effective recruiter outreach - steve...

Effective Recruiter Outreach:

Mastering Email, InMail, and Voicemail to Build

and Maintain Candidate Relationships

2 Effective Recruiter Outreach

Table of Contents

Introduction 3

The Phone Call 4

Email Best Practices 11

LinkedIn InMails 14

Social Media Outreach 16

Conclusion 16


In this Whitepaper

Research consistently shows that emotional connections are central to what makes

people want to share stories, engage in conversation, and create a lasting

impression. The Mehrabian Formula, an age-old paralinguistic methodology, points

out that nearly half of a message from person to person is in the way the words are

said, not just what they said.

True communication goes beyond the spoken word and involves emotion,

sensitivity, and engagement.

Emotional connections with candidates are critical

to creating high satisfaction and engagement rates

and should be critical for every recruiter. In today’s

recruiting circles, the focus has too often become

how to automate this connection through avoidance

and passive tactics, causing recruiters to remove

themselves from the process more and more.

Many recruiters today avoid basic relationship

steps because they “don’t have time” to build

personal and emotional connections with their

candidates.

In a tech-heavy world, it’s become far too easy to

forget about building sincere relationships. These

seemingly simple concepts have gotten lost in

translation.

Getting back to the basics of maintaining contact with a candidate and engaging in

genuine conversation can be extremely beneficial in an era where nearly everyone

has forgotten how.

This whitepaper will discuss the various ways in which a Recruiter and Hiring

Manager can work together to best make contact with a candidate, and how to

maintain that contact while remaining genuine, engaged, and interested.

In a recent Pew Research

Study, 13% of American

adults admitted to texting

or playing games on their

phone to prevent

interacting and

engagement in social

situations. Instead of

trying to employ

meaningful conversation,

many professionals have

taken to passive

tendencies of hiding and

avoidance.


Part 1: The Phone Call


The Phone Call

Each and every candidate conversation is an opportunity for pipeline creation and an

entryway for future opportunities, referrals, and positive brand building for yourself and

your organization. The initial step is to view the conversation less as making a deal and

more as making a new friend and developing a relationship. People appreciate a genuine

attitude and tone, and will be able to better interpret your true intent if you feel strongly

about relationship development.

Look at the conversation as making a new friend rather than making a sales pitch.

Yes, the focus is to get the candidate to work with you, but you still must be selfless. Keep

in mind that it’s not actually about you, it’s about the candidate. Don’t overwhelm them with

a lengthy pitch; keep it succinct and to the point. Instead of putting pressure on them, be

conversational and allow them to realize you don’t have a hidden agenda.

Evaluate your message. Does it really sound that different than every other recruiter? Why

would the potential candidate call you back and not the other recruiters who call them?

Phrases to Avoid

1. This is a great/perfect opportunity

2. Please call/email when you can

3. Call me at your convenience

4. If you or someone you know would be interested

“Jack, this is ___ calling. I’m a Recruiter for ____. I understand

you are the ___ for ___. I assume you’re not currently looking for

a new job, but I assume you’re open to developing professional

relationships in the event things ever change. I’d like to get to

know you better. Let’s chat about what you’ve accomplished and

what challenges are next for you!”

M


Practice Makes Perfect

Master the art of messaging by leaving yourself messages for practice. Ask yourself:

Would YOU call or email yourself back? Would you really? If the answer is no, practice,

practice, practice.

Avoid “I need” or “I want” in messages. Focus on what THEY need and want.

Present with Confidence

Confidence is everything in a message and one of the easiest red flags for a candidate to

sense.

Once you understand the candidate’s real drivers, you can present the right opportunity for

the right reasons. Ask “What are the next steps in your career?” to gain insight into the

candidate’s future plans and whether the opportunity would be a good match.

Show genuine interest in their plans for the future, whether these plans are set in stone or

entirely uncertain.

Even the most passive candidates are worth pursuing. Studies show that more and more,

the line between active candidates and passive candidates is blurring.

37% of employees think about quitting their job regularly

43% of generation X thinks perpetually about resigning -Kelly Global Workforce Index

This means more than ever, every candidate is worth a conversation!

“Jack, this is ___ calling over at ____. Let me tell you right out of the

gate that I know you’re not actively looking for a new job. If you

were, you’d be the one calling me! But it always makes sense to talk

to anyone who is a successful ___ in order to learn what types of

challenges would accelerate your career. Let’s chat when you have a

second.”


Know Your Stuff

We’ve all been there: the dreaded In-the-Dark position to fill in which the recruiter doesn’t

know enough about the industry, the company or the position enough to accurately pitch it

to a candidate.

Each and every time, Do Your Homework!

Research the company, the position, and the role.

Ask as many questions as you can to the Hiring

Manager or Human Resources professional you

are working with in order to fully comprehend the

situation.

This will be extremely valuable when it comes time

to make and maintain contact with the candidate.

The candidate will easily be able to sense when a

Recruiter is not up to speed on the job. If you don’t

know much about it, why would they want to?

Avoid slipups and awkward conversation by

reading up first. No one wants to hear a recruiter

stammer because of lack of details.

Listen

You’ll be shocked at how much insight you’ll gain by actually listening to the candidate

once they call back instead of waiting for your turn to speak. Take the time to sincerely

listen and develop questions based on what the candidate says.

Following Up

It’s important to understand the difference between planting the seed and being a pest. Be

persistent, but put in place a system for following up with a candidate.


One tactic is to acknowledge that everyone is busy and that you realize they are likely

swamped, but that developing mutually beneficial business relationships is helpful for

career growth no matter where the candidate is on their journey. Allow them to understand

you are there to help them take steps in the right direction professionally.

Be assertive with “Call me tomorrow” instead of “Please call me if you are able.” This puts

them in control but still allows you to be firm.

If you are still having trouble hearing back from them, approach it from a different angle. If

they do not reply to the first few voicemails, do not grow frustrated but instead revisit the

situation with a different tactic.

Additional Sample Scripts

1. “Jack, this is ____ calling. I manage the staffing function at ____. I’m calling to

introduce myself, but more importantly, to find out about you, your goals, and the

next steps in your career – if there is a next step.”

“I’ve been out of the office and may have missed your call. I’ll be in until ___ and look forward to

talking with you!”

“Jane, this is ___. I’m a Recruiter for ___ and I make it a point to get to

know those not actively looking for a new job. I assume you fit right

into this category, so I’m really just reaching out to get to know you

better in the event you decide to take the next steps in your career. I’m

in the office tomorrow from ___ to ___. I look forward to speaking

with you tomorrow.”


Additional Sample Scripts

2. “Jack, this is ____ - I’m the Talent Acquisition Manager for ________. I am

reaching out to teachers in the Atlanta area to better understand the market and

what would be the ideal next steps in your career.

3. “Jane, ____ calling. I manage the staffing function at ____. I understand that

you are an early education teacher and I’m calling to introduce myself, but more

importantly, to find out about you, your goals, and the next steps in your career – if

there are next steps. I am available today from ____ to ____ and tomorrow from

____ until ____. I look forward to speaking with you today.”

4. “Jane, this is ____. I’m the Talent Acquisition Manager for ________ and I

make it a point to get try and get to know all of the teachers in the Atlanta market

whether or not they are looking for the next steps in their career. I assume you fit

right into this category so I am really just reaching out to get to know you better in

the event you decide to make your next move. Listen, I am in the office tomorrow

from ___ until ______. I look forward to speaking with you tomorrow.”

Acknowledging Common Objections

“Don’t Bother Me” Objections are incredibly common.

Some of the most frequently heard objections include

“I’m not looking,” “I’m happy with my current job,” or

“I’ve been here for years.” Prepare ahead of time for

these types of objections with the appropriate

response.

Let the candidate know, for instance, that you’re glad to

hear they’re not looking, because loyalty speaks

volumes.

Being happy in your current role is an ample time to

consider other options, because there is little to no

pressure to make a quick decision. The candidate is

able to review their current situation at their leisure.

Utilize Needs Analysis

with Passive Candidates

What is your dream job?

What would make your

current job perfect?

What is the next step

with your current

employer?

My guess is you have an

awesome boss. What

makes them so great to

work for?


Explain to the candidate what it means to build a relationship with someone who isn’t

searching for a job.

To warm them up to the idea of engaging in a career conversation, ask them what it is

about their role or company that keeps them happy and engaged.

Ease into the conversation in a way that lets the candidate know you’re simply looking to

get to know one another.

The 10 out of 10 Rule

Another tactic is to

encourage the candidate

to truly assess what

would make them

completely, 100% happy

in their professional life.

One way of doing this is

to conversationally

suggest that no one is

ever truly a “10 out of 10”

in career happiness.

Ask them what changes

would need to take place

in order to become a “10 out of 10.”

Once they arrive at a number on the happiness scale, ask what keeps them at this number

(points of pleasure) vs. what would make them entirely happy (points of pain).

Remember Who You Are

Remember that throughout the process, the candidate is also interviewing you. Both of you

are on the spot and it’s equally important to maintain a professional and knowledgeable

demeanor each and every time. Be open about who you are and what your role is. Give an

overview of your background.

The candidate deserves to know about you just as much as you deserve to know about

them.


Part 2: Email Best Practices


Email Best Practices

Before we dive into what to do when emailing candidates and what to avoid, it is

imperative to understand the purpose of electronic communication. The three main

focuses of email are avoiding spam blockers, creating compelling subject lines, and having

a concise message.

Consider these best practices the next time you correspond with a candidate through

email.

Subject Line Mistakes

The key to a compelling subject line is to “tell, not sell.” Subject lines should be viewed

similar to news headlines: they tell the beginning of the story. The subject line does not

need to be a complete sentence. The most effective subject line styles establish curiosity,

ask “what’s in it for me?”, make an announcement, and are direct.

Subject lines should be compelling and establish curiosity. Subject lines that involve a

news angle make an announcement and are direct, establishing curiosity and making the

reader more likely to click. Centering the content on newsworthy material can be an

entrance point to catch the candidate’s attention.

HELLO


Avoiding Spam Blockers

In order to avoid spam blockers, steer clear of using all capital letters. Spam filters

consider capital letters suspicious. Simplify any HTML in your email. Too much HTML

(graphics/pictures) can flag emails.

Stick to simple markups, such as basic colors. Avoid thick borders, fancy templates, and

lots of links.

Also avoid suspicious phrases. And last, keep it concise.

Top suspicious phrases to avoid in email:

Free

Urgent

Opportunity

Profits

Money

Amazing

Guaranteed

Unlimited

Career

Job

(Company) Named to Fortune List of Best Companies to Work For


Email Signature Best Practices

With email signatures, it’s

important to remember that

the longer the signature, the

less likely it is to go into the

SPAM folder.

Signatures that include a first

and last name, title, company

name and URL, phone

number and logo help ensure

that the message is received

and also help the recruiter

gain credibility when reaching

out via email.

LinkedIn: InMails

Although it can be a wonderful tool for building

relationships, LinkedIn has been abused by many a

recruiter.

The initial purpose of LinkedIn was to open us up to

two-way relationships, not a one way database, but it’s

become flooded with pushy recruiters and much of it is

now an overfished-pond.

When it comes to LinkedIn, it’s especially important to

make your voice heard and not get lost in the shuffle.

Announce yourself professionally in InMails while

strongly acknowledging your desire to have a conversation, and not necessarily

automatically recruit someone.


LinkedIn: InMails

When utilizing LinkedIn for outreach, it is important to stand out from other recruiters who

are sending long, salesy, unprofessional messages to candidates.

First, let’s look at a real

example of what not to do

(at right).

This recruiter’s message is

too long, too chunky, and

likely to overwhelm the

candidate. The message is

pitchy and salesy and puts

immense pressure on the

candidate to respond.

Now let’s look at a good

example of a recruiter InMail

(below). This recruiter is not

pitchy or salesy and is asking

directly to have a

conversation about the

candidate’s next career

moves.

She asks about the

candidate’s next steps

without overtly pushing

the current job

opening, opening the

door for a professional

relationship and

networking.

The message is

concise and to the point.

Utilizing this type of outreach increases your odds of getting a response from the

candidate.


Electronic Outreach through other Social Channels

Social media in recruiting isn’t going anywhere, but it’s still crucial to understand how to

leverage it. According to a recent Bullhorn social recruiting activity report, a staggering

97% of recruiters say they are utilizing LinkedIn to reach out to candidates. This is up from

94% in 2011. According to the survey:

97% of Recruiters use LinkedIn to Recruit

51% use Facebook

45.8% use Twitter

19% use Google+

3.6% use Pinterest

What does this mean for you? It’s more crucial now than ever to stand out from the crowd.

If you’re sourcing through Twitter, be conversational and genuine and engage in genuine

discussion with candidates before diving into job specs.

If you’re using Facebook, be extremely wary of the legitimacy of candidates on a non-

professional medium. If you Facebook message, make sure it’s completely professional

yet personal. Don’t simply copy and paste or mass message candidates. Take the time to

make your message sincere.

Conclusion

Today’s top talent has their choice of where to work more than ever before. In a candidate-

driven market, it’s up to the recruiter to ensure that effective outreach methods are utilized

in order to cultivate professional relationships, network, and uncover the top talent your

client deserves.

There are a variety of methods for reaching out to a candidate, but remember that genuine

relationship building goes a long way. Lack of communication from recruiters is one of the

biggest complaints of today’s candidates and can be easily avoided by taking these small

communication steps.

For more information, visit www.RecruitmentEdu.com.

effective recruiter outreach - steve...

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