How To Write Recruiting Emails That Actually Work

As a recruiter hiring for your company, you are faced with daily difficult task of finding qualified sales candidates. You spend most of your time hunting for top talent. You reach out to your network of professional, you ask for referrals, you post jobs, and you search vast databases and social media sites (like LinkedIn) for qualified sales professionals.

In a sense you have to channel your inner marketer to find creative and effective ways to connect with sales talent. You need to write recruiting emails that actually work and grab the candidate’s attention. If you do not write compelling recruiting emails that people respond to, then your efforts will be futile.

Here are some quick but effective tips to get a candidate to respond and show interest.

1. Write Personal Subject Lines

Many sales professionals have their inbox flooded with emails that are considered spam so make sure you write something that catches their eye. Make your subject about the individual, personalize it since it is the first thing they will see. Instead of just saying “Great New Sales Job”, try saying “Kate, a new software sales job opened near you,” or “John, considering a great new sales role?” You can get creative and test which email subject lines generate a greater response rate.

2. Let them know who you are who you work for

Remember, as recruiters and hiring managers you are mostly connecting with people you don’t know so it’s safe to say the candidates don’t know who you are either. Introduce yourself, your company and why you are reaching out to them. Did a colleague recommend that you reach out to them? Do you share mutual connections on LinkedIn? Did you find them on a job board or social media site? Let them know how you got their contact information.

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3. Explain why you are reaching out to them specifically

Make sure you make the message about them. Don’t be generic or vague, specifically mention something on their resume or profile that prompted you to reach out to them. Was it their software sales experience in a certain vertical or their title and responsibilities, or the accounts and territory they managed? Let them know why they are unique and why they are being considered for the opportunity.

4. Describe the position and the company

Here you should introduce the specific role you are reaching out for. It’s safe to assume that not every sales professional is on an active job search. However, even the most passive job seekers will entertain a new opportunity if they feel it is worth the move. Provide a brief but specific amount of information about the opportunity. Provide the title, location, and core responsibilities. Explain the importance of the role and why they need someone like them to join the team. Highlight something positive and captivating about the role.

5. Keep it short and sweet, and to the point

No one wants to read an email that takes several minutes to get through. Your message should be clear and concise, without being a novel. Remember you are not offering them the job, you are just trying to engage them. Wrap up the email with a call to action. Encourage them to connect with you if they are interested in learning more about the job. Provide your contact information for them to respond to you without making it difficult to find.

The recruiting email may seem simple enough, but requires creativity and hard work. In order to have a high response rate don’t assume one size fits all, meaning don’t expect a general mass email to yield the response rate of highly qualified sales candidates you were hoping for. Yes, you can use templates that you know work, but remember to adjust them to your specific audience. Remember, no one wants to feel spammed and you want to spend more of your time interviewing qualified candidates, so put the work in up front to ensure the greatest success.