Templates · 10 messages
iMessage templates for recruiting outreach
The recruiting team that texts candidates first wins the race. Here are 10 templates for the recruiting cycle: the outreach, the phone-call follow-up, and the offer.
Free to copy and adapt, no signup
Ground rules before you send
- Cold candidate texts are first-touch outreach, so every one carries a plain-language way out. No STOP boilerplate, just a human sentence.
- Name the signal that triggered the text: the role they hold, the post they wrote, the company move. A text that could go to anyone gets answered by no one.
- Send inside business hours in the candidate's time zone. A recruiter texting at 9pm reads as a spammer texting at 9pm.
- One role per message. Listing three openings turns a personal note into a job board.
- TCPA rules apply to recruiting texts like any other business texting. Text numbers you sourced legitimately and honor every opt-out, stated in any words.
1. The role-match cold opener
hey [first name], I recruit [specialty] roles and your [current title] work at [company] keeps coming up. not pitching a job in this text, just asking: are you open to hearing about anything this year, or happy where you are? if I've got the wrong person, say so and that's the last you'll hear from me.
When to send: First touch to a passive candidate you sourced by hand. Send only when you can name their actual title and company.
Why it works: Asking permission instead of pitching flips the power dynamic, and the exit line proves there's a human on the other end. "Happy where you are" is an easy reply that still opens a thread.
2. The specific-work opener
[first name], saw the [project or talk] you shipped at [company]. I've got a [role title] search where that exact experience is the hard requirement. worth 10 minutes, or should I leave you alone? either answer is fine.
When to send: Cold outreach to a candidate whose public work you can point at: a talk, a repo, a launch, a published case study.
Why it works: Naming the actual role and level removes the generic pitch. A candidate who sees the job is three times more likely to respond.
3. The instant application response
hey [first name], your application for the [role title] role just landed. I'm the actual human reviewing it. one quick thing while it's fresh: what made you apply, the work itself or the move to [city or remote]?
When to send: Within 15 minutes of an application coming in. The window matters more than the wording.
Why it works: Most applicants hear nothing for days, so a text inside the hour is the differentiator on its own. The either/or question gets you motivation data no form field collects.
4. The interview confirmation
you're set for [day] at [time] with [interviewer name], [interviewer title]. one tip: they care most about [topic], so have a story ready. anything you want to know before then, just text me.
When to send: Right after the interview is booked, while the candidate still remembers scheduling it.
Why it works: Handing the candidate an inside tip converts you from scheduler to advocate, and candidates who feel coached show up. The open channel line catches concerns that otherwise turn into silent withdrawals.
5. The morning-of reminder
morning [first name], still good for [time] with [company]? if today's gone sideways, tell me now and I'll move it, no drama on either side.
When to send: Morning of the interview, between 8 and 10 their local time. One reminder, not three.
Why it works: Offering the reschedule up front converts silent no-shows into moved interviews, which keeps both sides of your marketplace intact. A yes/no question gets an answer where "reminder: interview at 2" gets read and ignored.
6. The same-day debrief
so, honest read: how'd it go? I ask because if anything felt off I can usually fix it before the panel debriefs tomorrow.
When to send: Two to three hours after the interview ends, same day, while impressions are raw.
Why it works: The candidate's unfiltered read is intel you can act on, and "I can fix it before tomorrow" gives them a concrete reason to be honest instead of polite. This one message saves deals that die silently in panel debriefs.
7. The offer-stage pulse check
[first name], offer's in your inbox. before you do the spreadsheet math: is there anything in it that would make this a no? tell me now and I'll see what I can actually move.
When to send: Within an hour of the written offer going out.
Why it works: Surfacing dealbreakers before the candidate constructs a rejection gives you one negotiating cycle most recruiters never get. Asking what would make it a no is easier to answer honestly than "are you excited?".
8. The ghosted-candidate save
hey [first name], you went quiet after the [stage] round and that's usually a signal, not an accident. if something turned you off, I'd genuinely rather know. and if life just got loud, the process can wait a week.
When to send: Three to four days after a candidate stops responding mid-process.
Why it works: Naming the ghosting without guilt gives the candidate a face-saving way back in. Half the time the answer is a counteroffer or a family thing, and knowing which one it is tells you whether to fight or fold.
9. The silver-medalist callback
[first name], you were the runner-up on the [company] search in [month], and I told you I'd call when something better came through. it just did: [one-line role description]. want the details before I open it up?
When to send: The day a new search opens that matches a strong runner-up from a past process. Only where they genuinely were the close second.
Why it works: "You were the runner-up" is flattering because it's specific and verifiable, and "before I open it up" is real urgency, not manufactured urgency. Silver medalists close faster than any cold sourced candidate because the vetting is already done.
10. The referral ask
[first name], you mentioned the [role title] search wasn't for you, fair enough. who's the best [specialty] person you've worked with who might be restless? one name, I'll do the rest and keep you out of it entirely.
When to send: After a candidate declines a role on good terms, in the same thread while goodwill is high.
Why it works: A declined candidate wants to be helpful to offset saying no, and "keep you out of it entirely" removes the social risk that stops most referrals. One name is a small ask; "know anyone?" is homework.
Questions
Is it legal to text candidates cold?
Recruiting texts fall under the same TCPA rules as all business texting, so the bar is: text numbers you sourced legitimately, identify yourself, send inside business hours, and honor any opt-out immediately. These templates build the opt-out into the first touch as a plain sentence rather than STOP boilerplate.
Why text candidates instead of emailing or calling?
Candidates screen calls from unknown numbers and let InMail rot, but texts get read within minutes because they land in the same thread as personal messages. Speed-sensitive moments like offer stage and interview day belong on text; long-form content like job descriptions still belongs in email.
How do I personalize these at volume?
Fill the [brackets] from data you already have: title, company, the role you are pitching, the stage they reached. The one slot that cannot be automated is the specific-work reference in the cold openers. Ten researched texts to hand-picked candidates outperform two hundred generic blasts.
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