--- title: "Candidate outreach message: structure, examples and follow-ups" description: "How to write an outreach message to a candidate who is not looking: the four-part structure, examples for a LinkedIn invitation, an InMail, an email and WhatsApp, the pace of follow-ups, the mistakes that get a message ignored and the GDPR notice to give at first contact." url: https://marvins.ai/en/blog/candidate-outreach-message language: en published: 2026-11-11 author: "Christophe Hébert" --- # Candidate outreach message: structure, examples and follow-ups How to write an outreach message to a candidate who is not looking: the four-part structure, examples for a LinkedIn invitation, an InMail, an email and WhatsApp, the pace of follow-ups, the mistakes that get a message ignored and the GDPR notice to give at first contact. A successful **candidate outreach message** fits in a few lines: a sentence that proves you have read the background, the role summed up with what might interest this person, the reason you are thinking of them, and a simple request. It goes out on the right channel, and two spaced follow-ups come after it if there is no reply. Here is the structure, examples by channel, the pace of follow-ups, the mistakes that get a message ignored and what the GDPR requires at first contact. _Article checked on 11 November 2026. Duty to inform: Article 14 of the GDPR._ ## Key takeaways - **The message is short** and reads well on a phone: four to six lines. - **The first sentence is about the candidate**, not about you or your client. - **The request is simple**: a fifteen-minute call, a yes or no answer. - **The channel follows the context**: LinkedIn invitation, InMail, email, then WhatsApp only after a first exchange. - **Two follow-ups**, a few days apart, each with something new. - **The first message informs** the candidate where their data came from and of their right to object. ## The four-part structure of a first message A first outreach message has four parts: a personal opener drawn from the background, the role summed up in one line, the reason for this particular person, then a request they can say yes to in ten seconds. Each part fits in one sentence. If one is missing, the message reads like a mass mailing. 1. **The opener.** A detail from the profile: a project, a job change, a rare technology, a published article. "Your move from a consultancy to a software vendor last year" beats "your profile caught my attention". 2. **The role in one line.** The title, the sector, the city or remote setup, and what might move someone who is not looking: the scope, the team, the pay when the client agrees to share it. 3. **Why them.** The link between the opener and the role: "you built a data team from scratch, which is exactly the need". 4. **The request.** A short conversation at a time that suits them. Offer two slots or let them choose, with no attachment or link to click in the first message. ## Example messages, channel by channel The same substance is not written the same way on every channel. A LinkedIn invitation leaves little room, an InMail allows a real paragraph, an email has a subject line that decides whether it gets opened, and WhatsApp is for candidates who have already spoken with you. The examples below use fictitious identities. **LinkedIn invitation with a short note** > Hi Camille, your background as a Java developer who came through fintech interests me for a lead backend role at a SaaS vendor in Lyon. I would be glad to talk when you have a moment. The invitation note is short by design, and LinkedIn heavily limits invitations with a note on a free account. Keep one sentence about the person and one about the role. **InMail** > Subject: Lead backend, SaaS vendor in Lyon > > Hi Camille, > > Last year you migrated your team's payment engine to Spring Boot: that is exactly the project waiting for the future lead backend at a SaaS vendor in Lyon I am working with. Team of six developers, two days of remote work, pay discussed according to the profile. > > Would you be open to a fifteen-minute call this week or next? > > I found you on LinkedIn; if you would rather not be contacted again, tell me and I will remove your details. **Email** > Subject: Camille, a lead backend role in Lyon > > Hi Camille, > > I am recruiting a lead backend for a SaaS vendor in Lyon. Your experience with payments in Java matches the first project of the role. Could we talk for fifteen minutes? > > [Your signature, with a link to your privacy policy] The subject line names the role and the person: that is what gets the message opened. To learn where to find a work address and how to use it lawfully, see [finding a candidate's phone number or email](https://marvins.ai/en/blog/find-candidate-phone-number-email). **WhatsApp, after a first exchange** > Hi Camille, it is Julien, we spoke on Tuesday about the lead backend role. The client offers two interview slots on Thursday, at 10am or 4pm: which suits you? WhatsApp is a personal channel. Use it to move a process that has already started, not for a cold first contact. ## Follow-ups: how many and how often Two follow-ups are usually enough, a few working days apart, each with something new. The first can switch channel, the second leaves a door open for later. A follow-up that repeats the first message without adding anything reads as pressure, and it wears down the firm's name. - **Follow-up 1**: one more fact about the role (team size, the first project, the salary range) or another channel, for example email after an unanswered invitation. - **Follow-up 2**: a short sentence that closes cleanly. "If the timing is wrong, I will come back to you about a future role, if you agree." Stop as soon as the person replies, even to say no, and note the answer on their record. A candidate who declines today may accept in a year, provided someone remembers what they said. ## The mistakes that get an outreach message ignored Ignored messages share a few easy-to-spot faults: an opener that could target anyone, a vague role, a text that is too long, a request that is too heavy, or a mistake about the person. Each one tells the candidate the message was sent in bulk, and so they need not reply. - **The generic opener.** "Your profile caught my attention" appears in every message. - **The hidden role.** Without a title or sector, the candidate cannot judge whether it concerns them. - **The wall of text.** Beyond six lines, the message gets skimmed on a phone. - **The heavy request.** A CV to send, a form to fill in or a link to a two-page job ad before any conversation. - **The wrong person.** A wrong first name, a job they have left, a skill they do not have. - **The identical follow-up.** The same text sent again three days later. ## The GDPR at first contact When you approach a candidate whose profile or details you found somewhere other than from them, the GDPR requires you to inform them at the latest at the first communication. The first message must therefore say who you are, why you are contacting them, where their data came from and how to object. Article 14(3) of the GDPR sets this deadline: within a month of obtaining the data, and at the latest at the first exchange if the data is used to communicate with the person. The French data protection authority's recruitment guide (sheet no. 8, published on 30 January 2023) repeats it for indirect collection, including on professional social networks. In practice, one sentence and a link are enough: "I found you on LinkedIn; your information is processed by firm X to offer you roles. To object or find out more: [link to the privacy policy]." If the person objects, remove them from your sequences and note it on their record. ## In Marvin In Marvin, the outreach message goes out from the candidate's record or in a LinkedIn, email and WhatsApp sequence, with conditions and delays. Each message is sent individually from your own account, personalised with the first name or role, and replies land on the record. A reply stops the sequence. Sending quotas are cautious, adapted to your type of LinkedIn account, with random delays between sends. A free LinkedIn account is enough for invitations and messages; InMails and voice notes require a paid account. Marvin does not send text messages. Marvin's AI assistant prepares the first draft: it searches your database, compares profiles and writes the follow-up message, which you review before sending. The profiles to approach come from your talent pool or from [AI sourcing](https://marvins.ai/en/apps/scout), which searches your database first before going to LinkedIn. For the full method, from brief to first message, see our article on [sourcing in recruitment](https://marvins.ai/en/blog/what-is-sourcing-in-recruitment-), and on headhunting itself, [the direct approach in recruitment](https://marvins.ai/en/blog/direct-approach-recruitment). ## FAQ **How do you structure an outreach message to a candidate?** In four parts: a sentence showing you have read their background, the role in one line with what might interest them, the reason you are thinking of them, and a simple request, such as a fifteen-minute call. The whole thing fits in a few lines that read well on a phone. **How many follow-ups should you send after an outreach message?** Two follow-ups are usually enough, a few days apart, each with something new: a detail about the role, another channel, or an open door for later. Beyond that, the message becomes pushy and the candidate may block you or report the message. **Should the first message tell the candidate where their data came from?** Yes. When you found their details somewhere other than from them, the GDPR requires you to inform them at the latest at the first communication: who you are, why you are contacting them, where their data came from and how to object. A link to your privacy policy carries the detail. **Is a LinkedIn invitation, an InMail or an email better for approaching a candidate?** It depends on what you have. An invitation with a short note works when you share some context, an InMail allows a longer message without being connected, and a work email suits profiles that are not very active on LinkedIn. The most effective approach is to chain two channels without repeating the same text. **Can you contact a candidate on WhatsApp without a prior exchange?** You can, but it is badly received in most cases: WhatsApp is a personal channel. Keep it for candidates who gave you their number or with whom you have already spoken, and keep the first contact on LinkedIn or by email. ## FAQ ### How do you structure an outreach message to a candidate? In four parts: a sentence showing you have read their background, the role in one line with what might interest them, the reason you are thinking of them, and a simple request, such as a fifteen-minute call. The whole thing fits in a few lines that read well on a phone. ### How many follow-ups should you send after an outreach message? Two follow-ups are usually enough, a few days apart, each with something new: a detail about the role, another channel, or an open door for later. Beyond that, the message becomes pushy and the candidate may block you or report the message. ### Should the first message tell the candidate where their data came from? Yes. When you found their details somewhere other than from them, the GDPR requires you to inform them at the latest at the first communication: who you are, why you are contacting them, where their data came from and how to object. A link to your privacy policy carries the detail. ### Is a LinkedIn invitation, an InMail or an email better for approaching a candidate? It depends on what you have. An invitation with a short note works when you share some context, an InMail allows a longer message without being connected, and a work email suits profiles that are not very active on LinkedIn. The most effective approach is to chain two channels without repeating the same text. ### Can you contact a candidate on WhatsApp without a prior exchange? You can, but it is badly received in most cases: WhatsApp is a personal channel. Keep it for candidates who gave you their number or with whom you have already spoken, and keep the first contact on LinkedIn or by email.