Key tips for writing emails that nurture the candidate search

In an active search for candidates, recruiters can use various strategies to attract both passive and active candidates. One of these strategies is using emails that the person in charge of the talent search sends to those prospects who meet the profile, experience, or knowledge needed to fill a position the company is looking to fill.

Many times a potential candidate is contacted by a company, whether by email, via LinkedIn, or on job boards, among others. But the difference is that most of these communication attempts, when they get no response, move forward without any further interaction with other contacts. By contrast, the key to a search that nurtures candidates via email is to create a relationship with constant communication that mutually benefits both parties, building a path that leads a candidate to take part in the selection process.

What you need to achieve with your emails so that they nurture your candidate search:

• Provide valuable content with relevant information:

By knowing the ideal candidate you are looking for, you can find out the type of content this person consumes and send it to them accordingly. With this in mind, you can also give them in advance the answers to the questions that might come up for them, which will awaken their interest and attention.

• Focus on the candidate’s journey and provide important information for each stage:

Avoid overloading them with information. Create a series of emails with relevant information specific to each stage of the process. Give your potential candidates the chance to absorb each piece of information you give them.

• Do not go on too long; keep your emails short, clear, and emotional:

Keep this communication close and clear; this is not the time for overly fancy language, jokes, or long emails that look more like newsletters. According to HubSpot data, the optimal number of words in an email is between 50 and 125 words; these emails have the best response rate. And always provide a closing to the message: end with a question, whether you are asking for more time, information, or a response; this opens the door for the communication to continue.

• Stay alert and track the performance of your emails:

Always monitor the emails you send, whether you are sending just a few or a high volume. Especially in the first stage, when you are trying to capture the candidate’s attention. Some of the metrics you can track are: the percentage of emails opened and the percentage of clicks on the content you have sent.

It is not that complicated, but you need a plan and a strategy to follow, and you will begin to notice the results. To finish, we can give you these 3 tips to keep in mind:

• Always give relevant, timely, and applicable information for your specific case.

• Create valuable content that generates and maintains interest, not just job descriptions.

• Keep your objective clear and create calls to action that match it.