6 Tips When Contacting A Hiring Manager / Recruiter On Linkedin
Making contact on LinkedIn – do your messages to hiring managers and recruiters get ignored? Here are some tips from an M&T Resources recruiter.
I can’t say for all recruiters, but in my experience working in other large businesses and recruitment firms, and currently with M&T Resources, I receive a large number of emails and messages daily from candidates. Not all messages are unsolicited. Some are replies to messages that I have sent out when approaching “passive” candidates with opportunities that are highly suited to them. There’s always value in building relationships with recruiters because when the right job comes up, they have you front of mind.
Here are six quick pragmatic tips when you send a LinkedIn InMail to a recruiter or hiring manager to ensure you are getting a relevant response.
Subject matters
This is nothing new. Even with emails, the subject title is the first thing they see and it can determine whether or not the reader decides to invest the time to keep reading. Keep it direct, real and straight to the point.
Check your spelling and grammar
This is essential and it is surprising how many candidates miss this important step. Incorrect spelling and grammar can leave a bad impression. Do not rely solely on spell checker as whilst this may pick up poor spelling, it may not notice grammatical errors.
Make it specific
Address the person by name and ensure your email doesn’t read like the same text has been sent to 50 other people.
Do some research into the specific market / technology / business domain / industry that you are targeting. Seek recruiters or managers who may be hiring in that vertical space as domain experts. These recruiters will have the best and most relevant customers that you can leverage. It also means you’re aligning with an expert in your world who can advise on what’s happening in the market, where the projects are, salary information and more. Using specific keywords that they understand and relate to will also give you a higher chance of being contacted.
It’s not (just) about you
It’s easy to just talk about your skills and your experience. To give yourself an edge, always go the extra step to answer the big “So what?” – why should the recruiter / employer consider you?
To do that, highlight the benefits that you can deliver. It’s almost always about helping people save cost, making things more efficient, offering certainty, less hassle, etc. And then back that up with evidence – i.e. your skills and experience. The order of messaging is important.
Make a list
Thanks to smartphones and social media, our attention today is very, very short. The best way to capture your reader’s attention and hold it is to use lists or bullet points. Use bullet points to outline the benefits you offer and keep it short and succinct.
“I know someone you know…”
Never underestimate the power of referrals. Name-dropping may sound superfluous but when done well and in a real and genuine way, can truly open doors.
A simple example of name-dropping in a first paragraph: of your message: “Jane Smith, Program Manager at ABC Bank, suggested that I get in touch with you regarding the Agile Business Analyst contract role.”
Good people tend to only refer good people themselves, so think about who can introduce you to the recruiter or client in question, and who you mutually know.
“The kick is only as good as the chase”
Recruiters and hiring managers are usually juggling multiple roles at any one time with a wide variety of requirements.
If you follow-up with a phone call within 48 hours after sending an email, they will remember the conversation and will be more likely to have you in mind when something interesting and relevant comes up.
Finally, getting to know how you present yourself through conversations or face to face meetings offers an extra level of assurance that a resume on a database doesn’t have.
Try and meet recruitment consultants to build these relationships and you will see an increase in the opportunities that they put your way.