An approach letter serves as a professional introduction between you and the potential candidate. It establishes a personalised connection with your candidates. The letter helps you explain the value of the position you’re hiring, company culture, and the potential fit for the candidate. Get this right and you can improve sourcing efficiency.

Studies show that approach letters usually get quite low response rates from candidates. LinkedIn has reported that the average response rate for LinkedIn InMail messages sent by recruiters is between 10-25%, depending on the outreach quality. Personalised messages that include recent achievements, projects, etc., can boost response rates to 25-30%. On the contrary, poorly targeted messages struggle with a response rate below 10%.

That’s your proof why an approach letter can improve sourcing efficiency by increasing chances of engagement. A positive first impression can lead to successful recruitment.

#1 step to improve sourcing efficiency: be personal

I can’t emphasise enough how crucial personalising your approach letter is in improving sourcing efficiency. Use the candidate's name, mention their projects, achievements, or GitHub contributions.

#2 step to improve sourcing efficiency: hook

The candidate has to feel that they’re the right person for this job. What are the most important details of the role? Why are they a perfect fit based on their profile?

Don’t start off with an aggressive sales pitch. Take the tension down and let the candidate know it's an initial conversation to see if there's a mutual fit.

Highlight the value tech candidates can get from this role. Emphasise your company’s unique selling points - what makes your company stand out? It could be your culture, flexible or remote work, growth opportunities, tech stack, etc.

Always remember to sum up your approach letter with a call to action (CTA). What do you want the candidate to do? Stick to low-commitment actions, because asking for three drops of blood might scare them away and cost you the contact. You could use some of these statements.

• Would you be open to a 15-minute chat?

• I'd love to hear your thoughts.

• Are you available to talk this week?

Get to your point quickly. Brevity is key, because tech candidates tend to be overwhelmed with recruitment messages. A tech recruiter’s message should ideally be less than 200 words.

Plan carefully when you send out the approach letter. Weekends and Fridays generally have the lowest response rates as people are more focused on their personal life instead of work. Aren’t you? Keep that in mind and send your message during the work week.

Now that we’ve broken down the approach letter, I’ve got one extra hack for you. There’s something that can work even better to improve sourcing efficiency.

It’s your outreach video.

I`m talking about a personal message from the direct manager about the role, culture, and expectations. A short 1-2-minute clip in their own words. This hack has got tons of positive feedback from the candidates, because it’s relatable and adds a human touch.

Feel free to use my template to help improve sourcing efficiency. It wraps up everything I talked about and even presents an approach letter example. Get it here and let me know how you get on!

Want to take your sourcing even further?

What if I told you these minor changes in sourcing can get the talents you deserve?