Candidate outreach email template
Approaching someone who is not looking for a job.
A recruiting email should prove you looked at their actual work, state the salary range, and ask a low commitment question. Candidates who are not looking ignore anything that hides the money or could have been sent to anyone.
At a glance
| Use it when | Approaching a passive candidate directly |
|---|---|
| Length | 90 to 140 words |
| Tone | Respectful of their time, concrete |
| Ask for | A reply, not an application |
The template
Subject lines that work with it
- [Role] at [company] - [salary range]
- Your work on [specific project]
- [Company] is hiring for [role], worth a look?
How to write this email well
- Include the salary range. Withholding it is the single biggest reason good candidates do not reply.
- Name their actual work. Not their job title, the thing they built or wrote.
- Make the first step tiny. "Worth a fifteen minute call?" beats "apply here".
Questions
Should I include salary in the first email?
Yes. It filters out mismatches immediately and materially increases reply rates.
How do I avoid sounding automated?
Reference something only someone who looked would know. One specific detail does more than three paragraphs of warmth.
What if they say no?
Thank them and ask if they know someone. Referrals from people who declined are a strong source.
More job and recruiting templates
Job and recruiting
Job application
The email that carries your CV.
Job and recruiting
After the interview
The thank you that adds something rather than repeats.
Use this template in Gmail
Copy the HTML above and paste it into Mailplate, the free Gmail extension that inlines the CSS so the layout survives sending. Or edit the wording directly in the preview and insert it into your message.
See Mailplate