POV: You search for hours, finally find suitable candidates, send a message - and never hear back. Why do so many outreach messages go unanswered? The answer: often because of the way they are approached. Because active sourcing is more than just a few friendly lines. It's your chance to really inspire top talent. Here are the most important dos and don'ts for successfully approaching candidates.

🚀 Dos in active sourcing

1. personal approach - show genuine interest

Personalise your messages. Candidates will immediately notice if you have made an effort to read their profile. Mention specific projects, experiences or achievements to give them the feeling that you want them - not just anyone.

It could look like this, for example:
"Hi Anna, I was impressed by your current project at [company] to optimise customer support. I have an exciting challenge for you that fits your skillset perfectly..."

2. communicate clear added value 

Make it clear why candidates should respond to your offer. Talk specifically about the development opportunities, team culture or benefits they can expect from you.

 "In our team, you have the opportunity to help build a completely new product strategy and really contribute your ideas."

3. stay authentic - no sales talk

Authenticity beats sales tactics. Be honest and natural instead of overly euphoric. Candidates appreciate honest and down-to-earth communication.

 "We are currently in the process of expanding our marketing team - and I think you would be a great addition to our team. Would you like to talk about it without obligation?"

4. do: organise a consistent and friendly follow-up

The response is not always immediate. Many candidates only respond after a second or third message. A friendly follow-up comes across as interested, not pushy.

 "Hi Anna, I wanted to get in touch again in case my last message got lost. It would be great if we could have a quick chat."

5. do: Use modern tools - AI makes your life easier

Tools with AI support help you to create personalised messages efficiently, find suitable candidates more quickly and schedule follow-ups cleverly.

AI-supported platforms such as aurio help you to save time and still enable you to approach candidates personally.

🚫 Don'ts in active sourcing

1. use standard messages

Nothing annoys candidates more than copy-paste messages. Such requests usually end up unread in the wastepaper basket.

What you should avoid:
"Hello, I find your profile interesting and have an offer for you..." - without further details.

2. mass appeal - class beats mass

It's better to write to a few really suitable candidates than to contact hundreds of contacts half-heartedly. Quality before quantity!

What you should avoid:
Sending a message to 50 candidates in the hope that someone will get back to you.

3. vague formulations - be specific

Candidates want clear information, not vague statements. Anyone who doesn't immediately understand what it's about will click on.

What you should avoid:
"We may have an interesting opportunity that could potentially be a good fit..."

4. put candidates under pressure

Avoid formulations that put candidates under pressure or demand decisions too quickly. Give them time to ask questions and think things over.

What you should avoid:
"I really need your answer today, otherwise I'll have to contact someone else."

5. completely neglect follow-ups

Don't give up on candidates immediately if they don't respond. Sometimes the answer lies in a friendly second attempt.

What you should avoid:
Never follow up again after a single message.

A good candidate approach makes the difference between success and failure

How you approach candidates is crucial to whether your active sourcing is successful or not. Those who communicate personally, authentically and clearly will win over talent in the long term. On the other hand, those who rely on mass approaches, standardised texts and impersonal wording are wasting potential.

Ready to take your recruiting to the next level?

With aurio, recruiting becomes child's play: we support you with intelligent AI tools to make your communication more effective, faster and more personalised.

👉 Arrange a free consultation on automated active sourcing now and revolutionise your recruiting!