12 Ways to Improve Your Candidate Response Rate on LinkedIn

12 Ways to Improve Your Candidate Response Rate on LinkedIn

As a recruiter or hiring manager within the life sciences industry, you’ll know how crucial it is to perfect your candidate outreach – especially in today’s market where qualified candidates are highly sought after. Whilst LinkedIn is the go-to platform for sourcing talent, it’s also the most crowded platform, with over 1 billion users and more than 1.1 million companies using LinkedIn to source and hire, which can make it difficult to be heard amidst all the noise.

Consequently, improving your candidate response rate isn’t about sending even more messages; it’s about crafting the right outreach, understanding your audience, and forming genuine connections with potential candidates.

Here, we explore 12 effective ways of improving your candidate response rate on the platform, with insights into why you might not be getting responses, and how to turn things around without breaking the bank.

1. Personalise Your Outreach

A generic, cookie-cutter message no longer cuts it, and neither does an obviously AI-generated one! Personalisation is key to standing out in a crowded inbox, with personalised InMails performing approximately 15% better than ones sent in bulk.

To personalise effectively, you need to go beyond simply addressing the candidate by name. Reference specific skills or experiences listed on their profile, explain how their background aligns with the role you’re recruiting for, and mention mutual connections or company values that might resonate with their career goals. Candidates are more likely to engage when they feel you’ve invested time in understanding their background.

2. Keep it Short and to the Point

Most active LinkedIn users are constantly inundated with messages and don’t have the time to read long, drawn-out messages, so keep your outreach brief. LinkedIn recommends keeping the copy under 500 characters or 100 words for the best response rate,

In your initial outreach, touch on who you are and why you’re reaching out, and include a specific action you’d like them to take. For example:

“Hi [Name],

I’m [Name], a recruiter specialising in life sciences. I recently reviewed your profile and was particularly impressed by your experience working on Phase III clinical trials at [Company Name], and I believe your background could be a perfect fit for a role we have in oncology research.

Would you be open to a brief call to discuss this opportunity further?

Kind regards,

[Name]”

Build upon this template by being as specific as possible about what it is that caught your eye, and why you think your role would be a good fit for them.

3. Show Genuine Interest in Their Career Goals

Instead of focusing solely on what your company needs, shift the focus to what’s in it for them. Mention how the role might help them advance in their field or contribute to meaningful projects. And if they’re not interested in hearing about a specific role, emphasise your willingness to jump on a call anyway to hear about their goals and see if you have any other roles that line up, or to encourage them to join your talent community if you have one.

Of course, you can’t do this for every candidate, but especially for those who tick all of your boxes, you should aim to form a connection with them even if they’re not going to apply for a role right now.

4. Leverage Common Connections

LinkedIn is ultimately a network, and one of its greatest strengths is the ability to leverage common connections. If you share a mutual connection with the candidate, mention it in your message, adding credibility and making your outreach more personal.

You could say something along the lines of:

“I noticed we both know [Mutual Connection]. I recently worked with them on a similar search, and they spoke highly of your expertise in [specific skill or area]…”

You can also utilise LinkedIn’s ‘Ask for an introduction’ feature if you share a connection with the candidate. This allows you to request an introduction from a mutual connection, again making your outreach less cold, and more like a warm introduction.

5. Time Your Outreach Thoughtfully

 Sending a message at the wrong time can lead to it being overlooked. Research has shown that the worst days to send an InMail are Friday and Saturday, with those sent on a Saturday getting 8% fewer responses, and those on Friday getting 4% fewer responses than the average of all InMails.

Try scheduling your InMails Monday – Thursday and tracking the response rates for yourself to get a clearer image of the behaviours of your specific pool of target candidates.

6. Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile

Candidates will check out your LinkedIn profile before responding, so make sure it’s up to par. Your profile should clearly state who you are, what you do, and what drives you. A well-crafted profile that includes testimonials from other professionals, detailed information about your experience, and a professional photo can significantly boost your credibility.

Think of your LinkedIn profile as part of your pitch – if it looks incomplete or doesn’t convey authenticity, candidates may be hesitant to respond.

Check out PharmiWeb’s very own Simon Brough’s all-star LinkedIn profile for ideas on how to get started.

7. Highlight the Impact of the Role

Life sciences professionals are often motivated by the impact their work has on patients and the broader community. When reaching out, emphasise the real-world impact of the role you’re recruiting for. Whether it’s contributing to a groundbreaking clinical trial or helping bring a new therapy to market, make sure to convey how the candidate’s skills can make a difference. And if you’re going to do this, be as specific as possible, staying clear of vague statements like “you will help to improve patients’ lives.”

8. Follow Up (But Don’t Be Pushy!)

A lack of response doesn’t always mean a lack of interest. Professionals in the life sciences field often have demanding schedules and your message might simply get lost in the shuffle. According to research, most LinkedIn InMail responses arrive fairly quickly, with 65% arriving within 24 hours and 90% arriving within 1 week.

So, if you haven’t heard back within a week, follow up with a gentle reminder. Keep the tone friendly and non-intrusive, with a message along the lines of:

“Hi [Name], I just wanted to follow up on my previous message. I’m genuinely excited about the potential fit between your experience and our current opportunity. Let me know if you’d be interested in finding out more.”

Avoid sending too many follow-up messages as this can come off as pushy. One or two follow-ups spaced about a week apart are usually sufficient.

9. Use Engaging Subject Lines

The subject line of your message is the first thing candidates will see, and it will determine whether or not they open your message. Avoid generic phrases like “Job Opportunity” or “We’re Hiring”, and instead go with something more specific and intriguing. The key is to make the candidate feel like the message is tailored specifically to them.

LinkedIn recommends no more than 80 characters or around 6/7 words for a subject line, with a subject line of three words increasing your chances of getting a response by 14%.

10. Offer Value Beyond the Job Opportunity

Candidates are more likely to respond if they see value beyond just a job pitch. Share relevant industry insights, reports, or interesting articles related to their field of expertise, as this can be a great way to establish a connection without immediately pushing a job opportunity.

11. Use AI Tools – But Don’t Forget to Be Human!

Especially if you’re not a natural writer, generative AI tools can be a great way of improving your messages – as long as you don’t forget to be human. Use them as tools to tweak what you’ve already got, rather than to bulk-create cold, general messages to send to the same hundred candidates. Tools such as ChatGPT can scan LinkedIn profiles and identify keywords and can also make your messages more engaging.

Just don’t forget to ensure that everything you send is personal, tailored to the role, and reflective of your personal brand.

12. Use Data to Refine Your Approach

Track your response rates and experiment with different messaging styles, timings, and levels of personalisation. What works well for one candidate might not work for another, so it’s important to continuously refine and tweak your approach. Use LinkedIn’s analytics tools to see which types of messages are resonating the most, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different approaches.

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