between 50 and 125 words is ideal. 

Don’t spell out what the company does. Always include the company’s name, but keep any additional information minimal. If you want to mention what the company does, write a one-sentence snippet. Why? Either the candidates are already familiar with the company, or they’ll research it independently. As an alternative to writing about the company, link to its website or a social account.

Personalize the message. As someone sending out cold outreach, this is your time to shine. Prove why you’re different from all the other cold outreach the candidate gets in their inbox. 

Remember that many professionals are passionate about what they do—they want their work to have meaning. When you show you’ve done a little research on what drives that passion (e.g., skills they enjoy working with, projects they’re proud of), you spark their interest and build a personal connection. Putting in effort shows the candidate you care. That it’s not just about hitting recruitment targets, but how you can help them reach their career goals.

Even if you follow a template, there are still ways to change it for each candidate you reach out to. For example, basics you can change without taking up much time include the candidate’s name, your greeting, and the role. 

Once you’ve tweaked the basics, write a sentence that ties in how their skills, achievements or projects can positively impact the company. Tell them why you believe they are a strong candidate.

For example, “I’m really impressed with your mobile app project and loved reading about the creation process on your blog. Company XYZ has plans to launch a new mobile app, and your expertise might be just what we need.”

And if you have some extra time, try hyper-personalization (focusing on one single detail unique to the candidate) to engage candidates on an even deeper level.

Always include the next steps. A clear call to action guides candidates to the following action. What do you want them to do? For example, say, “If you’d like to learn more, reply with your phone number and a good time to chat.”

Before hitting send, read your message over once or twice. Check for things like misspellings, incorrect punctuation and odd sentence structure. Ensure you have the correct information, including the candidate’s name, role, etc. Read your message line by line so that you can avoid any mistakes.

Crafting a customizable cold recruiting email template (with a sample recruiting email)

Enticing subject line? Check. 

Personalized message with a clear CTA? Double check. 

So how do you pull it all together in a way that both saves you time and attracts candidates?

Create a template you can easily customize for each candidate you reach out to. Here’s some inspiration to get you started.

Template

Hi [first name],

While I was on your [professional networking site, personal website, etc.], I came across your [project or accomplishment] and just have to say the work you’re doing in [field] is exactly what [company name] needs in a new [title of open role].

What do you say about grabbing coffee next week? We can chat more then and find out if it could be a match for you. Let me know if you’re interested, and I’ll set something up. 

Best,

[Your name] 

Make every cold recruitment email count

When you have roles to fill, sending out mass cold emails to land some interviews can be very tempting. But this approach will never get you quality candidates that are truly right for the position. 

Using templates with a little bit of personalization is the perfect solution. It’s scalable, so you can still send out dozens of cold recruitment emails daily, but it’s also personal enough to actually get responses. 

FAQ

Do cold recruitment emails work?

Yes, cold recruitment emails can work. However, some of the responsibility for success lies with the sender. Recruiters should be careful with their targeting when sending emails so they don’t end up speaking with people who are not well-suited for the role. 

What is a good response rate on a cold recruitment email?

If you take the time to personalize your email, you should expect a response rate of 25-75%. If your response rate is below 25%, your template needs reworking, you may need to increase personalization, or your targeting needs to be shifted. 

Cold Recruitment Email Templates for PDF & Word

Use these cold recruitment email templates to help grab the attention of top candidates.

*Indeed provides these examples as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your HR or legal adviser, and none of these documents reflect current labor or employment regulations.