As you begin brainstorming the qualifications of your ideal job candidates, you might also think about the various things you could have in common with them, such as interest in your industry, work ethic, integrity, eagerness to learn. But there's one very valuable characteristic that you share every day, and you might overlook it: They read their mail. Like you, they don't read all of it. Sure, those over-sized, thick stock envelopes are irresistible because they undoubtedly contain personal notes or birthday cards. There is the junk mail addressed to "occupant," that you likely throw away without a second thought, just as your ideal candidates do.

 

There's also a third category - and that's where recruitment gold flies through the mail for the price of a stamp. It's called direct mail. While it's not personal mail, like a birthday card, it is mail addressed specifically to the recipient by name. There's something so enticing about the envelope that you (or your potential candidates) rip it open because you know it contains a promise that requires maybe just a little bit of action, and the payoff is delightful.

 

It's been used for years as a great way to raise funds, invite people to their high school reunions, offer 20% off any one item at Bed Bath and Beyond. Direct mail is a great tool for contacting candidates exactly where you can find them - at home or at work.

 

Direct mail is also effective because it can be highly targeted. Your message only goes to those who you believe will be most interested in your opportunity. You can subdivide your targeted list of potential candidates via a wide variety of categories: their profession, education, age group, even zip code. Afterward, you can call them by name, which is far better than "Dear Occupant."

 

For example, a home health agency wanted to target older women with work experience to provide unskilled care in the homes of frail, elderly clients who needed help with bathing, dressing, cooking, or housekeeping. The agency's owner found a mailing list that contained the names and addresses of women who met the qualifications and who lived in certain zip code areas. Knowing its older employees wanted to work in their own neighborhoods, the agency identified the zip codes where they had the greatest number of clients.  It then sent a targeted mailer, appealing to its "neighbors" to put their experience to work by using the skills they already had. The agency's owner encouraged interested individuals to call for more information or send in a form to receive additional information. Years later, this remains as one of the agency's most successful recruitment campaigns.

 

The direct mail recruitment approach requires a little bit of strategy. First, think about who might have the best access to the addresses of your ideal candidates. You might contact data base companies, independent research companies, recruitment research companies, professional organizations, seminar providers, or recruitment advertising agencies. Some newspapers, magazines, and marketing firms also develop and keep current mailing lists that you can purchase.

 

When you use the direct mail approach, you must also look for ways to distinguish your envelope from the pile of coupons for car washes and 2-for-1 pizza specials. Assuming that your list is a relatively short one, use first class postage - via a stamp rather than a meter. If you can't hand address the envelope (which is the best way to send the message that this isn't junk mail), set your word-processing software to print the addresses directly on the envelopes (rather than on sheets of labels). Also, avoid self-mailing brochures because these look too much like advertisements.

 

Finally, as every direct mail consultant will tell you, be sure to end your message with a "call to action."  Tell the recipients what you want them to do with the information they've just read. Call you for an appointment or an informational interview. Attend an open house. Visit your web site's career page to learn more. Give them something to do! That will show you how well they take direction.