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How to Create an Email Template For Sourcing a Referred Candidate

How to Create an Email Template For Sourcing a Referred Candidate

What is an email template for sourcing a referred candidate and why is it important?

Referrals are a tried and tested method of acquiring talent. Internal referral programmes are a great resource for manpower, and it is more successful when employees are given incentives to refer qualified candidates.

How do you email a candidate who was referred?

The best way to bring referrals on board is by preparing an email template for sourcing a referred candidate. This type of recruitment email introduces your company while also giving them an opportunity to join you. The email will act as your first point of contact with the referral, so it’s important to catch their attention right away.

This might be difficult to do as candidate sourcing email templates tend to come across as cold emails. This is what you’ll want to avoid to increase the chance of them actually opening and reading your email. Instead of sounding like an AI, you can adjust the tone of our pre-prepared sample email for sourcing candidates to fit your company’s culture. A friendly and professional tone works for everyone.

To further improve the chances of referrals opening your emails, here’s what else you should include in your sourcing templates for recruiters.

What to include in an email template for sourcing a referred candidate

  • Name of the employee who referred them in the email’s subject line.

  • Why the employee recommended the candidate for the position.

  • Vacant position and a brief description of the responsibilities.

  • Why the referral might be the perfect candidate for the position.

  • Referral’s skills and experience that are relevant to the position.

  • Next steps (e.g. a call) in the recruitment process.

  • Company details (e.g. website, career site, social media).

  • Recruiter’s contact details if they’re not already in the email signature.

  • Brief description of the advantages and opportunities that come with the job.

Email for sourcing a referred candidate – Template Sample

Subject line: [Employee name] referred you for [company name]’s [job title] position Hello [candidate name], I am [your name], [your job title] at [company name], and according to [employee name], you would make a great addition to our team! We are currently looking for a candidate to fill our new [job title] position, and [employee name] believes that you would be a good fit. [Employee name] provided me with your contact details, and after reviewing your resume, I think your experience and skills would be valued at [company name]. Your [their experience or skills] at [their former companies] particularly caught my eye. (Use this sentence to prove that you thoroughly read their professional profiles). We at [company name] would like to get to know you and present you with more details regarding the [job title] position. If this is something you’d be interested in, would you be available for a quick introductory phone call sometime this week? Let me know what time and date works best for you and if you’d prefer to coordinate via email. I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the opportunity. I look forward to speaking with you. Best, [Your name] [Signature]

Summary

The key to a good email template for sourcing a referred candidate is to make it personalised. Make sure to sound open and interested, and avoid coming across as cold in the email. The last thing you want to happen is to end up in their spam or junk folders. Referrals are one of the most successful recruitment pathways out there, so it’s important to master recruitment emails to attract the best talent for your company. While you’re finding talent externally, also work on internal referrals with this email template to employees to make candidate referrals.

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