MightyRecruiterOnce you’ve conquered the hurdle of selecting the right candidate for a vacant position, the next step is to make the offer official before they head off in a different direction. For this purpose, you’ll need to write a contract letter email that swiftly and succinctly lays out all of the details a new hire would need to accept your offer .
The purpose of this form of communication is to start a conversation with passive candidates, those who may already be employed but are still open to hearing about other job prospects (like your own). The tricky part is that your target is often someone who’s comfortable in their current position. So, the real challenge is to write a job proposal letter that will spark their interest and convince them that you’re worth talking to and your opportunity is worth discussing.
If written well, this letter type is a flattering, exciting prospect for a candidate. Most ambitious individuals are eager to climb the career ladder and challenge themselves to new opportunities, so having a promising job proposal letter land in their mailbox can be a very positive experience. Passive candidates don’t, however, want to receive generic communication that wastes their time, so this letter must be relevant and to the point.
Follow the steps below to ensure you craft a letter that grabs the attention of top talent.
Tips on How to Write a Job Proposal Letter
1. Start Off Strong
Really desirable candidates may receive multiple letters from recruiters weekly, so you have to write yours in a way that stands out from the rest. Whether it’s the subject line of an email or the opening sentence of a letter, it needs to be original and enticing enough to encourage the prospective hire to open and read on. So, don’t include the boring specifics, like the job title, right at the beginning; instead, use a line that speaks to them personally or start with an opening that’s unusual or unexpected.
2. Do Your Research
Never write a job proposal letter without having carefully researched both the candidate and the position. If you know specifics about the person, their career path, and objectives, you can tailor the message to them and therefore make it more appealing and harder to ignore. The idea is to talk to them directly and to make them feel special and wanted. Similarly, try to make a personal connection by highlighting shared experiences or mentioning people you both know, without sounding creepy, of course. It’s also important to understand what the proposed job entails and what its allure is so that you can pick out exactly why this particular individual should absolutely not turn down this particular opportunity.
3. Highlight the Role’s Unique Pros
Rather than focus on the position’s responsibilities or on why the passive candidate would be perfect in the role, write a job proposal letter that emphasizes what they can get out of making the move. Outline the perks of the job, the opportunities for growth, the impact this role could have on their career trajectory. And don’t forget some of the smaller advantages – is there an on-site coffee shop that makes killer croissants? Is the office pet friendly? You want to really underline why leaving their current position would be worth it.
4. Keep it Real and Don’t Bore
Avoid generic language. Make it clear that this is just one person talking to another by keeping the tone of the letter down-to-earth, using humor, and being real about the purpose of the communication. If there’s material that you can attach to add color and paint a picture of how great your company culture is, do so. The important thing is to not bore the recipient by launching into long descriptions of the business, the job, and the various requirements. Keep it succinct and intriguing, and refrain from waffling.
5. Take the Pressure Off
If the candidate is not even job-hunting, bombarding them with a list of job requirements and requests for a CV, motivational letter, and answers to various questions will only intimidate and deter them. You’re not even sure the person is interested yet, so don’t presume anything or overwhelm them. Making a career move is a big decision, so the candidate won’t want to feel pushed to make any commitments then and there. If all you ask for is a casual conversation so that they can learn more, they’re much more likely to be open to the idea.
6. End with a Clear Call to Action
Be careful not to write a job proposal letter that ends in such a way that the candidate can use a non-response as an answer. For example, if you say, “Email me if this sounds like something you’d be interested in”, the candidate could simply not reply as a way of communicating that they’re not interested. However, if you ask a specific question, like “Are you available to chat more at 5.30pm on Tuesday evening?”, they will feel more obliged to get back to you.
7. Follow Up (But Don’t Pester)
Give the candidate sufficient time to respond and be wary of annoying them with multiple letters and phone calls. However, if you haven’t heard back after several days, do reach out to them again with a respectful follow-up mail – this not only indicates that you’re serious about them personally, but it also serves to remind forgetful sorts to respond.