Automated emails done right!

A what?

When a candidate has applied for your vacancy, they will expect a confirmation that their application has been received successfully. But sometimes, you will be too swamped to answer each email. You may simply forget. 😞 Admit it; nothing is worse than an ignored candidate. It could lead to a bad candidate experience, and you want to avoid that at all costs. Automated emails are your lifesavers here! 👏 The emails will be sent with perfect timing and are (in a best-case scenario) personalised, making them hyper-relevant for the candidate.

Emails like that keep your candidate from feeling neglected. They will continually be updated about the application process, and you will have more time on your hands to improve your workflow, like optimising your website, communication, vacancies… 

When do I use them?

Confirmation emails after submitted applications are but one use of automated emails. In addition, you can use them to invite your candidate for a video interview 📹 and then again as a confirmation that the interview has been received. After a job interview, you can schedule an automated email to let your candidate know when exactly they can expect a decision.

If a candidate wants to work for your organisation but they can’t find a vacancy that suits their profile, you can offer them the option of subscribing to receive updates. All you need is their email address.  Thanks to automated emails, you’ll be able to notify them when you publish a new vacancy. 📬

How do I create an automated email?

Have we been able to spark your interest in automated emails? This is how you set one up. Make a plan to begin with: a candidate applies -> leaves their email address -> receives a confirmation email, for example. It’s not rocket science!

Next, involve an online platform that specialises in automated emails, like Active Campaign or Mailchimp. The platform will take care of the hard work for you. 💪🏼 Optimising your automated email is probably the most important step of all. You will get a heap of information and data about the performance of your automated email from your chosen platform, like the open-rate, the click-through-rate… with these details, you can fine-tune your emails down to the smallest detail. 

Not sure which layout or copy will work best? 🤷🏽‍♀️ Use A/B testing to generate the best automated emails for your strategy. Are you wary of it coming across as too robotic? Implement a bit of human touch in different sections of your automated email. Here’s how to:

A few tips 💡

1. Address your candidate by their first name. Not just in the greeting at the top, but in the text as well. For example: “Kevin, when will you be free for an interview next week?”. Make sure to just use the first name of your candidate and strictly not their last name. Nothing screams ‘robot’ more than: “ Enjoy your weekend, Kevin Peters!”.

2. Sign your emails with your own name, not your organisation’s. For example: “Regards, Sarah”. This will make the email feel more personal. 

3. You can even add a photo of yourself to the signature. Your candidates will feel like there is actually a human being behind that email. 

4. Don’t answer too quickly! Suppose your candidate submits their application at 22:00. If they receive a detailed confirmation email at 22:05, it’ll come across as a bit strange and robotic. Instead, program your automated emails to be sent a while after a submitted application and during regular working hours. 

5. Write like you talk. This will imply that you’ve only just written the email before sending it. 

6. Double-check that the automated email is mobile friendly. An email that doesn’t adapt to a smartphone screen is a pet peeve for everyone.

7. Finally: be crystal clear about how your candidates can contact you. Don’t send any emails from the uninviting noreply@company.com address.

Hopefully, we’ve been able to shine a light on a thing or two about automated emails! 😉 Are you ready to start using automated emails in your recruitment process?