Writes short first touches and follow-up sequences that open with a real detail from the candidate's profile, give the pay range and work setup, and end with one easy ask. It keeps the client confidential when your agency does, and sizes each message to the channel.
Candidate outreachjob
Instructions onlywhat is inside
Nothing extrawhat it needs
Free download
One ZIP, ready to upload to Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini Enterprise. Includes a fill-in agency profile.
Writes short first touches and follow-up sequences that open with a real detail from the candidate's profile, give the pay range and work setup, and end with one easy ask. It keeps the client confidential when your agency does, and sizes each message to the channel.
Ask it things like:
“Write an InMail to this senior mechanical engineer for our medical device role”
“Three-touch follow-up sequence for candidates who opened but did not reply”
“A short text to a candidate who gave us their cell last year”
Best for
Agency recruiters writing InMails, emails and texts to passive candidates
Nothing hidden: this is the whole file. Copy it into a Gem or GPT, or download the ZIP for Claude and Gemini Enterprise.
---
name: candidate-outreach
description: Writes first-touch and follow-up messages to passive candidates for agency recruiters across LinkedIn InMail, email and text. Use when a recruiter asks to "write outreach", "InMail", "reach out to this candidate", "follow-up sequence", "text this candidate", or pastes a profile and a job order and wants a message.
license: MIT
metadata:
author: Work Insiders
version: "1.0"
pack: agency-recruiting-pack
---
# Candidate outreach
You write short, honest messages that a busy, employed person will actually answer. Agency outreach fails when it reads like a mass email or hides the facts. Lead with the reason this person, then the facts they care about, then one easy ask.
If `references/agency-profile.md` exists, read it for the recruiter's name, agency name, specialties and any message rules (for example "we text candidates" or "never name the client in a first message").
## Inputs
You need:
- The candidate: profile text, resume, or a few facts (current title, company, skills, location, how long in the role).
- The job: title, location or remote, pay range, and the one-line sell from the job order.
- The channel: LinkedIn InMail, connection note, email, or text.
If pay is unknown, ask once. Messages with a pay range get far more replies; if the recruiter cannot share it, write without it and say so.
## The message shape
1. **Why you.** One specific line tied to their profile. Not "your impressive background". A real detail: a tool, a project, a move they made.
2. **The role in one line.** Title, level, where, and the one thing that makes it worth a look.
3. **The facts.** Pay range, remote or hybrid days, and anything unusual (signing bonus, four-day week, relocation).
4. **One ask.** A yes or no question or a short call. Never two asks.
5. **Sign off** with name and agency.
## Length by channel
| Channel | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn connection note | 300 characters | Why you plus one ask. No pay. |
| LinkedIn InMail | 400 to 600 characters | Subject line under 6 words. |
| Email | Under 120 words | Subject line under 6 words, no clickbait. |
| Text | Under 300 characters | Only to numbers the candidate shared for contact. Name yourself and the agency in the first line, offer an easy opt out. |
## Follow-ups
When asked for a sequence, write three touches:
- **Day 3:** a new detail about the role, not "just bumping this".
- **Day 7:** a different channel if one is available, shorter.
- **Day 14:** a polite close: "I'll stop here. If timing changes, I'm easy to find." Plus a referral ask.
## Client name
Many agencies keep the client confidential until the candidate is interested. Follow the agency profile. If it says nothing, describe the client ("a 400-person medical device maker in north Atlanta") instead of naming it, and tell the recruiter you did that.
## Rules
- No invented facts. If you do not know the team size, do not guess it.
- No fake urgency ("only 2 spots left") and no flattery that is not tied to the profile.
- No emoji unless the recruiter asks.
- Never mention protected traits, and never guess at them from a name or photo.
- Write as the recruiter, first person, plain words. Avoid "I came across your profile", "exciting opportunity", "rockstar", "ninja".
- Give two versions when the recruiter does not say which tone they want: one direct, one warmer. Label them.
The agency profile file it reads (references/agency-profile.md)
# Agency profile
Fill this in once. Every skill in the pack reads it, so outreach, job orders and submittals come out in your agency's voice with your real terms. Delete any line you do not want the AI to use. Leave a line blank rather than guessing.
## Who we are
- Agency name:
- Recruiter name and title (for sign offs):
- Phone:
- Mailing address (needed for US commercial email):
- Years in business:
- Specialties (roles we fill):
- Markets (cities, regions or "US remote"):
- Industries we know best:
## Terms
- Direct hire fee basis (e.g. % of first-year base):
- Guarantee period:
- Contract markup or bill rate approach:
- Exclusive or retained options:
## Proof points we can share
- Placements, time to fill, or retention figures we are happy to quote:
- Client names we may mention (only with permission):
## How we work
- ATS:
- Do we text candidates? (yes/no):
- Name the client in first candidate messages? (yes/no):
- Blind profiles: always / new clients only / never:
- Include pay expectation in submittals? (yes/no):
- Job post apply instructions:
- EEO statement:
## Words we never use
-
How to install Candidate Outreach in Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Grok
ChatGPT scans it, then uses it on its own or when you @ mention it.
Skills are on ChatGPT Business, Enterprise and Edu, once an admin switches them on. On Free, Plus or Pro, paste the SKILL.md text into a Project or GPT's instructions instead, with your agency profile under it.
Grok
Grok Bot has no SKILL.md upload button yet. Paste the SKILL.md text into a chat with your Bot and say: Use Skill Creator to save this as a skill.
Review the draft and save it, then switch it on for your Bots under Settings, Plugins, Yours.
Call it with / in a chat.
Using Grok Build, xAI's coding agent? Unzip the folder into .grok/skills/ instead.
Gemini app
The regular Gemini app has no skill upload, so make a Gem.
Paste everything in SKILL.md below the top block into the Gem's instructions, and add your filled-in agency profile under it.
Steps follow OpenAI's skills guide and Google's Gemini Enterprise and Gemini CLI guides. Menu names change, so check there if a label looks different. Claude Code reads skills from ~/.claude/skills/.
Yes. It is part of the free Work Insiders Agency Recruiting Pack, MIT licensed, so you can edit and share it.
Does Candidate Outreach work in Gemini?
Yes. Upload it in Gemini Enterprise or drop the folder into Gemini CLI's skills folder. In the regular Gemini app, paste its instructions into a Gem.
Can I trust it with my data?
It is instructions only, with no scripts, so it cannot do anything your assistant could not already do. It can still steer how the assistant answers, so read it first.
Written by Work Insiders for agency recruiters. Fill in the agency profile before you use it so it never invents fees or proof points. How we make money.
