Developer Candidates Email Template

Developers are responsible for building and maintaining functional software, and are in high demand for various industries. Here’s how to find quality candidates:

• Search developer communities like GitHub and Stack Overflow
• Engage in social recruitment (like Facebook groups and Twitter)
• Look in developer dedicated channels on Slack and Meetup

For European candidates, please refer to guidance on using social media for recruiting and collecting candidate information as per the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR.

Found a profile you like? Gather as much information as you can before sending a recruiting email so your message is more personal. Mention what qualifications caught your attention and why you think they’ll be a good fit for your open role. 

Avoid buzzwords, keep your message straightforward and don’t over hype it. 

Developers are in high demand and have lots of options. They need compelling reasons to consider your company. Are you working on a project within their field of expertise? Do you offer special benefits to your engineering team? Mention something that would intrigue the specific person you’re contacting to get them to look your way.

Be sure to provide all relevant information (your name, your company and contact details) and a clear call to action. And if this is an EU candidate, make sure to include a link to your privacy notice as the GDPR requires.

Recruiting developers email template

Here are some examples of cold recruiting emails to developer candidates:

Subject line: [Company_name] is looking for a [job_title] / Interested in joining our team at [Company_name]?

Hi [Candidate_Name],

My name is [your name], [your job_title] at [Company_name].

• I saw your profile on [site] and I was really impressed by [add specific achievement that caught your eye]. At [Company_name], we are working on similar projects and we’re currently looking to expand our team with a qualified [job_title – add link to the job description.] I’d love to tell you more about this position and discuss how we could achieve great things together.

• I saw on your [list social site] profile that you regularly participate in [e.g. Game Development and Mobile Technology] [meetings/events/seminars.] We’re always on the lookout for people who are interested in expanding their knowledge and can bring new ideas. Currently, we’re looking for a [job_title – add link to the job description] to join our development team. I’d love to tell you a little more about this position and learn more about your career goals.

• We met [e.g. recently / around 2 months ago], when you applied for the [Job_title] position. Even though it wasn’t the best fit, we’ve kept you in mind for future openings. Particularly, your [e.g. positive attitude during the interview or performance on the written assignment] really stood out. We feel you’d be a good fit for our [job_title – add link to the job description.] I’d love to learn about what you’ve been up to since we last met and tell you a little bit more about this position.

• You really stood out at [e.g. Hackathon or Open Source project] [mention specific achievement and/or comments from your engineering team.] We are always looking to collaborate with talented people and build great products together. Currently, we’d like to grow our team with a [job_title – add link to the job description] who will take on [add engineering project.] I’d love to tell you a little more about this position and learn about your career goals. 

Are you available [include date and time or a period of time, e.g. ‘sometime this week’]? If so, I’d be happy to set up a call. 

Chat soon,

[Your name]

[Signature]