Crafting the Perfect Recruiter Message for Tech Talent

In the competitive world of tech recruitment, talent like developers and engineers often find themselves bombarded with generic, impersonal outreach messages (and the trend is rising with ChatGPT being out there now).

This inundation has led to a growing desire among these professionals for recruiters who are willing to go the extra mile, to craft messages that resonate on a more personal and engaging level. Such a tailored approach is crucial in not just capturing their attention but also in establishing a connection that goes beyond the superficial.

But what is it, that makes tech talent reply?

First, understanding the audience's sensibilities and values is key in this process. Tech professionals are known for their rationality, fact-based thinking, and a preference for literalness. They value honesty, efficiency, and clarity in communication, which should be reflected in every aspect of outreach.

Tech talent wants to see that you understand their language! Don't just take buzzwords and tech terms from the JD and throw them at your candidate- put them into context. Specifying the projects they would be working on is essential in crafting the message. The outreach should include technical bullet points, emphasizing the specific problems and challenges the candidate will tackle. This specificity is a fundamental aspect of engaging a candidate who thrives on solving complex problems.

It’s not just about grabbing their interest; it’s about holding their attention by detailing the challenges and the tech stack involved. Therefore, go ahead, ask your tech team, the hiring manager and get familiar with their world! I like Chrome extensions like Glossarytech that help you with understanding IT terms and put them into context. Also, follow blogs like Geekology that regularly write about IT stuff, translated to recruiters. They help non-programmers master technical recruiting without being technical. These blogs will also help you become familiar with various programming languages.

Get nerdy!

The authenticity of the message plays a pivotal role here. A tone that's genuine and far from salesy resonates more with an audience that values truthfulness. Unleash your inner geek and get away from the super-formal recruiting mindset! Show genuine interest and dive deep into tech!

Therefore, focusing on the product rather than the customer side of the business aligns better with their interests. And while discussing the company culture, highlighting the flexible, hybrid work environment is a must in today's tech landscape.

Given their literal mindset, visual aids such as animations or images can be more effective in conveying the complexity of technologies, serving a dual purpose: they catch the eye and simultaneously provide a deeper understanding of the project.

Using elements like GIFs instead of videos ensures the candidate remains engaged without the need for navigating away from the message, aligning with the efficiency and clarity they value.

Stay away from generic templates!

Avoiding overly polished content is key. The outreach should feel as if it's coming straight from the engineering department, not the marketing team. Incorporating testimonials from developers can add a layer of relatability and credibility, speaking directly to the challenges they've faced.

The same applies to ChatGPT generated outreach messages. They could serve a spray-and pray approach to outreach but that won't get you far in IT recruitment.

Add value!

Software developers frequently perceive emails from recruiters as spam primarily because these messages tend to focus solely on drawing the developer's interest in a particular job vacancy. When the role doesn't align with the developer's interests or career goals, which is often the case, they feel that reading such emails is a futile exercise.

This equation is simple: No Perceived Value Equals Spam. Imagine, however, if technical recruiters could infuse their emails with content that developers actually find valuable? In such a scenario, even if the developers aren't interested in the job opportunity, they would still derive some benefit from reading the email. While this concept isn't revolutionary, its practical implementation is more challenging than it appears. It's common to see recruiters and staffing firms disseminating career advice, interview tips, or industry updates. But given the prevalence of such generic content, it rarely makes an impact or serves its intended purpose.

So, what can you share with them?

Of course, you can always share a joke like this:

However, you should not lean too much into "youth culture" or "bro-culture" jokes. That will hurt your diversity effort and make your outreach less inclusive.

But ask your hiring manager, if there is a great, inspiring article about the problems that you are currently solving that they can recommend. This will not only add value to your message but will implicitly showcase a culture of inspiration and continuous learning.

In conclusion, focusing solely on interest rates in your outreach campaigns misses the mark. It's about creating a connection with potential candidates by speaking their language, understanding their values, and presenting them with information that resonates on a deeper level. It’s not just about getting a 'YES' or 'NO'; it’s about fostering a genuine interest and understanding that leads to meaningful engagement.

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Hi, I am Sandra, founder of?itsatalent.business???.?I'm always here to chat about all things talent sourcing & attraction, employer branding, and the future of recruitment. If you have questions, insights to share, or just want to connect, drop me a line. Let's continue this conversation!

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