What makes a recruiter message work?
Candidates who are not looking decide in a few seconds whether a message is for them or for everyone. Most recruiting messages fail that test for the same reason: they are about the vacancy, not about the person. A message that works answers the candidate's first question, "why me?", before it answers the second, "what is the job?".
- Refer to something real in their profile. A project, a move, a skill combination. Not "your impressive background".
- Say why this could be a step. More responsibility, a different kind of product, less travel, a technical challenge. Connect it to where they are now.
- Give the facts people want. Role, type of company, location or remote policy, and a salary range if you can share one.
- Ask one small question. "Open to a 15-minute call next week?" is easier to answer than "let me know your availability and send your CV".
- Write like a person. Short sentences, no buzzwords, your own name and a way to reach you.
How long should a recruiting message be, per situation?
Shorter is almost always better. LinkedIn Recruiter allows up to 200 characters in an InMail subject and 1,900 in the body, according to LinkedIn Help. Few good first messages need more than a third of that.
First messages: which templates work for first contact?
The examples use fictional candidates and companies. Replace every detail with something you actually read in the profile; a template filled with generic compliments performs worse than no template.
1. First message to a good match (LinkedIn InMail)
Subject: Your Kafka migration at a logistics scale-up
Hi Daniel, I saw you led the move from batch jobs to Kafka at Routelab. A client of ours, a Rotterdam company building planning software for ports, is about to do the same at a much larger volume and is looking for a senior backend engineer to own it. Hybrid, two days in the office, salary range €75,000 to €90,000. Would you be open to a 15-minute call next week to hear more? Best, Lotte
Why it works: the subject line is about his work, the first sentence proves the profile was read, and the facts that decide interest (scope, location, pay) are in the message.
2. First message to a passive candidate
Hi Priya, you have been at Northwind for six years and built their clinical data team from scratch, so I am guessing you are not looking. I am asking anyway because a hospital group I work with wants someone to do exactly that across three sites. No CV needed, and no pressure. Would a short call in the next few weeks be useful, even just to know what is out there? Kind regards, Tom
Why it works: it acknowledges she is not looking, which lowers the pressure, and it offers information rather than asking for commitment.
3. Short message for technical and field roles
Hi Mark, I see you are a service engineer on packaging lines with PLC experience. A food producer near Eindhoven is looking for someone for their own maintenance team: no more travelling, day shifts, company van stays at home. Interested in the details? I can send them here or call you, whatever suits you. Sander
Why it works: people in field roles often read messages on their phone between jobs. The main change (no travelling, day shifts) is stated in one line, and the candidate chooses the channel.
4. Discreet message for a senior or executive role
Dear Ms de Vries, I am supporting the board of a mid-sized Dutch insurer in a confidential search for a CFO. Your work on the IFRS 17 transition at your current employer is directly relevant to what they face in the next two years. I would value a confidential conversation, at a time that suits you. With kind regards, Jeroen Bakker
Why it works: formal tone, confidentiality stated upfront, and one specific reason tied to the organisation's challenge rather than to a job description.
Follow-ups: what do you send when there is no reply?
Many replies come after a follow-up rather than the first message, which is exactly why follow-ups should not depend on a recruiter remembering them. Two follow-ups are usually enough. Each one should add something new; "just bumping this" adds nothing.
5. First follow-up, after four to five working days
Hi Daniel, one thing I did not mention: the team works in Kotlin and is about to start on event sourcing, which is quite close to what you did at Routelab. Still happy to share more on a short call if it sounds interesting. Lotte
Why it works: it adds a new, relevant fact and repeats the easy question without guilt.
6. Last follow-up, closing the loop
Hi Daniel, I will not keep filling your inbox. If the timing is not right, no problem at all. If that changes in the coming months, feel free to message me here. Good luck with the migration work. Lotte
Why it works: a clear end is respectful and often gets a reply, either a yes or a useful "not now, try me in spring".
7. Reply to "not interested right now"
Thanks for letting me know, Priya, I appreciate the reply. May I ask what would make a move interesting for you in the future? Then I will only get in touch if something actually fits. Tom
Why it works: it turns a no into information for a future search, and promises relevance instead of more messages.
Referrals and re-engagement: which messages help beyond one candidate?
Not every good message is about the recipient. Some of the best hires come through people who are not interested themselves but know who is.
8. Asking for a referral
Hi Anouk, I understand the ICU role is not for you right now. Maybe you know someone who would be interested: an ICU nurse in the Utrecht region who wants more predictable rosters. If a name comes to mind, I would be grateful. And of course they can also contact me directly. Fleur
Why it works: it describes the person in one sentence and makes forwarding easy, without asking the recipient to vouch for anyone.
9. Re-engaging a strong earlier candidate
Hi Youssef, last year you made it to the final round for the data engineering role at a fintech I work with, and they still mention your case study. They now have a lead role opening that suits your experience better. Would you be open to hearing about it? Emma
Why it works: it uses shared history, gives a sincere compliment that is specific, and explains why this role is different.
10. First email with a privacy line
Subject: Planning role at a family-owned logistics company near Venlo
Hi Kevin, I came across your public LinkedIn profile and saw you have been planning cross-dock operations for five years. A family-owned logistics company near Venlo is looking for a senior planner who wants more say in how the planning is organised. Day shifts, permanent contract. Would a 15-minute call this week or next work for you? I found your details on your public profile. If you prefer not to hear from me again, just reply "no thanks" and I will delete them. Our privacy statement explains how we handle your data. Best regards, Nina, Talentbureau Noord
Why it works: the message states where the details came from and how to opt out, which supports the transparency GDPR requires, without turning the message into legal text.
What should you never put in a recruiting message?
The same mistakes appear in most messages candidates ignore. Avoid them and your templates are already better than most of what reaches a good candidate's inbox.
- Fake personalisation. "I was impressed by your profile" with nothing specific tells the reader the opposite.
- The full job description. Link to it or offer it; do not paste it.
- Asking for a CV in the first message. It turns a conversation into an application.
- Pressure and urgency. "Only this week" or "the client needs someone yesterday" is your problem, not theirs.
- Vague employer descriptions. "A leading company in its sector" says nothing. Describe the product, size or location instead.
- Wrong details. A wrong name, title or current employer ends the conversation. Automation makes this worse if nobody checks the data.
- Endless follow-ups. After two follow-ups without a reply, stop.
What does GDPR mean for recruitment outreach?
When you contact someone whose details you did not receive from them, for example from a public LinkedIn profile, the GDPR requires you to inform them about the processing: at the latest within a month, or at the moment of first communication if you use the data to contact them. In practice, recruiters often include a short line in the first message saying where they found the details, with a link to a privacy statement and an easy way to opt out.
Also keep data minimal: store what you need for this search, not everything you can find, and delete it when the purpose ends. This guide is not legal advice; our guide to GDPR and candidate sourcing covers legal basis, retention and objections in more detail.
How do you personalise outreach for 200 candidates without templates?
Writing ten good messages is craft. Writing 200 a week, each based on a different profile, and following up every one on time, is where recruiters run out of hours and fall back on generic templates. AIcruiters writes a personal message per candidate based on their profile and the vacancy, and follows up consistently. Your team sets tone, rules and whether each message needs approval, and positive replies are handed to a recruiter with the full conversation.
- Message per candidate based on the profile and the vacancy
- Your tone of voice and rules; approval on outreach if you want it
- Consistent follow-up, positive replies handed to a recruiter
How do you know if your messages work?
Track two numbers per template and per role: the reply rate and the positive reply rate. A high reply rate with mostly "no thanks" means the message is read but the role or the targeting is off. A low reply rate usually means the first line does not show why the candidate was chosen.
Change one thing at a time: the subject line, the first sentence or the question at the end. And look upstream: a message cannot fix a search that found the wrong people. Better targeting starts with the search itself, see our guide to Boolean search, or let the platform combine search, ranking and outreach in one workflow.