Best Practices for Emailing Candidates

If you’re looking for a cost effective way to boost your recruitment strategy, email marketing is a great solution! Recruitment emails allow you to reach the exact candidates you’re looking for with a streamlined, branded hiring message. Here are some best practices to keep in mind while utilizing email campaigns:

  1. Decide which email method is the best fit for your hiring needs. At Nexxt, we offer three different types of email campaigns:

a. Dedicated Email: A one-time branded email sent to a dedicated audience of your choosing.

b. Drip Email: Two or three email campaigns sent to the same audience. Sends 2 and 3 only go to candidates who did not open the previous send(s). Customize your subject line for each send.

c. Reminder Email: Two email campaigns sent to the same audience. Send 2 only goes to candidates who did not click your Call to Action in the previous send. Customize your subject line for each send.

  1. Fine tune your email’s messaging and content:

a. Subject line:

i. Since most candidates check email on their phones, keep subject lines to 50 characters or fewer.

ii. Use messaging that’s specific to your company. Consider including details such as your company name, the available position, and/or the location.

iii. Call out an enticing element of the job that would catch a candidate’s attention (ex. sign-on bonus, great benefits, competitive pay, relocation assistance, tuition reimbursement, etc.).

b. Email content:

i. Within the email’s content, keep your messaging clear and focused on the campaign’s goal. Relay key information towards the top of the email, as some candidates will scan the message quickly. A bullet point list can help quickly convey the key takeaways about the position and its applicable benefits/perks.

ii. To encourage clicks, include multiple Calls to Action throughout the email messaging using buttons or linked text.

iii. Some recipients may have images disabled for the emails, so be sure to have your key information available in plain text form within the email.

  1. Optimize your landing page and apply process. When a candidate clicks on your Call to Action button within the email (ex. “Apply Now” or “Learn More”), the landing page they’re taken to should be clear and easy to navigate. Pretend you’re a candidate and run through the entire application or registration process on your own. How many steps are involved, and how long did it take you to complete? If the application process is confusing or too lengthy, this could cause interested candidates to exit early and not become a meaningful conversion for you.

  2. Launch the campaign on an ideal day and time. Consider the days and times most candidates are checking and engaging with their email inbox. If you were a job seeker, when would you be more likely to interact with a hiring email? Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays tend to be strong performing days. Avoid sending campaigns on weekends and holidays. In addition, consider the type of job you’re hiring for and how that may affect candidate behavior. For example, if you’re hiring for a 9-5 office job, you may not want to launch a campaign near the end of the work day on Friday when people with office jobs are wrapping up their weeks. Launching an email campaign between 10am and 3pm local time is recommended.

    Using email marketing effectively and intentionally can optimize your results and help you hire great candidates. With these best practices in hand, you’re already on your way to creating an effective recruitment campaign. Happy emailing!

Nexxt is a recruitment media company that uses today’s most effective marketing tactics to reach the full spectrum of talent – from active to passive, and everything in between. Learn more about hiring with Nexxt.

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