Here’s how you can cold email a candidate (the right way)
12 June 2020 at 5:54 pm
We take a look at three things you need to think about before hitting send
Sometimes, the right person for a job, doesn’t always know it themselves.
This is where, as a recruiter, your knowledge and database of contacts can come in handy. Approaching someone you know will be perfect for the job can cut out a lot of unnecessary stuff in the middle.
But, before you plead your case – to a person you’ve never met before – about why they should take a particular job, there’s a few things to consider. We sat down with Richard Green, the head of NGO Recruitment, to find out what they are.
Do your research
It’s important to know who you’re talking to. While you might have a general idea of why someone would be a great fit for the role, doing some digging on what their interests are, and what their aspirations are will go a long way.
“Our aim is to be as detailed as we can before we approach anybody, so that when you do send the email out, you know that what you are saying to them is going to be of interest and relevant to them,” Green says.
Clean up your copy
This might sound obvious, but making sure your sentences make sense, your grammar is on point and your tone is consistent will make all the difference in catching and keeping their attention.
“It might be a great job opportunity but because a lot of people don’t put much thinking into their writing, emails get ignored,” Green explains.
“We always make sure that nothing goes out unless it’s checked by a second pair of eyes, no matter how experienced the recruiter is.”
Don’t annoy your candidate
According to Green, it’s important to finish the email with an open invitation for them to get back in contact with you, and if they don’t respond straight away, don’t keep harassing them until they do.
“The last thing you want to do is annoy someone,” he says.
“If you’re contacting say, 20 people, and you get two or three people responding just to have a conversation, you should be happy with that.”
