When enhancing your graduate recruitment strategy, an engaging email can go a long way. If you’re wondering how to recruit graduates, you need people to be interested enough to open your email in the first place and then engage with it. As far as emails of this nature are concerned, the average open rate is 17.8%, meaning that for every 100 emails sent, less than 18 will be opened, and even fewer will actually be read from start to finish.

Despite this, an email might just be the perfect tool for attracting Generation Z, as 66.9% of them receive under 20 emails per day. Consequently, there’s less competition for messages to be recognised when compared with other platforms. Read on for the top graduate recruitment advice.

The subject line

The subject line is the first section that someone will encounter when opening an email, meaning it must entice the reader to learn more. The best way to achieve this is via short and snappy phrases of four to nine words. This is because studies have shown that four-word subject lines produce the highest open rate of 18.26%, while it’s recommended that a subject line should be no more than nine words and 60 characters. As much as the subject is concise, it must also be clear in communicating the opportunity. A clear and concise subject line is one of the most important graduate recruitment strategies.

 

Explain the benefits of the opportunity

When trying to entice a candidate to an opportunity, you must make it clear what they can gain from it. Therefore, the unique benefits of the role must be highlighted from the offset. One of the most desirable benefits from a Gen Z perspective is the opportunity for career development and progression. Additionally, remote working and distinct company culture are also sought-after professional features. Make sure these perks are always known when it comes to graduate recruitment.

Make the email personal

Once you’ve piqued the interest of your reader, you need to actually maintain it. The best way to do this is by making the email as personal as possible. You can achieve this by including the reader’s name and the city in which they’re situated. Otherwise, you might try indirect flattery, whereby you draw attention to their impressive CV. This will make the candidate feel addressed and wanted, resulting in them being more inclined to progress further with your offering. Without these personalised features, they’ll merely feel as though they’ve been sent the same email that 100 other candidates have received. Personalisation is the way forwards in graduate recruitment in the UK

Find the right tone of voice

Tone of voice is incredibly important when it comes to attracting the right candidate, and the appropriate tone will differ from industry to industry. For instance, an accountancy firm will want to keep their language professional, concise, and straightforward, as this is the nature of the industry. On the other hand, an email for a sales role may have a dynamic and energetic tone of voice, in order to mirror the desirable traits of ideal candidates. Though you’re looking to mould your tone of voice to graduate sales recruitment, you need to ensure that it doesn’t present any bias toward certain genders, races, etc. Outside of an industry perspective, make sure your tone remains neutral at all times.

Include a call to action

After gaining the interest of your reader, you want to provide them with the means of doing something about it. Therefore, a call to action is imperative, whether it invites the candidate to complete an application form, send a CV, or apply for the role. Similarly, you might encourage them to get in touch with any questions, so that you’re able to assess their interest.

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