Our recruiters were recently tasked with filling a niche data analysis role with highly competitive software in the healthcare field. The client had been reaching out to candidates on their own but getting nowhere. Everyone they contacted either wasn’t interested in changing jobs or flat-out didn’t respond at all.
When this request came in, I spoke to our client manager and decided we needed a different approach. Simply laying out the details of the job wasn’t enough, especially in an area where specialists have their pick of lucrative openings. We needed to get strategic.
My team approached this pitch by focusing not on what the candidate could gain–after all when you’re an enterprise-level company, you can always dangle a carrot like a huge salary–but instead on what the candidate was currently lacking in their professional life. We crafted a pitch that emphasized cultural components that are missing from many fast-moving smaller teams, like meaningful mentorship and support for employees’ long-term goals. With this tailored approach, we were able to build a shortlist of a dozen strong contenders who were not only technically qualified but highly interested in the position.
Every job is unique, which means the way you pitch them should be, too. I’ll explain how to create a compelling recruitment pitch that helps you capture the attention of candidates and turn them into applicants.
What Is a Recruitment Pitch?
A recruitment pitch is a concise message a recruiter uses to convince a prospective candidate to apply for a job. It could be sent via email, delivered on a platform like LinkedIn, communicated over the phone, or even spoken face-to-face.
A recruiter has a very narrow window of time in which to make their case, so a recruitment pitch must be focused. It should introduce and frankly sell the company and be tailored to the candidate’s needs and preferences.
Goals a Good Recruitment Pitch Should Accomplish
Present the opportunity
A recruitment pitch should pique the candidate’s interest or spark their curiosity. This prompts them to keep reading and learn more about the job.
Explain the value proposition
This is the meat of a recruitment pitch: what’s in it for the candidate. The value proposition should make it clear why the opening is a match for the person’s skills and background and explain how they’d benefit from the role, whether it’s advancing their career, working on exciting projects, increasing their earning potential, or whatever is likely a priority for this candidate.
Related: How to Create a Winning Employee Value Proposition
Provide background on the company
Unless your brand is a household name, your pitch will be the first time many recipients hear about your organization. Your pitch should give an overview of the company’s products or services and mission.
Convince them to apply
This is the whole point of creating a recruitment pitch: to attract talented applicants. The message should make it quick and easy for interested professionals to take the next step.
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How to Create a Recruitment Pitch
Personalize your introduction
Message templates are a necessity. Without them, it would be impossible to reach the volume of candidates we need to reach in order to hire efficiently. And yet, there’s no faster way to reach the trash can than sending a canned, copy-and-pasted message.
My team has dramatically increased our response rates by letting the candidate know from the very first line of the message that we’re speaking directly to them, and them specifically. You can mention a mutual acquaintance, cite a particular detail about their profile that caught your eye, ask them how their current job at insert-company-here is going, congratulate them on a recent accomplishment–anything to show that you have a valid reason for reaching out and you’re not just messaging them at random.
Introduce the company
Give an overview of your company to tell the reader or listener who you are. One or two sentences is sufficient.
Here’s a formula that always works for me:
‘My company, [INSERT NAME], works to [INSERT PROBLEM YOU SOLVE] through [INSERT PRODUCT OR SERVICE YOU SELL].’
For my own organization, it would look like this:
‘My company, 4 Corner Resources, works to help companies fill vacancies efficiently by sourcing talent with the right blend of skills, experience, and personality.’
It’s quick, easy, and accomplishes the job of introducing your organization to someone who’s hearing about it for the first time.
Outline your value proposition
Most of your pitch should be dedicated to the value proposition. What makes your organization or this position unique? Why should someone work here versus a competitor? What are the key selling points that matter to the candidate? This is where it’s important to have a solid knowledge of the industry and market, because you want to cover things that not every employer is offering.
Here are some examples of items to include:
- Compensation. In addition to salary, cover other forms of compensation, such as overtime, commission, bonuses, and profit sharing.
- Benefits and perks. Highlight offerings that make you stand out, like unlimited PTO, mental health support, or tuition assistance.
- Professional development. Candidates consistently cite development opportunities as their most desired benefit beyond salary and basics like healthcare.
- Career advancement. Outline the advancement paths available to the recipient, like promotion into more senior roles and leadership opportunities. Make it easy for them to see a future with the company.
- Company growth and future plans. What’s on the horizon for the organization, from expansions to innovative projects? Tell the candidate what to be excited about.
- Impact. Connect the candidate’s strengths with the ability to make a difference through the role. This is another opportunity to personalize your pitch and make it resonate.
Give real-world examples
When one of my recruiters was sourcing candidates for a project management role, she came across a woman whose LinkedIn profile caught my eye. She wasn’t the “traditional” candidate; she had no project management experience, but her skills and background gave me a hunch that she’d be great in the position.
When I reached out to her, I knew I’d need to overcome the hurdle of showing her why the job made sense because, on the surface, it seemed like I’d picked her profile at random. Rather than trying to use my words to convince her, I knew a success story from a similar hire would be much more compelling.
I shared an anecdote about another candidate we’d plucked from a customer service role. Though he had no prior experience, his organization and creative problem-solving perfectly positioned him to succeed in a project management capacity. After providing some additional training to support his transition, a year into the job, he was crushing it. This anecdote helped ease her doubts and turn any hesitation she might feel into excitement about the prospect of a career switch.
Whether it’s a testimonial from a happy employee or impressive metrics that help you make your case, real-world examples make any pitch so much stronger.
Include a call to action
Close your pitch by stating the next action you want the candidate to take. I like to offer two CTAs in every pitch: apply for the job or set up a time to talk with me for more information. I’ll typically include a link that takes the reader directly to the application (or, if I’m talking live, hand them something that contains these details) and also invite them to have a conversation to answer any questions they may have.
Example Recruitment Pitch – Email
Hi Shawn,
I attended the April 12 city council meeting and heard your presentation on the South Avenue redevelopment project. I agreed with much of what you said and thought you had tremendous insights into the community.
I’m with Pine Ridge Capital. We work to facilitate innovative developments through strategic land acquisition. I’m reaching out because I think you’d be a strong fit for a site manager role we currently have open.
Pine Ridge emphasizes continued learning, offering an annual education stipend and sponsoring attendance at industry conferences. In addition to comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits, we offer access to mental health services and a very popular childcare subsidy.
I’d love to tell you more about the job and the projects we have on the horizon, particularly one downtown I think you’ll find very interesting. Do you have a few minutes this week to chat? Alternatively, you can visit the job posting directly here. Hope to hear from you soon.
Thomas
Example Recruitment Pitch – Voicemail
Many times, you’ll be put in the position of leaving a voicemail. This isn’t a roadblock, but an opportunity! You can still make a great pitch; it just needs to be a little shorter and more enticing to convince the recipient to call you back. Here’s an example.
Hi Sharon, this is Felicia with Randolph Hughes. I’m calling because we have an immediate opening for an associate editor, and I think you’d be a great candidate. 85% of our editors were promoted from associate positions, so this is an ideal opportunity if you’re looking to advance into an editor role in the next couple years. Give me a call back at 888-888-8888 to discuss the details. Thanks!
Our Expert Recruiters Are Here to Help You Attract the Best Candidates
A strong pitch is the only thing standing between you and your next great candidate. By including compelling selling points and sprinkling in personalized details that show the pitch was intended specifically for them, you’ll show the candidate how your opening aligns with their goals and make it easy for them to decide to apply.
If, after reading all of this, you still think that your recruitment plan could use some polish, my team is always eager to help. We can help consult on a specific area or take on the full scope of your hiring needs. As one last note, since I’ve talked so much about it in pitches, if you need a specific example to help you make up your mind, we do have an 86% candidate fill rate.
Reach out today to discuss your needs and get started building a better team.
