Sourcing

Outreach sequences that get replies

How to reach candidates who did not apply: check contact details first, write a short sequence across email, text and phone, measure what works, and make the next step one tap.

7 min read · Updated · For recruiters reaching out to sourced or past candidates

The short version

Short, specific and easy to answer beats long and clever. Say the role, the pay and the place, and make replying the easiest thing to do.

Before you write anything

  1. 1

    Check contact details

    Scout finds work email and phone details and checks them before you reach out.

    In Scout
  2. 2

    Know why you are writing

    Read the short brief on each person and why they fit, so your first line can be specific.

    In Scout

The shape of a good sequence

Keep it short

  • Three or four touches, spread over a couple of weeks.
  • Mix channels: an email, a short text, a call or voicemail.
  • Each touch adds something new, not just "following up".
  • Stop when someone replies, and honor every opt-out.

Build it once, run it for everyone

  1. 1

    One sequence, every channel

    Email, SMS, phone calls and tasks in one sequence, on the timing you set.

    In Scout
  2. 2

    "Write it for me"

    Draft each step from the role and the person, then edit it before it goes out.

    In Scout

Write messages people answer

Every message

  • Opens with the role, the pay range and the location.
  • Says why you thought of this person.
  • Asks one easy question or offers one link.
  • Reads like a person wrote it.

Measure, then hand off

  1. 1

    See what works

    See how each sequence performs, with a timeline for every person in it.

    In Scout
  2. 2

    One step into a journey

    Send an interested person into a journey from their Scout profile, so they are scored on the same criteria as applicants.

    In Scout

The products in this playbook

ScoutFind people before they apply, reach out by email, SMS and phone, and send replies into a journey.Explore ScoutJourneysA short, scored pre-interview every applicant takes on their phone, ranked against your criteria.Explore Journeys

Questions, answered

How many messages should a sequence have?

Three or four is usually enough. More than that tends to annoy people more than it helps.

Should I text people I have not met?

Only where your local rules allow it, and always honor opt-outs. Keep the first text short and say who you are and why you are writing.

What happens when someone replies yes?

Send them into the journey for the role, so they are reviewed alongside your applicants.

Keep reading

All playbooks
Sourcing7 min readFill hard-to-fill roles: rediscover, search and reach outA sourcing routine for roles that do not get enough applicants: start with people you already know, search for new ones, reach out in a short sequence and send replies into a journey.Read the playbookSourcing6 min readRediscover candidates already in your databaseYour best next hire may have applied last year. Keep strong runners-up in pools, rescan your database when a role opens, read what you already know about them, and invite them back.Read the playbookHow it connects10 min readHow InsightHire connects: from first search to first yearFollow one hire end to end: sourcing with Scout, a scored journey, ranked review, structured interviews, the offer and onboarding, then Grow, with Vouch checks along the way.Read the playbook

Put this playbook to work.

Bring one real role and we'll set it up with you in InsightHire.

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