In a way, recruitment is sales. Recruiters sell jobs to candidates. The first step of selling is to get the buyer's attention, and a great way to do so is through an outreach email.

It's not easy to write an enticing email that instantly converts candidates. There are several other recruiters competing for the same candidate's attention and plenty of other jobs for which candidates could apply.

Once you learn the elements that make an outreach email successful, your success rate as a recruiter increases. Here are seven essentials of high-conversion emails (in no particular order) to help you stand out among the clutter and convert candidates at higher rates.

1. Be clear and specific

"Hi [candidate], I have an opportunity that you would be interested in. Can we talk?" This is a classic example of unclear communication.

An incomplete message like this will not pique a candidate's interest. It will simply be ignored and possibly damage the reputation of the recruiter. It doesn't give enough information about the job and looks like a lazy attempt to get a candidate's attention.

A better example: Hi [candidate], I'm writing to see if you'd be interested in a job opening for [job title] at [company]. I think you'll be a great fit for the role. Shall we talk?

If you see a pool with unclear water, you are unlikely to swim in it. So clear the waters for your candidate. Give them details about the job. Keep the message transparent and concise. Once a candidate sees what opportunity lies in front of them, they'll be hooked. This builds the first level of interest and opens up a relationship.

2. Make the subject line strong

The cover of a book does not determine its value. But books with beautiful covers get picked up more often than the others, eventually leading to better sales. Your subject line is no different. An enticing subject line creates interest in the candidate and makes them open the email. This is an essential step to start the conversation.

Keep the subject line punchy and short. Email apps tend to truncate subject lines in mobile device previews, so make sure the first few words are enticing.

Examples of great subject lines:
You're a great fit for [job title] at [company]
How does [name], [senior job title] sound?
Take the next step in your career as [job title]
Seat for [job title] is empty at [company]
Role of [senior job title] could be yours
[company] needs your expertise as [job title]

Email open rates increase if you make the subject line specific to the job you are hiring for. Let's assume you are hiring a senior AI engineer for a reputable company. This person is going to lead a team of engineers to create an efficient AI model that consumes the least amount of computing power—a much-needed technological advance.

Examples of subject lines for senior AI engineer:
Would you like to lead the AI team at [company]?
Build the most efficient AI model. Lead our team!
Lead our team in creating the most efficient AI model
Join [company] as a senior AI engineer
Unique AI leadership opportunity awaits at [company]
Your next leadership challenge: Senior AI engineer at [company]

 3. Propose unique value, create magnets

There are hundreds of jobs a candidate could pursue right now. Why should they talk to you? How is this job different from the others and why should they take it? Provide unique value and give them a reason to talk to you.

Next, add magnets. Magnets are pieces of information that spike the candidate's interest. This includes things like the size of the company, laurels, the leadership team, and the unique opportunities and challenges the job presents. Attach employer brand videos if you have any.

Lastly, show your credibility as a recruiter. This builds more trust and gives the candidate confidence in the role.

Here's how an email with added value and magnets looks:

 4. Call them to (an easy) action

So, the candidate's hooked and has read the entire email. The next step is to get them to take action. Always mention what action you want them to take. The most common one is asking to express interest with a reply. Still, there are potential barriers that might prevent candidates from replying.

A candidate might think, what happens after replying? Is the first call going to be an interview? How long is it going to take before they call me? How long is the call going to be?

To avoid these barriers, go one step further. Make the call to action more specific and give as much information as possible about the next interaction. For example:

1. Could we hop on a 10 minute call and see if the job is the right move for both of us? How does 9 am tomorrow sound?

2. Shall we talk about the job opportunity after work hours tomorrow? Here's my calendar link. You can book a 10 minute slot at your convenience. In the meantime, you may read the detailed job description here [link].

With these tips, the candidate is more comfortable talking to you in the first interaction.

 5. Humanize the email

Candidates feel valued when the recruiter makes an effort to show they are friendly and approachable. Here are small things you could do to make real connections with candidates:

1. Open with a greeting and call candidates by their names.

2. Use the candidate's name in the subject line if possible.

3. Tell them where you found their profile: LinkedIn, job boards, referrals, etc.

4. Write like you speak. Use first and second person pronouns. Keep it professional, but use common words and simple language.

5. Add an email signature with your name, designation, company, contact details, and LinkedIn profile.

6. Add your picture in the email signature to give a face to the email.

When a candidate sees your effort, they tend to reciprocate the same. They are more interested because you are.

 6.  Follow up diligently

You could put all your energy and attention into crafting that first email. But if candidates simply miss seeing the email due to various reasons, all your efforts go down the drain. This is where a follow-up email revives your whole outreach strategy.

Let the follow-up email be a natural continuation of your first email. Here are a few things to remember while writing a follow-up email:

1. Connect the follow-up email with the first email, but always assume the candidate did not read the first one.

2. Send the first follow-up after a minimum of two days from sending the first email. The second follow-up should be at least three days away from the first follow-up so they don't feel like they are spammed with emails.

3. Provide the same level of detail about the job and company—possibly a bit more to nudge them to respond.

4. Add a sense of urgency to encourage a quick response.

5. Show openness to address potential problems the candidate might have.

A good follow-up email looks like this:

7. Test and upgrade outreach emails

A great outreach email goes through several iterations before it becomes a high-performing email that converts candidates at high rates. Every recruiter should make it a practice to test their outreach emails regularly.

Test out every section of the email. Ideally, change and test one part of the email to see how it impacts the open and response rates.

• Subject lines

• Tone of voice

• Value propositions and magnets

• Follow-up emails

Test out these metrics for each job title (and client if you are a staffing agency).

 Email features in Zoho Recruit

Zoho Recruit comes with sophisticated email management features to help recruiters like you communicate better and convert candidates at higher rates.

Here's a quick run through of all email features in Zoho Recruit:

• Send or schedule personalized emails right from Zoho Recruit. Keep an accurate record of all conversations.

• Create email templates for every scenario with customized content.

• Leverage RecruiterInbox, our smart email assistant that helps filter incoming emails into categories and ensures contextual communication.

• Automate email follow-ups so you don't have to remember timelines for each candidate.

• Configure email add-ons for Zoho Mail, Gmail, and Outlook. Fetch candidate details directly from your inbox into Zoho Recruit.

• Generate email content with Smart Assist, Zoho Recruit's AI-powered writing assistant.

Try the email features in Zoho Recruit today. If you aren't using Zoho Recruit as your ATS, sign up for a 15-day free trial.