One of the most effective ways for recruiting agencies to discover top talent is by reaching out to passive candidates through email. A well-written outreach email can pique a candidate’s interest and entice them to apply for your job.

While outreach emails are effective at engaging candidates, writing them can be challenging since it requires balancing thoughtful personalization with compelling messaging. That’s why we’re sharing tips on how to connect with candidates through thoughtful email outreach, along with an email template to get you started.

Tips for crafting thoughtful outreach emails

When crafting candidate outreach emails, here are some key tips to consider:

  • Add personalization elements such as the candidate’s first name, job title, current company and field of expertise. Additionally, it helps to include any relevant information you discovered during your research that demonstrates how their skills and experience align with the role, such as a project they worked on or an article they published. Interseller’s personalization fields can help you easily add personal touches to your emails at scale.

  • Include important and relevant facts about the role and company by highlighting a key responsibility of the role, a benefit that the company provides and an exciting company milestone. Since the company name can’t be disclosed, it’s essential to share information that will pique the candidate’s interest to learn more.

  • Make sure there’s a clear call to action, such as scheduling a call to learn more about the role and company. This can help prompt a response to your email, which is an ideal first step toward establishing a connection.

This email template is a great place to start if you’re looking for ideas on how to connect with candidates in your outreach email:

Hey [first_name],

I came across your LinkedIn profile and was impressed by your experience at [candidate’s current company] and your background in [field of expertise].

I’m working with a [describe company (e.g., series B funded healthcare tech startup or global programmatic advertising company)] to find a [job title] to lead the [team name] into the next stage of growth.

Here’s why this opportunity is worth getting excited about:

- [highlight a key responsibility of the role (e.g., The opportunity to build a defining product and team as the company grows)]

- [highlight a benefit that the company offers (e.g, Work remotely from anywhere while enjoying unlimited PTO and a comprehensive health plan)]

- [highlight an exciting company milestone (e.g, Employee headcount has increased by 200% in the last year and we’re still growing)]

I thought this might be up your alley based on the excellent work you’ve done. I’d love to share more about the role and learn what you’re looking for in your next opportunity and what excites you at work. How does that sound?

Best,

Here are some highlights from this email to help you thoughtfully craft your own:

  • The most effective greeting is “Hey,” according to one study, with “Hi” coming in second.

  • Bullet points help to keep your emails short and concise while sharing key information about the role and the company.

  • Ending your email with a CTA helps increase your reply rate since it compels the candidate to take the next step.

While crafting candidate outreach emails can be challenging, it’s a crucial part of successful hiring. By using the tips and email template we’ve shared, you can meaningfully connect with great candidates and start attracting top talent for your job openings.

Final thought: Remember to keep your emails focused on the candidate and to personalize your message to resonate with their interest and goals.