In this article, we will explore how to identify different hiring manager profiles, establish an effective partnership, and overcome objec
The Art of Follow-up message!
By
Maud-Emilie Goyer
You can't always get it right the first time. And truth be told, most of the time, it takes perseverance to arouse the interest of potential candidates when you’re contacting them through a cold message. The quality, diversity, and originality of your follow-up can make all the difference.
Your candidate approaches should not be limited to a simple introductory message. It is just as important to think about what comes next, to create a sequence that will make you stand out from the crowd.
As with your candidate approaches, it is essential to continue to personalize your follow-ups. All our experts agree that the first follow-up should be short and concise. Highlight another element in the profile that caught your eye and that you didn't mention in your initial message. Same thing regarding the role and the company. The key is to find a new angle of approach.
Here are some other points our experts invite you to consider:
1. Plan your sequence
It doesn't matter whether you prefer a sequence of 3 or 4 messages, to feel a real impact on your response rate, you must carefully plan each of your communications. There are, of course, different schools of thought on how long to wait between each message, but it's essential to keep in mind that your approach should not create a feeling of aggression and appear as spam.
Choose the time of day and week wisely on when you will send your follow-ups. People tend to check their personal emails early in the morning or at the end of the day. A message sent on a Friday afternoon is more likely to be forgotten and remain unanswered.
2. Your first ally: Your message subject line
Don’t keep the same title from one message to another. The goal is to pique the curiosity of your potential candidate and get them to respond. Show them that there is really a human behind the process and that it is not automation. A touch of humour and, depending on the type of the role obviously, one or two emojis could also help capture attention.
3. The quiz, a great way to show humour
When you can combine business with pleasure, why not do it?! The fun side of a message in the form of a short questionnaire leaves no one indifferent. Whether you use it on your second follow-up or keep it as a joker during the last round, the quiz works and is very often synonymous with success.
Try to put yourself in the place of the person contacted and imagine why they haven’t responded to you. We know that messages are read most of the time, but that the person simply doesn’t respond. Make your candidate want to read your messages and respond to them. The goal is to engage in dialogue in the form of a game.
Hi X,
I’m following up on my last message and decided to give you a little quiz!
Here are some choices to find out more about what you’d like to do:
A) Meet up with a few family members for a nice dinner.
B) Hope I stop writing to you to talk about your career.
C) Discuss the challenges offered by (Company Name), why not?
What speaks to you the most?
Looking forward to hearing from you!
4. End on a creative note!
End your message by suggesting a call, yes, but why not suggest something more original: a virtual coffee, a quick chat, or an exchange? Offer your help not only for the position you are currently working on but for future considerations. What you want is to succeed in establishing contact and generating conversation!
Immediately offer two to three-time slots to increase efficiency.
If you have one, the link to your Calendly can also be an asset.
5. Don’t limit yourself to LinkedIn
Depending on the industry and the nature of the role you are working on, don't rely solely on LinkedIn. Diversifying your communication channels can also be a win-win. You could do an InMail follow-up combined with an email. A LinkedIn invitation with a note also works well. If you don’t have the candidate’s email address, there are many tools available to help you find business addresses. It is also possible to contact the candidates directly on their websites, for those who have one. And for more technical positions, think about platforms like GitHub or StackOverflow to find profiles and their email addresses, for example.
Be sincere; say that you persist because you really want to talk to them, and that, if the offer for which you are contacting them is not relevant, their feedback would help you improve your search. If the hiring process is already well underway, mention this in your message. This can also encourage a response from your potential candidate.
Basically, follow-ups are essential. Take the time to put together your strategy and refine your messages and you will see your response rate increase!
Fun fact: can you guess how many follow-ups I had to do with my team to obtain their expertise on the subject? There are always some who will answer on the first try, but let’s be honest, it is not the vast majority. Regardless of the context or situation, follow-ups are a powerful tool in your communications.
