This is a sourcing email template to use when communicating with a candidate who’s an internal employee referral. Our template can help you craft your first email to make a brief introduction and schedule next steps.
If your candidate sees a familiar name in the subject line, they’re more likely to open your email and respond to it. So, don’t forget to mention the employee who made the referral. In your message, use a friendly yet professional tone. It’s possible that your employee has mentioned that you might reach out, so try to avoid being too formal. You should mention the position you’re hiring for and briefly explain why you think they might be interested. Apart from having a mutual connection, point out how your candidate’s skills and experience are relevant to your job requirements. As with all candidate sourcing emails, you should indicate what the next steps are (e.g. set up a call) and provide information your candidate might need (e.g. contact details, job description, company website.)
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Email template for sourcing a referred candidate
Subject line: Referral from [Employee_name] / [Employee_name] mentioned you’re a great [Job_title]
Hi [Candidate_Name],
I am [your name], [your job_title] at [Company_name]. We are currently looking to hire a [Job_title] and [Employee_name] mentioned that you might be a good fit.
From what I have seen in your [e.g. LinkedIn or GitHub] profile, your background is impressive and you’ve done some interesting things, similar to our projects. [It’s best if you mention something that specifically caught your eye.] Here, at [Company_name], we’re always looking for more great people like [Employee_name], so we’d like to get to know you.
Would you be available for a quick intro call [include date and time or a period of time, e.g. ‘sometime this week’] to learn a little bit more about our position? I’m also happy to coordinate via email or LinkedIn, if you prefer.
I hope you have a great day,
[Your name]
[Signature]
Note that when sending sourcing emails to European candidates, you need to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. Find out more in our guide.