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Top 7 Effective Ways to Use Letters

Looking for a way to grab job seekers’ attention? Looking for a key differentiator when working your pipeline of candidates? Consider creating a letter library of emails for delivery to your candidates’ inboxes! The letter library helps you and your team to maintain consistency while exercising the creativity necessary to recruit effectively in today’s marketplace. In addition, sending an email through Monster will help guarantee that the email is recognized as coming from a legitimate source- greatly enhancing the chances of reaching the intended job seekers.

Here are seven tangible tips that you can use to create an effective letter library.

Best Practice #7:
OFCCP

Part of the OFCCP ruling that defines Internet applicants requires that the individual seeker submits an expression of interest in employment through the Internet or related electronic data technologies. Recruiters can use letters to direct job seekers to apply for positions through their career site or job posting, thereby submitting their expression of interest in the specific position not employment in general.

Best Practice #6:
Targeting seekers working for your competition

Savvy recruiters know which competitors have top performers working for them. By creating a customized letter that targets your competition’s employees, you can highlight the key reasons why other employees from that organization have been successful at your company. Letters sent with customized messaging are effective tools to engage “poised” seekers. Using this targeted approach is a key differentiator with the top job seeker who is in great demand.

Best Practice #5:
Connect with confidential candidates

Some candidates in the Monster database wish to remain confidential. In these cases, you will not have a telephone number or the name of the candidate available to you. When this situation arises, using Monster letters is the perfect tool to communicate with that confidential candidate.

In essence, these candidates know that the only way to get in touch with them is through email, so they understand the purpose of a Monster email arriving in their inbox. In your email, try to get the attention of the seeker. Instead of sending a generic email, take the time to craft an individualized email with a compelling subject line and messaging that points out why you feel their skills are a good match for the position. Hopefully, you will convince a confidential seeker to reveal themselves to you and engage in a conversation

Best Practice #4:
Use letters to get referrals

Networking is always an important part of recruiting. Many organizations offer a referral fee to anyone that sends them a viable candidate that is placed in an open job.

Why not create a referral letter in the Monster library containing your information and the terms of your referral program? You can then go into the Monster database and search for individuals who are similar to the types of candidates that you are trying to attract. Once you find a suitable pool of candidates, you have the option of sending the referral letter to 20 individuals at a time, if you wish. Ultimately, the goal is to have these candidates forward your email to people in their immediate network, who will in turn connect with you. This is a fantastic way to expand your pipeline of candidates!

Best Practice #3:
Send an auto-reply letter

Job seekers often complain that they do not know if a recruiter has received their resume after they hit the “Apply Now” button. As a result, they call or email you to find out if their resume has arrived. To save yourself time on the phone and to put the mind of the job seeker at ease, why not create an auto-reply letter in your Monster letter library?

This email can be attached to a new job you post on Monster, and will automatically be sent to the candidate when they submit their resume to you. It can only be used if they use the apply button, so stay away from putting your email in the body of your ad. Instead, provide the prospective candidate with your email and contact information in the auto-reply letter. This is also a fantastic best practice to incorporate into your applicant tracking system if you use one.

Best Practice #2:
Use letters to draw candidates to job fairs and open houses

Many corporations and staffing firms hold internal job fairs or open houses to bring in candidates who are consistent with their typical open requisition profiles. To advertise for these job fairs, they often rely on word of mouth or newspaper advertisements. Instead, why not create an invitation in the Monster letter library that everyone can use with dates, times, directions and relevant information?

You can go into the Monster database, and search for the type of individual that you would like to see participate in your job fair. Once you’ve found your pool, use the “Send Saved Letter” action to send your letter to 20 prospective candidates at one time.

This will save you time, and more importantly, get your invitation into the hands of the candidates that you really would like to meet. You could even recommend that they RSVP to solidify a spot on the hiring manager interview schedule being conducted on- site at the job fair/open house!

Best Practice #1:
Turn a passive candidate into an active candidate

When you are searching for candidates and find new resumes, your first instinct is to reach for the telephone. However, chances are that a candidate will be at work and unavailable to speak to you when you call them. Instead, try writing them a thorough email. Chances are they will check their email at some point during the day. In the email, you can include information such as a description of your organization, a link to your company’s site, the job link on Monster and your contact information, including your availability.

This will give the candidate time to read through the information, look at the links provided to the career site or specific job ad and find a time that is convenient for both of you. When they do call you, they will be calling you because they are interested in the opportunity. Now you’ve converted them from a passive candidate into an active candidate!

If you are a leading company trying to engage passive job seekers you might consider using letters as a way to direct seekers to a microsite. Microsites give organizations a chance to continue their branding message and attract those seekers not willing to submit their resume. By using a microsite, job seekers can enter their basic contact information without a resume. Recruiters and companies can contact the seekers with follow up communications like newsletters, press releases and other targeted messages.