Want your thoughts on recruiting emails/LinkedIn messages

ilonatrn·Apr 04, 2022

Hi friends! Trying to learn what resonates with people about recruiting messages, and was hoping to draw on all the vast experience you folks on here have!

Do you like more context or less? Do you want them to notice that you used to play soccer in college, or is the value proposition of the job all you want? Do you want links and resources, or would you rather just hop on a call to hash it out? Do you feel differently when a hiring manager reaches out than when a recruiter does?

What are things that you've seen done well, and things that have turned you off?

Thanks in advance for all of your insight!!!

Morgan·Apr 04, 2022

Personally;*There's very little you can say on a call that can't be said on an email. * Don't be coy with information. If you can't tell me anything but just repeat 'when is a good time to connect?', I'm ignoring the message. Answer the questions and I'm likely to get on your call.* It helps to send the JD immediately.* I will link to relevant projects portfolio and ask that you look at it to see if it fits your role. If you ignore it, I'm going to press - "What about the links I shared do you think fit your role?' There was a wonderful recruiter who did the work before reaching out to me, which I appreciated deeply.* I will ask for the name of the company (client) you're recruiting for. I will tell you I have no intention of going around you to apply, and emphasize how that is a terrible thing to do to someone (Because it is! Don't cheat recruiters out of pay!) Sometimes, you just can't say it until someone gets on the phone. I get it, so answering my other questions is still the best way to get me on the phone.* It doesn't matter if it's a Hiring Manager or a Recruiter to me; I read the name, not the role.

coolkoala·Apr 05, 2022

I second this, I appreciate as much information as possible upfront.

madisonpollardshore·Apr 05, 2022

For me, I want context, and I want as much information as possible about the role. It doesn't bother me whether it is a recruiter or the hiring manager. It helps to know why you think I'm a good fit, as I've had some recruiters reach out about completely irrelevant roles. Re hopping on a call - I'm not going to want to do that until I've had a chance to take a look at any documents about the role, company etc.Also, be open about salaries - I've had many recruiters tell me that they don't discuss salaries until after an interview = I'm not going to interview unless I at least know the salary range. Otherwise, it could very well be a waste of my time!

Morgan·Apr 05, 2022

> I'm not going to want to do that until I've had a chance to take a look at any documents about the role, company etc.Right. I'm not walking into a bad situation. Let me do my research first. There have been a few great companies who were open to letting me talk to someone in a team I'd be working with.

ilonatrn·Apr 05, 2022

Great points! Follow up q - do you want to know up front (in the first message) why the recruiter thinks you're a good fit? Or are you open to that during a follow on conversation, or even in their response to you?I guess my question is - if the opportunity is compelling, does that level of personalization add anything, or are you excited regardless because the opportunity is good?

madisonpollardshore·Apr 08, 2022

For me, it doesn't need to be in the first message, but should be early on in the conversation. I have quite a diverse career history, and people have had ideas about roles that they think are a good fit, based on assumptions about my previous role, only to find I've not done the sort of things they were expecting, and the role wasn't going to be right for me.That said, if it is a really compelling opportunity, the fit is less important as I will likely be interested anyway

nadinecaraccio·Apr 05, 2022

I like to see all the information recruiting can share with the candidate upfront. As a Recruiting professional I do the same thing!

paigelowe·Apr 05, 2022

Everyone else had great points, so I won't repeat them, but my personal pet peeve is when a recruiter goes on and on about a startup's unicorn rocketship funding but doesn't mention what they actually do.I know it's important to lay out that the company is financially viable and it's important for some candidates to know they could be getting in on the ground floor of something big, but not talking at all about what you'll actually be making is an instant no for me.It's a combination of me really caring about if what I'm working on helps people, me getting too many reachouts to investigate all of them, and a (potentially wrong) belief that if this is how they're advertising the role, the engineers I'd be working with would all care more about getting rich than the impact of their work (positive or negative).Long story short: even if it's a throwaway sentence before you get to all the funding numbers, please tell me what your company does--especially for startups.

ValEsway·Apr 05, 2022

I appreciate more context and thorough communication. Links, job description, salary range are helpful. Turnoffs are when a recruiter drops communication.

Sarrah·Apr 05, 2022

Job description + salary range. Most recruiters play coy about salary range for some reason. It’s a waste of time for everyone.

mounicaveggalam·Apr 06, 2022

I started ignoring recruiter emails/messages automatically without reading much. The main reason is because they are just generic and probably sent in masses. "I'm impressed by your background" says each message. But what about my background made you reach out and thought I would be a good fit?Most recruiters don't bother to see what I need and what I may be ready for. A simple personalized genuine message such as below would get me to reply easily:"Hi, I was just looking at your profile and I see that you have been at X for so many years. Are you getting the growth you want at your current role? What are you looking for in your ideal role?" and then give some links in your signature for me to check you out and the JD's you are responsible for.

alissakb·Apr 06, 2022

Hi, I usually get a few of recruiter messages a week and I prefer ones that have taken the time to look at my LI profile and are up front about the JD and comp. Surprisingly, it can be hard to get all of this information and if a recruiter isn't up front about it, I won't pursue it. I would be uncomfortable with someone who opened with my hobbies or something vague on my LI or other social profiles. But recommending a position that matches my previous roles, industry and experience is totally relevant and appreciated.

maggiewolff·Apr 07, 2022

I like more context and less "sales" or trying to win me over. Share the name of the company, a link to the job description, and the salary range - I'm very hesitant to schedule a call without all of those things, and it's annoying when a recruiter wouldn't include it all upfront. I get contacted a lot, I don't have time to talk to everyone, so if a recruiter is being vague, I just assume they don't actually have an open role and are just trying to beef up their candidate list for their own benefit and I won't waste my time engaging with them. Or if they are hiding info like salary then I assume it's low or they're trying to lowball candidates, so I'll send them to https://showthepay.com/ and tell them to follow up when they can share a range.

rkwalton·Apr 11, 2022

I don't want a call.Please give me all the info:job, org, salary range, culture, and why I should consider this org and roleI do feel a little offended when a recruiter asks me why I'm looking to leave but they reached out to me. I was minding my own business when you tapped me. I'm open to learning more. It doesn't mean I'm trying to go anywhere. There can be smoke and mirrors with the hiring manager/recruiter initial contact, so it really doesn't matter, TBH.

rachelserwetz·Apr 12, 2022

Hi @ilonatrn I typically recommend reaching out to people on the team you want to join, and/or trying to find intros or warm connections where possible , and to focus on learning from the person to elicit a response. I'd think about a) type of connection b) what you say/phrasing c) where you reach out, as key ingredients to elicit responses. Happy to help you navigate networking in an effective way so you can easily land informational calls and push those into interviews. BTW, I'm Rachel, a Career Coach (iamwoken.com), and I offer a free initial career coaching call here-- calendly.com/woken/demo

sarahmjschreiner·Jun 01, 2022

Give me the job description, and the name of the company. It feels really weird when they won't tell you who they're recruiting for. I know there are reasons why you can't do this sometimes. But if that's the case, say so up front and give me a basic description, a major cellular phone company, for example.Be able to describe the job accurately. I had a recruiter recently ask me about a business development role, I told her I was looking to flex my storytelling muscles in my next role, she said that this would be a great fit. Then she sent me a Sales position application. Not a good look. Do not call me 'Applicant' in any emails or documents you send to me, particularly if you reached out to me. Do not send me materials that indicate this job posting has expired. Do not refuse to send me things in writing. If we can only talk about this over the phone, that's a red flag. If it's not written down, it's a promise from someone I'm not even working with. And any manager can renege on it. Insisting we have the conversation on the phone will lead me to say, "Sounds great, send it to me via email."Things done well: I asked about Maternity leave and the recruiter did not know, told me he didn't know, then reached out to two employees who'd recently taken their leave and asked about their experience, as well as giving me the HR documentation. I was wildly impressed

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