By the Outsquid team · · How we write
Cold email template for recruiting a candidate
A first email to a potential hire who isn't looking, built on their work and what's interesting about the role.
When to use it
You're hiring and want to reach someone who isn't actively looking. It works best for people whose public work — code, writing, talks — you've actually looked at.
The template
Subjectyour work on [project]
Hi {{firstName|there}},
I came across your [work, e.g. "talk on search ranking"] — [what stood out, specifically].
We're hiring a [role] at [your company] to [what they'd own]. The interesting part: [what makes the problem hard or new].
Not sure if you're looking, but if this sounds interesting, I'd be glad to tell you more — no pressure either way.
Other subject lines
[role] at [your company]?{{firstName|there}}, a role you might like
Why it works
- Starting with their work shows you're not sending the same email to everyone.
- It sells the problem, which is what good candidates care about.
- "No pressure" respects that they aren't job hunting.
Make it yours
The template is the frame. These are the parts that earn the reply:
- A specific piece of their work and what you liked about it.
- What the person in the role would own, and why it's interesting.
Before you send
- Fill in every [bracketed] part, and preview the email for a few real prospects — especially ones with missing fields. Writing follow-ups
- Send from a domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC set up, and check it before the first campaign. Free DNS checker
- Ramp new mailboxes up slowly and keep each one to a modest daily volume. Ramping up a new mailbox
- Say who you are, give people an easy way to opt out, and stop when they ask. Unsubscribes in cold email