Recruiting Email Templates For Cold Outreach

Employment recruiters are discovering the power of cold emails in their daily challenge of connecting with top talent to fill client positions. Effectively reaching out to job seekers and others who aren’t even necessarily looking for a job switch is how conversations start and cold emails have become a must-have for any successful recruiter.

Cold emailing has become part of the digital toolbox for recruiters because it’s less intrusive than cold calling and much easier to scale. The ability to start and maintain multiple conversations at once, each at a different stage in the process, is key to maximizing the chances of finding just the right person for the job and nothing else works like cold emails.

Both recruiters and prospective employees have their own reasons to like, use and depend on cold emails. That’s why they become a standard, expected part of the job placement process and the perfect way to start the conversation about moving to a new job.

Use templates to save time and get results

Just as with other applications of cold emails, the use of cold email templates is a shortcut to success for recruiters. Templates are ready-made messages for a wide range of contexts, already carefully constructed and to format your message in the best way. They also include pieces of text, called custom fields (or as we call them in Woodpecker – snippets), that can be easily changed and substituted to create more personalized messaging, further increasing their effectiveness.

Having a library of templates readily available means you can save time and get your outreach campaigns started faster. Why compose a new message every time when it’s very likely that you’ve used similar or identical messaging before?

When recruiters reach out to prospective employees, they usually use one of a small number of angles or approaches, depending on the context. If you have a great template ready to go for each of those situations, you can save time and be sure that you are using a “formula” that has worked before and likely to remain effective because it ticks all the right boxes.

Before we look at some specific examples of cold email outreach templates for recruiters, let’s go over the most important things to bear in mind before you hit “Send”:

Adjust your tone for your audience

Since you have an audience of one, that means small but important changes in, for example, the way you address people. A C-level executive probably won’t be impressed by a casual, informal tone but that’s exactly what a Gen Z candidate probably expects. Always remember who you’re writing to and maintain the proper tone.

Your signature matters

Make sure it looks professional and includes your contact touchpoints. Don’t forget that Woodpecker offers a free email signature generator!

A clear CTA

Never leave someone asking “Ok, but what do you want me to do?” Whether it’s accessing your calendar, replying to you or anything else, be sure that CTA is unmistakable.

Make it about them

Just as with sales-oriented cold emails, your cold outreach for recruiting purposes needs to focus on the recipient and how they can benefit from what you’re doing.

Keep it as short as possible but long enough to get your message across

You can get into the details later in the conversation so don’t waste time and space in your email on things you can discuss next time. Your first outreach is about establishing the value you’re offering and gauging interest.

You need a great subject line

Subject lines are always a challenge but that just means you might need to spend more time on them than you thought. You need to make the recipient interested in what’s inside the email but don’t have many characters to do it. In recruitment, the name of the position in usually in the subject line so use that as a starting point.

Personalization, more personalization and then some more personalization

Be sure that your subject line is relevant to the needs & problems of the recipient. Remember, your email is all about them, so make it about them and what they need. Look out for too much “I / me / my / we / our” in your message.

8 great examples of cold email templates for recruiters

As we mentioned earlier, recruiters often find themselves reaching out to prospects based on a handful of the same situations that they encounter over and over. Someone they found on LinkedIn, someone recommended by a mutual friend, someone they’ve been in touch with before, etc. These and other situations come up frequently, so it makes perfect sense to put well-constructed templates to work instead of reinventing the wheel every time.

Just let me share a quick reminder, however, that you should never copy and paste these or any other templates directly into the email that you send out. Templates are starting points that help you save time, not the finished product. To make them as effective as possible, they need to be completed with information — snippets — that adapt them to the individual context and situation of a particular recipient. They have to be personalized so that every single email speaks to the unique circumstances of everyone who receives the email.

Your cold recruiting emails are only ready after they’ve been tailored with personalized additions that make sure that no two recipients receive the same message.

So, with that reminder out of the way, here are 8 templates for different types of cold email outreach situations for recruiters.

Reaching out to a candidate you found on LinkedIn

Subject: I’m looking for a {position} — Want to talk about your future?

Hi [FirstName],

Your LinkedIn profile caught my attention while researching potential candidates for {position} at {company}.

Your skills and experience at {present company} look like a very good match for what we are looking for and I have sent your info to our hiring manager. We’re impressed with your expertise and think you’d make an excellent addition to {company}.

{Company} is a {company description}.

I don’t know what your situation is at {current employer} but I would like to ask for a chance to explain why joining me at {company} is a great move for you. If you’re curious to learn more, when can we set up a call to discuss it?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

{Signature}

Outreach without revealing client name

Subject: My client is looking for a new {position}

Hi {FirstName},

We haven’t met, but I represent a client that is looking for a {position} and my research tells me that you could be a good fit.

If you’re happy at {present company} and not really looking for a change, I’ll just say congratulations and good luck but if you’re interested in learning more about other options, we can talk anytime.

My client is {company description}. I can provide more details if and when we get a chance to discuss it and answer any questions you might have.

If you are interested in having that conversation, please let me know when would be a convenient time. Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you.

{Signature}

Outreach citing past success and social proof

Subject: Fill your staffing needs now, including a new {position}, with our help

Hi {FirstName},

Your website has advertised an open position for {position} for a few weeks now.

I’m reaching out because I think you might be able to benefit from our placement services. We have helped {company name 1}, {company name 2} and many others with their recruitment needs and we can deliver top-quality candidates for the positions that you seem to have trouble filling.

You can go to our website to see even more satisfied clients.

We already have multiple candidates on file that match your job description. Would you be open to a call this week to learn more about our services and see how we can help? Any time that’s convenient for you works for me.

Thanks,

{Signature}

 

Reconnecting with an old candidate

Subject: Is now a better time for a new role?

Hi {FirstName},

Some time has passed since we were last in touch about the positions our clients are trying to fill, including {position}.

I remember that it wasn’t a good time for a move then but I’m reaching out now to ask if anything has changed and if you might be interested in discussing some really great possibilities. If this is a better time for a change, you take advantage of a fantastic career development opportunity.

So is now a good time to talk this over? Even if you weren’t thinking about a change, you could learn something about the current market and your worth. And of course you can think about whether or not a fresh start as a {position} sounds better now than it did last time.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

{Signature}

Outreach based on something the candidate has published

Subject: Great post — this is the kind of expertise that gets you noticed!

Hi {FirstName},

Your recent post on {platform} came to my attention recently and I was very impressed. Not only was it informative, but it shows that you have great expertise in the field of {field}.

It also reminded me of a client of mine that is looking for a {position}. They are looking for top talent and your post makes it clear that you would be an excellent candidate. Even if you weren’t thinking about a career change right now, this might be a great chance to learn more about market conditions and what someone like you is worth.

There’s no obligation and right now we’re just talking about your possible interest in the position. If we can set up a time to chat soon, I can answer any questions you might have.

Would you be interested in a brief call to chat about skiing and the role sometime this week?

{Signature}

Using a mutual connection to email a new prospect

Subject: {Connection Name} thinks we should talk

Hi {FirstName},

You’re my priority for today because {Connection Name] recommended that I talk to you.

Specifically, we should talk about the job openings you’re trying to fill. As a recruiter myself, I recently helped {Connection Name} with {his/her} staffing needs and that’s where I got your name from.

As {Connection Name} will confirm, we can deliver high-quality candidates for you to consider for your open positions and help you move forward. Can we arrange a chat soon to discuss more about what you’re looking for?

I am flexible with my availability. Let me know when works for you.

{Signature}

Short email to gauge interest

Subject: I've got an offer for you, do you have 5 minutes for me?

Hi {FirstName},

Someone with a CV like yours probably gets a lot of messages like this but I will try anyway. Who knows — maybe this is the offer you’ve been waiting for?

I’m a recruiter at {Company}. I’m reaching out because you seem like an ideal candidate for a position that one of our clients is trying to fill. It’s for a {Position} and I would love a chance to share the details with you.

I just need a few minutes of your time — are you interested in learning more about other opportunities?

Thanks,

{Signature}

Follow-up email for non-response after first message

Subject: This is an opportunity knocking again — interested?

Hi {FirstName},

When you can find the time, please consider my request to get in touch in my previous email.

It’s about a job opportunity and the chance for a new start as a {Position}. From what I can see about you, I think we have a lot to talk about and you might be pleasantly surprised at the options you have in today’s job market.

Even if you’re happy where you are, wouldn’t you like to know what my client is offering for a new {Position}?

If you can find just a few minutes I can go over the details and answer any questions you might have. You owe it to yourself to find out what you’re worth!

Thanks,

{Signature}

Start growing your recruitment template library for cold emails

That should be enough to get you started but you will definitely run into other situations in your work as a recruiter. When you recognize certain emails that cover the same ground, prepare a template for that conversation, file it away and take it out as needed. Again, there is no reason to reinvent the same thing over and over when you can get a jump start on your cold recruitment campaigns by using templates that provide a framework for your message.