Source: Rachel Saunders, Yahoo recruiter interviewed by J.T. O'Donnell (edited)
I invest a lot of time researching candidates b4 contacting them.
This helps me customize my email.
And that differentiates me from other recruiters.
And that's important.
The more personalized the email, the better the response rate.
When I send a mildly tailored email, I get a 25% response rate.
When I really customize the response jumps to 60-70%.
When they respond, they say, “It’s so refreshing to be contacted by someone who has done her homework.” That’s important because it makes the candidate more willing to hear what I have to say.
HOW I CUSTOMIZE EMAIL
I begin by finding something personal about the candidate that they’ve shared on a social media profile, like a hobby or passion.
I’ll then find an article or resource they might enjoy that ties to it and share it with them. Starting the email with something more personal helps the candidate see that I'm the kind of person who likes to get to know people.
Next, I get specific about their skills. I highlight the exact skill sets that drew me to their profile and I tell them why.
Finally, I ask if they’d be willing to have a brief call so I could learn more about their career journey.
I make it clear that I understand that now might not be the right time for them to make a move -- but that I’d still like to get to know them better and earn their trust in the event we are a potential fit in the future.
https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/2015/04/personalized-outreach-yahoos-secret-to-talent-acquisition-success
