Employee termination is always a tricky matter to handle – it’s not easy to deliver bad news to a loyal worker, and there’s often a web of legal issues to consider. But the fact remains, most companies will at some point be pushed to lay off employees, be it for financial reasons or as the result of a merger or shift in corporate direction.
For starters, the subject line of your message must be enticing. Try to go beyond directly referring to the position itself. Instead, ask yourself what might grab the potential candidate’s attention. To do this, peruse their social media profiles to discover their interests and talents and base your subject line around something you find.
The message itself should be short and sweet, like the new job opportunity letter to a passive candidate sample below. It’s also important to include a clear call to action at the end of your note. For instance, list possible time slots for an informal phone conversation and ask which works best. This gives the recipient specific next steps.
Lastly, schedule the message to send outside of work hours. Potential candidates might be more inclined to respond positively if they’re not at work. If your industry works outside of the typical nine-to-five schedule, don’t stress about timing.
New Job Opportunity Letter to a Passive Candidate Sample
Subject: Your Stellar Reputation Precedes You
Yumi,
Your reputation for cultivating impressive teams precedes you, and I was thinking you may be a great fit for The Might.
Allow me to explain. Our company is committed to creating a best-in-class work environment built on collaboration, and we’re always looking for strong leaders to help us shape our culture and attract great talent.
I also noticed you’re looking to expand your talent acquisition skill set, and it just so happens, that we have a concrete learning development program in place to help our team members do this very thing.
So, what do you think? Should we link up for a quick introductory chat about some opportunities on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday at 3 PM. Let me know which works best for you.
I look forward to hearing back from you and getting to know more about what makes you tick.
All the best,
Johanna Mendez
CEO
The Might
Want to use this letter?
When writing your letter, hone in on creating a personalized message that very clearly lays out how your organization and the candidate in question share common goals and motivations. You want to make sure they understand what’s in it for them, rather than just detailing your company achievements.
Notice that the new job opportunity letter to passive candidate sample cites an important accomplishment associated with the prospect; this shows that the writer went to some lengths to investigate the candidate and their experience. This implicitly communicates that the candidate is already valued and that this message is not just a generic outreach effort sent to just anybody.
Take a look at the subject line. It flatters the passive candidate, but it doesn’t sound like spam mail. Rather, this subject line would most likely intrigue Yumi. Once she’s enticed to open the message, she’ll see the offer.
Notice that the second to last paragraph of the new job opportunity letter to passive candidate sample invites Yumi to an informal phone interview. There’s no attempt to get a resume or force the recipient to apply to a job. This less abrasive, more pared back approach is something that candidates can more easily commit to.
Writing such a letter to a prospective candidate can feel daunting. Use the new opportunity letter to passive candidate sample to guide you as you create you own winning message.