Templates
Template: candidate outreach for recruiters
A good candidate message names the role, says why you are writing to this person, and makes it easy to say no. Keep it short, put the role and the employer in the first lines, and do not pretend to know the person. Below are a LinkedIn first message, an email and a WhatsApp follow up, with notes on what to check before sending. Made up placeholders are in square brackets.
Published by Sellinger AI. Numbers and settings checked on 25 October 2026 against the fact register. Report an error.
The text
Hi [first name], I am recruiting a [role] for [company type, or the company if you may name it], [location or remote]. Your work on [specific thing from their profile] looks close to what the team needs. Would you like the details, or is now not the time?
Subject: [Role] at [company], [location] Hi [first name], I am [name], and I recruit for [company type]. I found your profile because of [specific reason]. The role: [one line on scope], [location or remote], [salary range if you may share it]. If this is not for you, tell me and I will not write again. If it is, a 15 minute call is enough to decide whether it is worth going further. [Name]
Hi [first name], it is [name], following up on my LinkedIn note about the [role]. Happy to keep it here if that is easier. Do you want the short version?
Why each line is there
| Line | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| Role and employer first | Candidates decide in the first lines whether the message is a real job or a mass mailing. |
| A specific reason | A line about their work separates a search from a spray. |
| A salary range if you may share it | It is the first question most candidates have. |
| A way to say no | Respects the person and helps your list: a clean no is more useful than silence. |
| WhatsApp only after contact | A first message on a private number needs more care than a professional network. |
What it measured
No data yet. Sellinger has not measured results for this exact text, so this page makes no claim about replies, meetings or revenue. Measured campaigns are in the case studies.
When not to use it
- When you cannot name the role or the employer yet.
- When you hold the person's data without a lawful basis you can state. The GDPR requires you to tell people where their data came from when you did not collect it from them; see Article 14 in the official text. This is not legal advice.
- When someone has said they are not interested; record it and stop.
How to use it in Sellinger
Use the recruiting persona and the recruiting goals as a base, and add the rule pack from recruiting and talent. Leave it to the agent, which writes each message from the lead's own data and your persona, or paste this text into a step in Flow-Maker in the campaign's configuration drawer. The step's instruction box personalises a pasted message with the lead's data, so read the first sends before you widen the campaign.
Common questions
How long should a candidate message be?
Should I mention the salary?
Is it all right to message candidates on WhatsApp?
Can an AI agent do candidate outreach?
Sources and method
Wording is ours. GDPR Article 14 from the official text on EUR-Lex (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), read 25 October 2026. Not legal advice.
Related: Templates hub, Sellinger for recruiters, LinkedIn outreach for recruiters, LinkedIn connection request.
