Today, Dima Ponochovnyi, Head of Sourcing at MatcHR and a speaker at EvoTalents.School, will share with us the secrets of writing candidate emails on Telegram and explain how to avoid getting blocked on Telegram.
Hello. Please tell our readers a bit about yourself.
Hello. I'm currently the Head of Sourcing at the Dutch startup MatcHR. I've been in sourcing for 7 years, and I lead a team of 18 sourcers. I have worked with companies such as Booking, Mollie, Wise, TikTok, Canva, and more. My goal is to help sourcers and recruiters discover new technologies, automate processes, and teach them to work with data, thereby advancing sourcing in Ukraine. I actively participate in SourceCon, SOSU, IT HR Forum.
What word do you use most frequently in your work?
Deadlines! But on a serious note, the most important words in sourcing, in my opinion, are data, funnels, conversions, and KPIs. In my team, we strive to apply a data-driven approach and support our hypotheses and observations with data (market analysis, reply rates, open rates, conversions of interested candidates, and so on).
Are there any taboo words that you try to avoid using when communicating with candidates?
It's best to avoid words like "good team, cool project, friendly team" because these are very clichéd phrases. It's important to provide details and uniqueness. I also don't recommend using words that imply obligations, such as "your responsibilities, you must do." It's essential to show what new and valuable a person can get, so you should talk about the candidates and what you have to offer them!
Which messengers do you most often use to reach out to candidates? When is it best to message them there?
First and foremost, we use LinkedIn messages and InMail because they are the most convenient methods for candidates. If they don't respond there, we send emails. In one of the follow-ups, you can ask, "Where is it more convenient for you to chat?". If the candidate responds with something like Telegram, then feel free to message there. When it comes to cold messaging on messengers, experienced developers often mention Skype, so you can message them there. Telegram and Facebook Messenger are quite personal social networks, so you shouldn't push a job opportunity in the first message. It's important to start with a simple, short, and non-intrusive message. Don't be too pushy.
Have you ever been blocked on Telegram after sending messages to candidates? Can you share some hacks on how to message candidates on Telegram to avoid being blocked?
As I mentioned, it's best to use a very cautious approach and establish contact first. The crucial (and most important!) step is to buy 1-2 SIM cards and create working profiles for Telegram. Before sending any messages, it's essential to warm up these profiles for at least 1-2 weeks (join IT groups, send messages to friends to have them add you as well, just like on LinkedIn). This will help you avoid getting banned from your personal account with all your knowledge and photos ;)
Next, I recommend using two strategies to avoid getting banned:
- First (more workable and potentially yielding immediate results), you need to find the Telegram developer and send a short message like this: "Hello, [Name]. I don't want to take up too much of your time; you're probably busy. I recently sent you a message about [Company] to your email. It might have ended up in spam/promotions. I'd be glad to hear from you and stay in touch."
This way, it seems like you're not pushing the job opportunity on their personal social network but referring to a message you sent elsewhere and checking if it got through. This approach is more appropriate for such a platform. - The second strategy is more extended but interesting: start the conversation with the candidate by mentioning where you found their profile. For example: "I found your contact on LinkedIn and couldn't resist messaging you here, especially after discovering that you're a member of the React Native Kyiv group, which I'm also a part of."
You can also mention that messages often get lost on LinkedIn, and you'd be happy to be of help, maybe not now but in the future, etc. You can start with friendly communication and sharing useful information before discussing the job vacancy.
Dima, thank you for these interesting and useful insights!
If you want to discuss these tips from the article, ask Dima questions, or share your own experiences, we look forward to hearing from you here.
