In the competitive market, recruiters aim to find the top talent before someone else finds it. Ask any recruiter, and they will have a story about how a perfect candidate got away.
LinkedIn is one of the best platforms for recruiters to search for ideal applicants, and employers come across many ideal candidates on the platform. However, the question is, how to grab the attention of such candidates on LinkedIn?
To do so effectively, recruiters use InMails, which are personal messages on LinkedIn. However, your InMail needs to be effective and catchy to work. Let’s explore some of the best ways to catch the attention of ideal candidates on LinkedIn via InMails.
How to Leverage LinkedIn InMails?
If your InMail isn’t catchy, candidates won’t even open it. To increase the InMail open and conversion rate, you need to share appealing InMails.
Some tips for creating the best InMails in 2022 are as follows:
1. Use a Short and Catchy Subject Title
The subject of your InMail serves as the best shot to catch candidates’ attention. It can make or break your chances of getting a reply from a suitable applicant.
Consider an ideal candidate that is already working happily in a company. Since they are already working, they might not take recruitment InMails seriously. If an InMail starts with something generic like ‘Career opportunity at XYZ company,’ they will probably ignore it.
Recruiters need to think out of the box and create a short and appealing subject line. For example, consider a prospective candidate who is a talented UI/UX developer. Your subject line can be something like, “Hello, fellow UI/UX developer!”
By incorporating such details from the get-go, your InMail will have better chances of being opened. Keep your subject line concise and invite the candidate to see more. You can add lengthy sentences inside the InMail but not in the subject line.
2. Personalize the Content to Increase the Response Rate
Just using a catchy subject line will not increase the conversion rate of your InMail. If the candidate feels like you have just copied the content from the internet, they might not show any interest.
According to reports, sending personalized messages on LinkedIn can increase conversion rates by 20%. Many employers use pre-made templates for creating InMails.
We recommend tweaking the template messages and personalizing them for each candidate. It may take some time, but it will surely increase the conversion rate of your InMails.
3. Research the Candidates’ Skills and Achievements
Praising someone isn’t always considered flattery. But sometimes, praising a candidate can work in favor of the employer.
Everyone displays their soft and hard skills on LinkedIn to be noticed. When candidates feel like their skills are being acknowledged, they will be more likely to respond to your InMail.
Recruiters generally analyze the skills of ideal candidates before sending them an InMail. Be frank and tell candidates what you like about them. Tell the candidates why their skills or achievements are a perfect fit for your organization.
4. Make the Next Steps Clear and Evident
What should the candidate do after receiving your InMail? Does the candidate need to reply to the InMail or fill out a form to apply for a particular job opening?
Instead of leaving the candidate confused, you should be clear about the next steps. For better results, include a CTA (Call to Action) in your InMail.
However, ensure you don’t make the InMail too lengthy while adding the next steps. As per LinkedIn stats, InMails with a length between 200 – 400 characters have a higher response rate.
5. Use Common Connections Wisely
Recruiters should leverage the power of LinkedIn connections while forwarding InMails. Check for common connections before forwarding an InMail to an ideal candidate.
You can also add references or common connections to your InMail to increase the response rate. Besides that, check for connections that have endorsed the skills of a candidate.
Conclusion
It’s important to note that if your InMail is lengthy, irrelevant, or not up to the mark, candidates may consider it spam or just ignore it.
Recruiters should focus on providing a personalized experience to job applicants via their InMails. Use InMails to your advantage and recruit the best talent on LinkedIn!
