Cold candidate outreach HAS to be multipurpose

Every cold candidate outreach has to serve multiple purposes.

Sure, the primary goal is to recruit the candidate, but that rarely happens on the first touch. Recruiters that think long-term and aren't purely transactional look to provide value and gather insights in every candidate interaction.

Here's a practical example of how a candidate and recruiter can exchange value, even when the interaction is clearly not headed towards a placement in the near foreseeable future:

Gather Candidate Intel

• Discover interests and aspirations. Even if the job's no fit, what would be an ideal job for them to consider something new?
• Tap into their network. Experienced professionals usually know other high performers worth connecting with.

Gather Organizational Intel

• Learn about their company culture. Who's keeping the team happy? Who makes the hiring decisions? How did they get the job? Great potential to fill in an org chart.
• Spot future hiring needs in their team. Even if they’re not looking now, the conversation can reveal roles that will open soon.
• Identify potential champions. Who can advocate for you or your company internally?
• Learn about tools, tech, or processes. Understanding what they use can help tailor future conversations or job opportunities.
• Gather general sentiment in the company. Are people happy? Are they leaving? Are competitors hiring aggressively?
• Understand decision-making dynamics. Who approves budgets? Who influences hiring? Who drives growth?

Gather Market Intel

• Benchmark compensation. Know how their pay stacks up to the rest of the market.
• Understand industry trends. What are they hearing in their professional circles? Emerging challenges or opportunities? Companies being sold? Layoffs? Mass hires?
• Collect content ideas. Stories from real professionals can inspire blog posts, social updates, or newsletters.

Offer Intel / Value

• Position yourself as a resource. Offer insights, referrals, benchmarking info, or interview prep guidance. This builds trust and credibility.
• Share market insights. Salary ranges, hiring trends, or hot skills in their industry.
• Provide career advice. Resume tips, skill development guidance, or mentorship suggestions.
• Offer company intel. Highlight companies that are growing or have great cultures - even if you’re not recruiting there right now.
• Highlight learning opportunities. You're a recruiter - you likely partake in a few discord / slack channels and attend some meetups every now and then. Recommend industry-relevant events that you hear of or plan on attending, webinars, or online communities they might find valuable.