The way companies recruit new talent has changed. They used to rely on newsletters or advertisements to find potential candidates. Nowadays, however, 84% of companies leverage social media in recruiting.
One thing remains the same regardless of the way you advertise job openings. Email is still the primary communication method between candidates and employers. It makes communication more accessible and more professional.
However, you must craft the right email. Sending the wrong message can discourage candidates. Here are six tips on email recruiting that ensure you write consistent and compelling messages.
Tips on email recruiting
Candidates form an opinion of your company since their first interaction with you. As a recruiter, you have the power to make that opinion positive.
According to LinkedIn, 89% of talent will accept the offer faster if a recruiter contacts them. Let’s see how you can make your email stand out.
1. Personalize the email for each candidate
Let’s say that you build a talent pool. It mainly consists of passive candidates who are an excellent fit for your company. How do you attract them? Success requires many techniques, one of them being personalization.
Personalizing your recruiting emails goes a long way. It shows the candidate you have taken the time to look at their resume and experience. Sending a generic message won’t appeal to them.
A personalized email has to be unique. Here’s what you should do:
- Research – you can’t tailor the email if you haven’t researched the candidate. Take some time to get to know them. It can help you persuade them to consider your job opening. You can leverage social media, i.e., LinkedIn, to find the information.
- Customize the email – personalization isn’t only about addressing the candidate by their first name. It’s also about writing a message that indicates you know them. Include background information for each candidate to achieve this effect.
- Tailor the email – high-performing and skilled candidates receive many emails from recruiters. Your email will attract them if you explain why they should consider your company. The reasons vary depending on the candidate, which you should keep in mind.
1. Keep it simple and be consistent
No one has time to read long and complex emails. Candidates especially value simplicity and directness. Don’t beat around the bush—be concise and to the point.
You might be tempted to write jargon or use ambiguous language. However, the potential new employee should be able to skim over the email and know exactly what you want from them.
For this reason, we suggest you write anything between 50 and 150 words. It is enough to get your point across. Not to mention, the candidate will understand the message no matter what they do while reading.
Consistency refers to the overall look of your email. Your email design should remain the same throughout your communication with the candidate. It should include visuals (where applicable) and a signature. For instance, you can use an email signature generator to help you.
1. Include relevant information
You must include all relevant details in the recruiting email. It is how the candidate will understand what position you want to fill.
Most recruiters have templates they use to contact potential employees. Let’s say that you’ve created the perfect email for sales specialists. You decide to use that email while contacting a software developer.
Instead of mentioning skills like Java or Python, you end up talking about lead generation tools. The result is an irrelevant email that the software developer will disregard.
Mistakes happen, but you should try avoiding them as much as possible. Check the position you advertise and use the details from the ad when contacting the candidate. That’s how you’ll include relevant information.
1. Mention attractive incentives
Candidates like hearing about the benefits of working for your company. It is the “What’s in it for me” effect.
It’s not enough to talk about your company and job opening when contacting passive candidates. They already have a job. If you want them to consider your company, draw their attention with incentives.
Some benefits that the modern employee wants are:
- Flexible working hours
- Private health insurance
- Retirement benefits
- Wellness programs
If you offer similar benefits, make sure to mention them. It is the only way to encourage them to change companies.
1.Double-check your tone of voice
Some HR professionals write bland emails that produce no results. Believe it or not, the tone of voice is the deciding factor.
You should communicate with candidates naturally. It’s better to come across as approachable and friendly than strict.
Of course, we’re not suggesting that you should be laid back in your emails. You should establish a conversational tone. Being overly formal might make the candidate nervous.
Tailor the tone of voice of your recruiting email based on your audience. When you know who you’re communicating with, you can change the salutation, sentence structure and choice of words. You can even determine whether or not to include a visual after editing it with Quicktools by Picsart.
1. Add a call-to-action (CTA)
Before a message transfer agent transfers your email to the candidate, make sure you’ve added a call-to-action.
It would be wrong to think that a CTA is only suitable when you contact customers. It is a powerful tool for recruiting as well. After all, you want the recipient, i.e., the candidate, to take some action after reading your email.
So, sign off your recruiting emails with a CTA. Tell the candidates what their next steps are.
For instance, your CTA can invite the candidate to schedule a meeting or take a skill assessment test.
Conclusion
Recruiters and candidates mostly communicate via email. This means of communication is enough to get your message across and showcase to potential employees why your company might be a good choice for them.
If you want to write effective and professional recruiting emails, we suggest you consider the tips we mentioned in our article. They can transform your messaging and attract the attention of your candidates.
