Cold Emails: how to write a good email to candidates?
Everyone knows that a well-written email significantly increases chances of a response. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to compose such Email, and loses good candidates...
So, how to write a good email with a vacancy description?
First of all,
it is necessary to write a subject of an email. It is what people see first. If it isn’t catchy, then an email simply will not be opened. On the one hand, it should capture attention; on the other hand, it should briefly explain what an email is about and it should be looking trustworthy.
Secondly,
an email should be interesting to read and there have to be specifics in it. Many candidates are annoyed (and it is understandable) by these cliché phrases like “young and friendly team” and “decent wages". Therefore, you need to refrain from the temptation to write another “interesting tasks and large projects” and spend more time to think what facts will be interesting and how to present them. This time will pay off with a better response from candidates and a quicker filling of a vacancy.
Thirdly,
try to write from a reader's position (your target candidates): what they will get, what opportunities a position gives, and so on.
Write only what candidates are interested in and what is important:
- what is a position about and why is it open;
- describe your company (what type of activity, mission, important facts);
- give some specifics about the project candidate will work with (preferably in numbers);
- what tasks to do — you can give examples of upcoming tasks;
- write a technology stack in details;
- think and explain why a position can be interesting for candidates (what are the main advantages and "selling" points);
- what do we expect from candidates (hard and soft skills, foreign language proficiency);
- describe main conditions such as salary level, benefits, bonuses, courses, team and mentor, corporate culture;
- call to action at the end of an email.
If there is not enough response, then we will definitely write a follow-up email.
What for? There are several reasons. To begin with, not everyone keeps their mailbox in perfect “cleanliness". There are mailboxes with 1000+ unread emails, and in such chaos, it is very easy to miss an email with an interesting vacancy.
It is also possible that candidates read this email in between and postponed it “for later”, and then forgot to answer. Or an email got into spam. Or at first glance, a vacancy description did not catch attention. Or conditions of a vacancy have changed: wage has been increased, it has become possible to relocate or work remotely, tech stack has changed, etc.
Therefore, we may have to write follow-up email, where we will remind about a vacancy and add some new and interesting information that was not presented in a first email. But do not make it long and overloaded. And it also needs to end with a call to action.
