Cold Recruiting Email Templates

Cold recruitment emails can be a great asset to any business to find the right talent. Looking at all the candidates for a particular job can be overwhelming. You could get hundreds of responses when advertising a position, which isn’t efficient when you’re looking to hire a quality candidate. By using cold recruiting email templates, you might be able to get the best candidate for the position simply by approaching them. A cold recruiting email is when you approach someone you don’t know to get them to apply for the position you’re hiring for. If done successfully, you can hire an excellent candidate. In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of cold recruitment emails, best practices, what not to do, and provide some templates and FAQs to guide you.

Why cold recruitment emails are important

Cold recruitment emails are a useful tool businesses use to find the best candidates for a position. Candidates looking for a new position have many options. With all the competition, it can be difficult for a company to narrow down which applicant would be the best hire. By approaching the candidate independently, rather than hoping they apply, the company has the opportunity to get the employees they want for the job. Cold recruitment emails are also an important tool for recruitment firms. By approaching potential applicants with a cold email, a recruiter might be able to fill a position quickly. If you know an applicant has the skills needed for a job, a recruitment email will bring the candidate to the company rather than the other way around.

Best practices for writing cold recruitment emails

Recruiters or companies that are hiring may have difficulty getting responses to cold recruitment emails. By following best practices, you can increase your chances of getting a response. Here are some best practices to follow:

Research the candidate. Putting in some time to get to know the candidate will allow you to create a cold recruitment email that is catered to the recipient. While you research, ask yourself what motivates and interests them, what their passions are, what accomplishments make them stand out, and how their goals and experience align with the role.
Personalize the message. Doing a bit of research on the candidate before writing the recruitment email can make all the difference in successfully hiring the individual. Make sure to use the candidate’s name within the email so it doesn’t look like something you send to everyone. Though it’s good practice to have cold recruitment email templates, you want to make sure there’s space for customization.
Avoid using the cold recruitment email as an opportunity to talk about your company. Instead, approach the cold email as a personal letter to the individual. If you can find out what interests them, you can add this information to the recruitment email as a way to incite them to read further.
Flattery is another way of getting the candidate to read the entire recruitment email. By mentioning an award or their work on a certain project, the recipient will be more interested in what you have to say.
Another good thing to add to a cold email is any connection you have in common. For example, maybe you heard about them from someone already working at the company. By using this connection, they’ll be more likely to read all of your recruitment email.
Write in a natural style. When writing a cold recruitment email, you want to sound natural in what you say. The cold email should sound more like a conversation and less like a formal letter. You can use contractions (“it’s” instead of “it is”) and start sentences with conjunctions (and, but, because) so your email sounds less formal. This allows the reader to see the recruitment email as being personal to them rather than something you’ve sent to hundreds of people.
Use an interesting subject line. This can be the most important aspect of a recruitment email. If the subject line doesn’t make the recipient want to read the email, then you’ll have failed before you even begin.

People are bombarded with emails all day long, and if you use a subject line that is not interesting, your cold recruitment email is more likely to go unopened. By using a subject line that makes them want to open the email, you at least get the chance to recruit them. So go for something like “You have the skills we’re looking for, Sam,” rather than “Exciting customer service opportunity with XYZ Company.”

Keep it short. With cold recruitment emails, you want to get straight to the point. No one wants to spend time reading a long email, and if you spend too much time talking about the company, for example, candidates are less likely to read the entire thing. A recruitment email should be between 50 and 125 words, and sentences should be short and simple.
Include a call to action. Make sure the cold email has a specific call to action so the reader knows exactly what to do if they’re interested. Make it easy for them to follow up with you so they’re more likely to respond. For example, if you simply want them to email you, provide your email in a hyperlink so all they have to do is click and reply. The more obvious the next steps are, the more likely the candidate will respond.

Proofread your email. Before hitting send, make sure to double‑check your spelling and grammar. This is important as people will make a judgement call on how you present yourself, and a cold email with errors will make you look less professional.

Things not to do in a cold email

Along with best practices, some other actions are best avoided. To get the best possible outcome for your efforts, avoid the following:

Sending the same email to everyone. Don’t send the same email to everyone you want to get in touch with for recruitment. The cold email will look more like spam if it’s not personalized, so make sure not to send a mass message.
Forgetting to check the person’s information. If, within a cold recruitment email, you spell someone’s name wrong or use the wrong information about their current position, they’re less likely to respond. By having the wrong information about someone, they’ll find it difficult to believe you actually want to hire them.
Not changing the recruitment email template information. This can be a critical mistake in any recruitment email. It goes back to the idea of making the cold email personalized. If there’s any hint of you using a template, the candidate is not likely to respond to the email and you’ll have lost that connection.
Talking about yourself. You want the recruitment email to be focused on the individual. People like hearing about themselves, and by focusing on them in the email, they’re more likely to read the email and respond.
Forgetting to follow up. You’ll want to touch base with the candidate again after sending the initial recruitment email. This shows that you’re interested in the person and gives you another opportunity to tell them why you want them to work for the company you’re hiring for.

Cold recruitment email templates

Check out the templates and examples below, which serve as a guide for writing a variety of cold recruitment emails:

Basic cold recruitment email template

Hi [first name], I hope you’re doing well. I’m writing to talk to you about a [role/position] at [company name]. I came across your [project/accomplishment] and think you’d be a great asset to our team. If you’d like to know more, simply reply to this email with your phone number and a time that would work for a short chat. Hope to talk soon, [Your name and company signature] Example: Subject: Quick chat? Hi Emily, I hope you’re doing well. I’m writing to talk to you about a customer service representative role at Wavewood. I came across your customer service award and think you’d be a great asset to our team. If you’d like to know more, simply reply to this email with your phone number and a time that would work for a short chat. Hope to talk soon, Sonia Bagonia HR Manager Wavewood

Email to hire freelance worker

Hi [first name], I saw your work on [website/profile] and think your passion for [field] is quite incredible. I’m looking for a talented [type of worker] to do some work for my company [company name]. If you want to see what we do, please check out [hyperlink to company website]. If you decide you’d like to work with us, please reply to this email and we’ll tell you about next steps. Thanks, [name and signature] Example: Subject: I love your photography Hi Alex, I saw your work on your website and think your passion for photography is quite incredible. I’m looking for a talented photographer to do some work for my company, Wavewood Food. If you want to see what we do, please check out www.wavewoodfood.com. If you decide you’d like to work with us, please reply to this email and we’ll tell you about next steps. Thanks, Martha Smith

Recruiting company cold recruitment email template:

Hi Mr. / Ms. [surname], My name is [your name] and I’m a recruiter at [company name]. We’re currently looking for someone with experience in [skill] for a [title of open role] opening. I saw your profile on [professional networking site] and am really impressed by what you’re doing at [candidate’s current company]. If you’d like to discuss this opportunity in greater detail, send me a contact phone number and a good time to reach you. Or, feel free to contact me at [phone number]. Best regards, [Your name] [Company name] [Your phone number] Example: Subject: You have the skills we want, Jerry Hi Mr. Shoemaker, My name is Eleni and I’m a recruiter at Wavewood Recruiting. We’re currently looking for someone with experience in retail for a sales associate opening. I saw your profile on Indeed and am really impressed by what you’re doing at Pournaras Paper Company. If you’d like to discuss this opportunity in greater detail, send me a contact phone number and a good time to reach you. Or, feel free to contact me at 555-222-1111. Best regards, Eleni Cotoulas Wavewood Recruiting 555-222-1111

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