37 Free Recruiting Cold Email Templates

June 6, 2022

Beamery Team

Cold email. It’s the bane of many recruiters’ lives. It’s essential to connect with new candidates, but finding the perfect cold email template is hard, really hard.

What messages should you send to top candidates? Well, our team have spent the last few weeks reviewing the kinds of recruiting cold email templates that actually work.

They all work as cold email templates or as LinkedIn InMail templates, and we’ve compiled all of these example sourcing emails into one single blog post!

You’ll find cold email templates that cover:

Sourcing with excessive personalization
Sourcing with praise
Starting a new candidate relationship
Using a mutual connection for sourcing
Sourcing for hard-to-fill roles
Sourcing templates from friends of Beamery
[Bonus] Sales email templates for recruitment agencies

If you find the templates useful, share the post with colleagues or friends that might also find them helpful!

Sourcing with excessive personalisation

What do we mean by excessive personalisation?

If you want to stand out from the crowd you need to use the candidate information that no one else is taking the time to find.

Use candidate social profiles and personal sites to find interesting details to make your emails interesting and boost response rates.

We’ve pieced together 8 cold email templates that go well beyond normal personalisation tactics to help you stand out when you’re trying to source passive candidates:

1. Do you still play the flute? We’ve got a company band...

Hey [First Name],

[Your Name] here from [Company]; I run our recruiting team.

Spotted you were a bit of a superstar on the flute – do you still play? We’ve got a band at [Company] and play a few times a week.

Interested in an audition?
[Your Name]

P.S. We’re also hiring for a few roles that would be perfect for you: take a look [job link]

2. Keep away from the trolls!

Hi [First Name],

“Keep your goals away from the trolls” – I knew I had to reach out after I read this on your Twitter. Might get this up as a motivational poster in the office! I have to know where you found it!

I saw that when you’re not fighting trolls you’re a killer sales rep. Awesome work helping your team nail its targets last quarter; you guys are growing insanely fast...

I thought I’d reach out because we’re building our sales team at [Company] and I think you’d be a great fit. Do you have some time next week for a quick call to talk about the role?

Best,
[Your Name]

3. Recruiting snowboarding Node.js developers; can we talk?

[First Name],

I was researching top Node developers in the Montreal area and came across your LinkedIn profile. Ended up diving pretty deep into your Github and Twitter profiles too; you look like a perfect fit for the direction we’re moving as a company, so I had to reach out.

Also, congrats on the snowboarding awards! I’m pretty sure you’d fit in with the rest of the team, as we like to spend as much time on the mountain as possible...

Would you be open to having a quick chat?
[Your Name]

4. My spirit animal is an owl, maybe it could be friends with your hawk?

[First Name],

As you can see, I’ve spent a little time on your blog recently! Loved your post on spirit animals and how they can influence the creative process...

We’re looking for a new designer to join our team at [Company] and I think that you have a really interesting take on the design process, so I’d love to discuss the role with you.

Do you have time to talk tomorrow afternoon?

[Your Name]

5. 10 things to do in 2016...

Hey [First Name],

Spotted your recent post on Twitter; it definitely gave me a little food for thought (I haven’t managed to tackle any of the top 10 things to do in 2016 yet!)

Career change didn’t make the list, but I think you’d be perfect for [role] that we’re hiring for at [Company]...

I’d love to tell you a little more – do you have some time tomorrow between 3-5pm?
[Your Name]

6. Looking for badminton playing sales reps - interested?

Hey [First Name],

I can see that you’re not just killing it at sales, but you’re pretty handy at badminton too!

We’re huge fans of competitive sales reps who make time for exercise.

If you’re interested in working in a place where employee health is a number one priority hit ‘reply’ and we can set up a time to talk.
[Your Name]

7. 3 reasons why [Company] is a perfect next step for you...

Hey [First Name],

We’re hiring for rockstar developers over at [Company]. There are 3 simple reasons why I think it could be a great fit for you.

Our company is fast becoming one of the top places to work in the US
We’ve got some of the world’s top developers onboard, so it’s a great place to learn
It’s near the beach (spotted you like surfing)...

I’d love to tell you a little more about a couple of roles I think you’d be a great fit for. Do you have some time tomorrow afternoon?
[Your Name]

8. Oxford University to [Company]?

Hey [First Name],

Really impressed with what you’ve managed to achieve since you’ve left Oxford – what college were you in? I studied history at Oxford a little while back.

At [Company], we’re looking for people who have developed skills like [example skill] for [role] we’re hiring for.

Having taken a look at your LinkedIn profile I think you would be an excellent fit. I’d love to tell you a little more about the role. How about a quick call at 4pm tomorrow?
[Your Name]

Sourcing with praise

Everyone likes a little praise. We’re all human, aren’t we?

Try tapping into this basic human impulse and complimenting a candidate on their work to boost responses.

Here are 5 cold email templates that use praise to help you connect with top candidates:

9. Where did you get the idea for [recent blog post] from?

Hey [First Name],

Great post on [topic]. I ended up sharing it with my whole team and we all loved it. I lead recruiting at [company], and we’re pretty keen on hotshot marketers with a flair for content.

I’m looking for someone to lead our content team. Would you be interested in talking about this tomorrow at 6pm?
[Your Name]

10. [Company] digs your JavaScript skills (we’re hoping you’ll dig us)

[First Name],

I make sure I do my homework on every candidate I speak to.

I’ve just spent the last 30 minutes browsing your LinkedIn and Github profiles: your Javascript skills are off the charts! Really interested by a few of the side projects you mentioned on LinkedIn (even dragged a few of my team over to have a look!)

I’m looking for a new FrontEnd dev to take our team to the next level. I’d love to tell you exactly why I think you’d be an awesome fit...

Do you have some time this Thursday?
[Your Name]

11. I can see why everyone things you’re so great...

Hey [First Name],

I have to say I’m impressed. I’ve just spoken to a few of my friends in the London marketing space and every single one has been singing your praises. I put in a little research and I can see why!

I thought you’d be a perfect fit for our marketing team at [Company]. We’re a hard-working bunch who live and breathe copy, content and coffee.

Do you have time for a quick chat on Monday at 3pm to learn more?
[Your Name]

12. Great work on [recent project]

Hey [First Name],

Everyone over at [Company] was really impressed with the way you handled [recent project] – my team pretty much insisted I reach out to you!

We’re looking for a new Head of Marketing over at [Company]. I don’t know if you’re thinking about making a career change, but I think you’ll find what we’re doing pretty interesting.

Let me know if you’d like to chat.
[Your Name]

13. Great speech at [conference]

Hey [First Name],

Loved your speech on [topic] at the [conference] last week, it was really informative.

We’re looking to implement a lot of what you spoke about at [Company] and we’re looking for a new Head of Design to do it!

I think this would be a great opportunity for you to lead a team; let me know if you’re interested in learning a little more.
[Your Name]

Start a new candidate relationship

Remember, not every LinkedIn Inmail or email you send has to directly relate to a job.

Sometimes it’s best just to start a relationship and nurture candidates for when you have a role open that fits down the line.

One of the best ways to do this is to ask a candidate for help or ask their opinion on something. This shows them that you see them as an expert.

Often, it’s best to use a conversational style for these messages. Your goal should be to start a dialogue. Here are 4 templates to help you build new candidate relationships:

14. Want to grab a coffee?

Hey [First Name],

I’m [Your Name], and I head up recruiting at [Company].

We’re actually hiring pretty extensively for our sales team at the moment.

I really admire your writing around the topic. Would you be open to a quick chat to talk about what we should be looking for in our search?
[Your Name]

15. Quick question?

Hey [First Name],

Loved your blog post on building sales teams – sounds like you’ve dealt with this process more than a few times.

Any chance I could pick your brain on the best ways to do it?

Free for a quick coffee next week? (I’m paying...)
[Your Name]

16. Advice...

Hey [FName],

Our entire team loved your recent video on running engineering teams, particulary [insert detail].

Any chance I could persuade you to come in and share a little more information on best practices with the team?

They’d really appreciate it...
[Your Name]

17. How did you do that?

Hey [First Name],

Really impressed with your results in [recent project]; our team has been trying to hit that level of success for ages!

If you don’t mind I’d love to ask you a quick question:

What did you do differently about this project that made it a success? I’d love to learn whatever I can from you here...
[Your Name]

Using a mutual connection for sourcing

The gold standard for sourcers is getting an introduction from a mutual connection.

If you can’t get a direct introduction, it’s still very effective to reference your connection in your cold email or InMail. This assures the candidate that they should trust you…

Here are 5 cold email templates to help you take advantage of mutual connections:

18. Referred to you by [Connection] for your Design talents

[First Name],

I received your contact information from [Connection].

We grabbed a coffee last week to talk about to talk about talented designers in the area that would thrive in a fast paced working environment and he couldn’t have recommended you more enthusiastically!

Would you be open to having a quick chat about [Company] and the role that (I think) might be a perfect fit?
[Your Name]

19. Just got off the phone with [Connection]

Hey [First Name],

We’re hiring for [role] over at [Company], so I’ve been tapping into my network a fair bit recently.

I’ve just got off the phone with [Connection] – all he would talk about was how great you are and how I had to talk to you.

So how about it?! We’re looking for a passionate and driven candidate and I’m pretty certain you’d be perfect..

Are you free for a call at 12pm tomorrow?
[Your Name]

20. [Connection] tells me you’re a rockstar

Hey [First Name],

[Connection] recommended you as a complete rockstar, and one of the best engineers he has ever come across.

He sent me your contact details and suggested I reach out.

We’re hiring for a new team lead and I thought it would be a nice fit. Do you have some time tomorrow afternoon to discuss the role in a bit more detail?
[Your Name]

21. Introduction from [Connection]

Hey [First Name],

I’m reaching out because [Connection] suggested that you’d be a great fit for [role] that we’re hiring for over at [Company].

We’re a fast growing team that prides ourself on the quality of our employees – I think you’d be a great fit.

Do you have some time tomorrow to discuss the role in a little more detail?
[Your Name]

22. Coffee with me and [Connection]?

Hey [First Name],

I’m [Your Name], a recruiter at [Company]. We’re hiring for [role], and I’ve been contacting my network to find the very best candidates in London.

I have just found out that [Connection] is a close friend of yours – he suggested you as a great fit for [role].

Would you like to grab a quick coffee to discuss [role] a bit further and see if it’s of interest? I’ll make sure [Connection] comes along as well...
[Your Name]

Sourcing for hard-to-fill roles

Some roles are just harder to fill than others. In today’s digital world, marketing, engineering and design have become 3 competencies that are tricky for recruiters.

Here are 6 templates to help you source for marketing, technical and design roles:

23. Impressed by your design style

Hey [Designer],

I just took a look through your [recent projects], and have been impressed by both your clarity and approach. We’re looking to add a lead designer to our team, and you seem like you might be a perfect fit for us.

Would be great to speak this week – let me know what days /times work best, and how to reach you.

Would be also helpful to understand what kind of role and team are you most interested in joining.
[Your Name]

24. Fan of yours

Hey [Designer],

I’ve been following your work on Dribbble for a little while now. You consistently put out very high quality content and it’s become a favourite resource for our design team – we’ve definitely taken some inspiration from some of your work!

I think you would be a great fit for [role] that we’re hiring for, as it requires someone with great creativity and flair... and you definitely have plenty of that!

I’d love to connect and tell you a little more about [role]. Do you have some time early next week?
[Your Name]

25. Your experience with [coding language] is perfect

Hi [Developer],

We are looking to add a [front-end/back-end] engineer to our team, and having looked at your profile and projects I feel that there could be a great fit – particularly given your [insert coding language] experience.

Would love to connect and tell you more about what we’re building, and to learn more about what interests you.

Are you available to connect this week? If so, let me know how best to reach you – my number is [number].
[Your Name]

26. I’ve been scouting for a while...

Hey [Developer],

I’ve been scouting for New York’s best engineers for a while now, and no one has impressed me as much as you!

Your experience and skills, particularly [insert skill], make you a terrific fit for what we’re trying to do over at [Company].

I’d love to tell you a bit more about [Company], [role], and why I think you would love it!

Do you have time for a short call on Monday at 5.30pm?
[Your Name]

27. Looking for a new Head of Marketing

Hey [Marketer],

We are looking to hire a new Head of Marketing to help us accelerate our growth and develop a larger market presence.

I’ve been really impressed with your work at [Current company] – we’re targeting a few of the same channels for growth, so I think you could be a perfect fit!

I’d love to jump on a quick call and tell you more about our company and our plans for the future. Do you have time on Friday afternoon for a chat?
[Your Name]

28. We want to grow

Hey [First Name],

We’re really impressed with what you’ve done growing every business that you’ve been involved in.

I’m Head of Recruiting for [Company], and we’re looking for a marketing superstar to take our team to the next level. You can see more information about the role on our website, but I’d love to talk in person...

Coffee next Tuesday?
[Your Name]

Top sourcing templates from friends of Beamery

We’ve gathered a selection of our favourite cold email templates from friends of Beamery and other top recruiters.

You’ll find a nice selection of 5 email examples that your team can use to reach out to passive candidates:

29. From Sourcecon

Hi [First Name],

My name is [Your Name] and I work for [Company]. Hope you don’t mind the outreach; I found your information while I was looking around [website] this morning.

It looks like you’ve had some great experience with [skillset/industry/company], which is what compelled me to email you. I’m looking for a [role] for our [city] office and we need someone with experience similar to yours.

I’m not assuming that you’d be interested, but at the very least I figured you might know someone with whom I should connect. I am hoping that you would be willing to connect me with one or two colleagues with similar professional backgrounds as yourself. Of course, if you’d like to discuss this opportunity yourself that would be fantastic too!

Either way, I look forward to hearing back from you. Take care and have a great afternoon!

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

30. From reply.io

Hi [First Name],

My name is [Your Name] and I am CEO at [Company]. I found your profile on github while was looking for the top engineers with Ruby experience. I was impressed by your background and decided to drop a note.

You probably may not often see CEOs reaching out to potential candidates to discuss the career opportunity. But our company success so far is based on finding the best people and putting them together to work on fun, challenging and exciting projects. That is why I focus a lot of my personal time on recruiting the greatest talents for our company.

We might have a position to tell you about, but that conversation can’t begin until we listen to you first and make sure we are on the same page.

Please, let me know if you interested to learn more and I will connect you with someone from our team.

31. From Recruiting Social

Hi [First Name],

I’ve been meaning to reach out to you, but at first I was a bit hesitant because you had only been at your job for maybe 3 months. Now it’s been 4 months so that changes everything! (Not really, but I did get a bit tired of waiting). I was extremely impressed with your portfolio on Dribbble, and so were a few of my fellow designers at a company I recruit for, [Company], a digital agency in Seattle.

This might be a long shot, but if you’re open to making a career move, I’m looking to hire a contract UX Designer.

Are you open to hearing a little more about the role?

If the timing isn’t right, I can definitely understand, hopefully we can connect again in the future!

Let me know when you have a moment.

Best,
[Your Name]

32. From eGrabber

Hello,

I was excited to come across your profile and I wanted to reach out to you because you have clearly built a successful career and are an expert in the area of [skill].

I’m guessing that you are probably not looking to make a change right now, but I would like to speak to you briefly about what you do so that I can learn from someone at the top in their field about what it takes to be the best, which is what I and [Company] are searching for.

We want the best to work on our ground-breaking technology team, and to get the best you need to learn from the best and that is you. If we get the opportunity to speak live, I guarantee that our conversation will be different than what you may be accustomed to.

There will be no trying to sell you on a new job, it will simply be me learning from you what I need to know to find and hire those that are at the pinnacle of what they do.

With all that in mind please let me know when we might talk, and if you know of any others who like you have reached the very top in their field that you think might also be good for me to talk with.

Either way lets connect on LinkedIn, [put in link to your LinkedIn profile],

Thanks for your time

[Your Name]

Bonus: Sales cold email templates for recruitment agencies

You need to use a selection of excellent cold email templates whenever you’re drumming up business for your recruitment agency.

Potential clients receive hundreds of emails every year from agencies looking for new business.

If you’re interested in standing out, you can use many of the same tactics that we’ve explored for candidate sourcing emails.

Here are 5 sales email templates for recruitment agencies that you can borrow:

33. Beautiful careers page. I can help with the unfilled roles!

Hi [First Name],

I was digging around on your company careers page (nice job on the page by the way, looks very slick), and found quite a few open technical roles.

At [Agency], we specialise in hiring for front end engineers.

We’ve worked with [Client], [Client] and [Client], and I think we’d be able to offer you a lot of value here.

I have a few candidates in mind that I think would be perfect for [role]; would you mind if I send them over?
[Your Name]

34. My plan to fill your open roles

Hey [First Name],

I have a plan that I can explain in 10 minutes that can help [Company] fill all your open roles.

I recently used this idea to help our client [Company], build a world class sales team.

[First Name], let’s schedule a quick 10-minute call so I can share the plan with you.

When works best for you?
[Your Name]

35. Rockstar marketers for [Company]

Hey [First Name],

Big fan of what you’re doing over at [Company]. I’ve heard you guys are doing very well in [industry] so it’s no wonder you’re hiring so aggressively.

I spotted you have a few marketing roles that have been open for over 6 weeks. I have 10 rockstar marketers that would be perfect: do you mind if I send them your way?
[Your Name]

36. 3 ways [Agency] can help [Company]

Hey [First Name],

I’m a director at [Agency].

I’ll keep this short. There are 3 ways we can help:

We specialise in C-Level sales recruiting so I’m confident we can help you fill your VP Sales role
We have taken the liberty of finding 3 candidates that would be a great fit, so you can move fast
We have a proven track record (ask [Connection] or [Connection])

I’d love to work together, as soon as you give me the green light we can talk next steps...
[Your Name]