You spend ages crafting the perfect message to send out to potential candidates only to see them go unopened and unread. Nightmare. But worry not! We’re going to share some tips on how to blow your open rates wide open and be seen by your dream candidate. 

Snappy subject lines: First and foremost, make sure your subject line is catchy and attention-grabbing. We all know how important first impressions are, and your subject line is the first thing that your potential candidate will see. So make it creative and make sure you use their name, avoid generic lines like “Job Opportunity”. Get your message across in 6-10 words and, as you know, we love an emoji. So we love seeing those too! 🎉

Short & sweet: Just like us, candidates are busy people. Keep your message short, sweet and to the point. They don’t want to read five paragraphs and although attachments can seem like an extra step, it’s still best to avoid putting the entire job description in the body of the email.

Personalisation is key: Address your candidate by their name and tailor your message to their interests and experience. This is the fun part. Some people call it stalking. We call it investigating 🔎 Study the candidate’s LinkedIn profile and look at their previous roles and employers. Does the opportunity you have benefit them in a way their current place doesn’t? Are there benefits included that they don’t currently have? These could be your selling points. Make sure you’re highlighting key points like the main responsibilities and company culture but choose the things that are most relevant to this particular candidate and provide the more lengthy points in an attachment. 

Also, be sure to show your enthusiasm and excitement for the position and the company, as it will make them feel more connected to you and the opportunity.

In the words of Lizzo, it’s about damn time: Timing is also crucial when it comes to sending messages. Avoid sending them during the weekend or outside of work hours. Instead, try sending them during business hours, preferably mid-week when they’re more likely to be checking their emails. Also, try to avoid sending too many messages in a short amount of time, as it may come across as spammy and irritating.

Switch it up: Video sales messages allow you to stand out in inboxes and can improve engagement by up to 80%. It’s also worth noting that 95% of a video message is retained opposed to only 10% for text in an email or message. So, if you’re still struggling with engagement after you improve your open rates, get in touch to learn more about Capture!

Keep your lists clean: If you’re sending comms out to multiple candidates and are using a list, you might think it’s best to send your message to as many people as you can and hope for the best. In reality, quality is more important than quantity. If you have someone who hasn’t opened an email 3+ times in a row, you might not notice, but Gmail is smart enough to. If you continue to send emails to people who don’t open them, they’ll just be directed to the spam folder - and your neighbours will be “U HAVE WON $100,000,000. CLICK 2 CLAIM! 💰”.

Don’t give up: The last important step is to not forget to follow up! Send a friendly (non-pushy) message after a few days to reiterate your interest in them and maybe include some new information on the role that could pique their interest.

Ultimately, increasing message open rates is all about being creative, personal, and thoughtful. By using these tips and tricks, you'll be sure to catch the attention of potential candidates and fill those positions with the best of the best. So, keep on smiling, keep on recruiting, and happy hunting!