The Secrets of the Recruiters Inbox

Opening up the secret world of the overwhelming inbox of a Recruiter. Today, you can just call me "Carolyn the Jerk", because I am going to make myself sound like one in an effort to show you how to get responses to your direct messages.

Messages that are the least likely to be responded to are in order below- real messages to my direct messenger.

"Hi, How are you?" (Most of us are working, and don't have time for casual chit chat. Unfortunately. Wish we did!)

"Take a Look at My CV/Resume." This sounds like a demand, and also a favor. Most Recruiters need a reason to take a look. And most Recruiters are not motivated by favors while working. They are interested in making money. I am trying to be as brutal as possible, simply because I want to help.

That is the sole purpose of this newsletter.

"Help me, I need a Recruiter" (As much as we want to help, and will help if we can, we also are expected to do our job when we are on the clock. We want to help, but we also don't want to get fired.) This is why this is an ineffective message. Show us how we can help you, by displaying your strengths and why you are a fit for a client/company.. the word "help" should be taken out of outreach all together.

"What openings do you have?" This message is ineffective. It is too general, and in most cases Recruiters are working on a handful at any one time. This question takes too long to answer in a cold outreach- which makes it ineffective.

"I am looking for a Remote Job, can you help"? (This makes it sound like the only thing you care about is the remote component, not the job or the company. It also doesn't set you apart- because half of the cold messages I get, are identical to this.

"Can I grab 5-10 minutes just for a quick call to pick your brain?" (This sounds like a short period of time, but if we said "yes" to all of these "brain picks" it would be never ending. The recruiter needs to understand why it makes sense to take on the call.

Below- we are looking at the two most powerful cold direct messages strategies.. based on real messages I have responded to the most.

First tactic outlined, we will call the GCA (Genuine Compliment Approach).

The genuine compliment approach first and foremost needs to be authentic. Warning (this should never be about ones appearance. That will get you blocked real fast. It could be about the Recruiters content if they are posting regularly on social media, or perhaps, the company they work for in recent news.. anything that comes across as authentic is a very powerful technique. It is hard to press ignore to a nice compliment. Yes, all humans have egos, so this strategy works well-if done right.

Both of these messages got responses-

1) Hi Carolyn,

I have been following you for a little while now and I love your inspirational posts. Until recently, I would have previously been too afraid to send you a message, but recently overcame that fear.

I would love to join your network.

2) Hi Carolyn,

I've really enjoyed your content over the past year. I love and admire that you've built your business from the ground up. I am in the process of searching for my next role, and I was interested in learning more about your process and the type of roles/companies you work on.

I've attached my resume for you to take a look at- let me know if there is something that may align or if there's other information that would be helpful.

The next strategy we will review- I like to call it the NDS, "Name Dropping Strategy" If you see a Recruiter has a mutual connection of yours, see if they might intro you in. Or perhaps see if you can use their name to suggest that you reach out. As Recruiters, we always take referrals seriously.

"Hello Carolyn,

Good Afternoon. I am reaching out to see if you have any HR Opportunities. I was referred to you by "xyz". She mentioned that you have opened a recruiting firm and might have some opportunities. I would love to speak with you and formally introduce myself and my background. Please reach out soon.

Hello Carolyn,

I was referred to you by "xyz" and I want to introduce myself. I've recently transitioned off of active duty after 13 years in the Army. I have a lot of interest in your Corporate Recruiter roles that are remote or in the Tampa Bay Area. I've attached my resume for your consideration.

Please note, that in both cases I had no clue who this referrer was, but it made the message feel personalized, and I was also thankful for the referral.

Lastly, I'd like to finish up with some quick tips-

I prefer short to medium messages. One liners probably won't add much value, but a short-to medium direct message typically works best for me.

Understand the Recruiters time zone, if you are sending a message to them in the middle of the night, they aren't going to see it. And if they do, they are not going to respond. We do not stare at our computers or phones all night long.... well most of us aren't anyway.

Get the Recruiters name right- This seems obvious, and I wish I didn't even have to write this, but I get so many messages calling me "Caroline", some times even a random name that I have no clue where it even came from. Any error you make in a cold outreach is not good. Especially an error in the Recruiters name. Attention to detail is important.

What can you add? Hope this was helpful! If you want more future tips- Please subscribe.

PS.. if you are in the thick of your job search and want to join an online community we have one here to help. https://launchpass.com/the-connection-collective/premium-welcome Or of course, there is always one-one-one coaching from me! Stay tuned for more.... Happy Cold Messaging, please let me know if this works! I am certain it will.