Finding the right person for a job can be a challenging task, and many times recruiters and hiring leaders have to look beyond those who have applied for a position and source their own all-star candidates. In this case, when you do identify someone that ticks all the boxes, you want to go about approaching them in the right way to increase your chances of getting them on board. A great job proposal letter goes a long way in this regard.
When it comes to this kind of outreach, let’s start with your first challenge: the email subject line. It should be personalized and written to capture the passive candidate’s interest. To do this, check their social media profiles to see if there are any points of interest that would grab their attention and convince them to open your note.
Additionally, keep the actual email short. Six hundred words should be your absolutely maximum, though you could easily share your message in fewer than 300 words. Get to the point quickly and make sure you don’t come off as too demanding (for example, you don’t want to ask for a resume straightaway).
Consider sending the new job opportunity email to a passive candidate outside of normal work hours. The candidate might be more inclined to respond if they’re not at work when they receive your email. Your email settings allow you to schedule so you don’t have to press “send” off the clock.
New Job Opportunity Email to Passive Candidate
Subject: Congratulations on Your Successful Forum Initiative
Dear Arabella,
We’re always looking for multi-talented executive assistants to help keep our team organized and efficient, and it seems like based on your past experience at Amazon and your recent diploma that you’d be a great fit for our organization.
It’s no secret that you spearheaded the successful communications initiative at your current firm, Gladstone Legal Consultation. As several legal blogs noted, that forum likely saved Gladstone from going under.
We’d love to start a conversation with you about an opportunity to lead your own team and take on an even bigger project at Steinberg & Kruczynski. Would you be up for a short conversation? Our availability for this coming week is as follows:
Monday: 1 PM to 5 PM
Tuesday: 9 AM to 11:30 AM
Wednesday: 1 PM to 5 PM
Friday: 9 AM to 11:30 AM
Please let us know when you have time for a 30-minute conversation.
Respectfully yours,
Greta Gawain
President
Steinberg & Kruczynski
Want to use this letter?
Let’s take a look at why the above sample is a good reference point.
For one, look at the subject line. It specifically addresses Arabella’s important accomplishment. This shows that Greta took time to learn about Arabella before writing the message. Also, the subject line compliments Arabella. Both of these points implicitly communicate that the writer has gone out of their way to learn about the candidate, which is flattering to say the least.
Secondly, this exceptional new job opportunity email to a passive candidate does a great job of tailoring its message to this individual prospect and explaining how they can benefit from the opportunities ahead. Identifying intrinsic motivators, like the prospect of leading a team, in a job opportunity email to a passive candidate is a good way to get someone interested in what you have to offer.
The new job opportunity email to passive candidate example is also short. It’s straightforward and even offers specific time slots to talk. This makes it easy for Arabella. All she has to do is respond with a time that works for her. There’s no need to go back-and-forth with questions.
Don’t let great talent pass you by. Use this sample as a guide while you write you own strong email.