Digital Recruiter Corner #2: The Key to Messaging that Gets Replies: What's In It for Them

The Keys to Messaging that Gets Replies

One of the biggest challenges recruiters face is crafting messaging that gets replies. The amount of poor messaging I see from recruiters—even those billing a decent amount, sometimes half a million dollars a year or more, or even internal teams—is staggering. 

These recruiters might rely on a solid referral system or a couple of bread-and-butter accounts, but they’re leaving a lot of potential on the table with subpar messaging. Let’s dive into how you can improve your messaging to get more replies and better results.

The Importance of Short and Concise Messaging

The first step in effective messaging is to be short and concise. Long, rambling messages are less likely to be read or responded to. But brevity alone isn’t enough; you also need to focus on what’s in it for the recipient. 

Why Short and Concise Works

1. Quick Read: Busy professionals don’t have time to read long messages. A short, to-the-point message respects their time.
2. Immediate Impact: Concise messages get straight to the point, clarifying why you’re reaching out.
3. Higher Engagement: Shorter messages are more likely to be read and responded to, increasing your engagement rate.

What’s In It for Them?

Too often, recruiters focus on what’s in it for the client or themselves. They highlight the type of company or the benefits of working with them as a recruiter. But what about the candidate? What’s in it for them? This shift in focus can drastically improve your response rates.

The Candidate-Centric Approach

1. Remove as many “I” statements as possible. Your LinkedIn profile (or email signature) should show them what you do. Your message should be focused on them. If you have five or even ten “I’s” in your message, you have to fix it. 
2. Highlight Perks: Most job descriptions and messages start with the company. No candidate cares about that at first. Mention specific perks of the job that would appeal to the candidate. This could be anything from flexible working hours to career advancement opportunities.
   Example for Healthcare: “[First Name], we have a role that offers flexible working hours, patient limits, and 100% paid benefits, relocation, and stock options. Are you open to learning more?”
3. Show Value: Explain how the role or opportunity aligns with their career goals or interests.
   Example: “I noticed your experience in [field/skill]. We have a position that would leverage your expertise and help you grow further.”
4. Request Feedback: Instead of asking if they’re interested, ask for their thoughts or feedback. This opens a dialogue and makes them feel valued.
   Example: “I’d love to get your thoughts on this opportunity. Do you think it aligns with your career goals?”

Gathering Intel

The goal of your initial message shouldn’t just be to find the perfect candidate right away. Instead, consider it an opportunity to gather intel about the role and the candidate. This information will help you make better matches in the future.

Why Intel Matters

1. Refine Your Search: Candidate feedback can help refine your search criteria, making your future outreach more targeted.
2. Improve Your Messaging: Understanding what candidates are looking for can help you tailor your messages to meet their needs better.
3. Build Relationships: Engaging candidates in a conversation, even if they’re not interested in the current role, can help you build a network of potential future candidates. Timing is everything in recruiting; instead of annoying them with a pitch or lying with a “this job is perfect” without knowing them, build the ecosystem, and you’ll get rewarded over time. They’ll come back to you when they need to or send referrals over because great recruiters are rare to find.

The Power of Recalibration

Once you start getting replies, you can recalibrate your approach based on the feedback you receive. This iterative process will help you improve your messaging and increase your success rate.

Steps to Recalibrate

1. Analyze Feedback: Look at the responses you’re getting. Are candidates interested in certain perks? Are there common reasons for declining?
2. Adjust Messaging: Modify your messaging based on the feedback. Highlight different perks or reframe the opportunity to better align with candidate interests.
3. Refine Your List: Use your gathered intel to refine your target list. Focus on candidates more likely to be interested, reducing wasted effort.

Practical Example: Crafting the Perfect Message

Let’s put this into practice with a sample message incorporating these principles. 

This Digital Recruiter Talent Group recruiter builds a campaign leveraging LinkedIn Automation and our messaging we teach at the Digital Recruiter (for agency or corporate recruiters). 

This was a Mid-Market Account executive.

The connection rate was 86%, and the reply rate was 48% (this calculates all messages and parts of the sequence. The reply rate of connections was closer to the 60-70% range)

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Message:

%%first_name%%,

My client is hiring for a AE/SE role at a rapidly growing Series B cybersecurity startup. Fully remote, 40% inbound leads, well funded, & favorable commission structure.

Curious, would you be open to the sales side of things, while leveraging your technical skills as a SE?

Your Name

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Why this worked:

You see, we showed what’s in it for them. A technical salesperson wants to ensure they have more inbound leads as they don’t want to be a pure “hunter” in sales. This generated conversation, and we got intel from the role and were able to submit highly relevant candidates to our client. 

The connection and reply rate also highlights the importance of building the right lists in prospecting or sourcing in recruiting. 

Mixing it with a highly relevant LinkedIn profile that resonates with the intended audience is sure to increase your connection and response rate. 

Conclusion: Elevate Your Messaging Game

The key to successful messaging is always thinking about what's in it for the recipient. By focusing on the candidate’s needs and interests, you can craft messages that get replies, build relationships, and gather valuable intel. This approach will help refine your strategy, improve engagement rates, and ultimately help you become a more effective recruiter.

So, take a moment to evaluate your current messaging strategy. Are you highlighting what’s in it for the candidate? Are your messages short and to the point? By making these adjustments, you’ll significantly improve your response rates and overall success. If you need help refining your approach, Digital Recruiter is here to guide you every step of the way. Let’s transform your recruiting. 

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