How can I ensure my emails make it to the candidate? (avoiding the spam folder)

Email Deliverability

Spam filters detect unsolicited, undesired, or potentially harmful emails and block those messages from reaching inboxes. The function of a spam filter depends heavily on the email provider (Gmail, iCloud, Hotmail, etc.) and the candidate’s behaviors when checking their email. This functionality may seem daunting when aiming to hit the inbox, but the good news is that there are ways to avoid having your email caught by a spam filter!  Let's review some of our suggestions and best practices to ensure that your emails make it into the candidates' inboxes.

Email Subject and Body Best Practices

Subject Line: Keep it short and sweet!

The subject line of your email should be concise and clear and tell the candidate exactly what the email is about. When titling your email subject, a good “formula” is Topic + Opening Name + Company Name OR Topic + Company Name.

Including all relevant information lets the candidate immediately know the "who, what, and where" from the subject line!

Your email body should be straightforward.  Want some examples?  Check out our email template guide here.

Here's a good formula for email format.

Greeting< intro >< action >< time > (if applicable)< closing >Signature

Here's that formula in action!

What to Avoid in Emails in Hire

• Sending DOCX or Excel filesScammers and phishing attempts can weaponize documents with malware. Email providers are aware of this, and it is one of the things spam detectors look for.
• Links to third-party websites or multiple links Links embedded in candidate messages can raise the chance of being flagged, such as links to survey websites or social media sites.
• Over-sensationalizing & over-promising to “stand out” in their inboxIf your email sounds more like an infomercial, you may be heading for spam filter territory. Things like “Are you tired of working the same dead-end job? We have just the thing for you!” may be well intended, but they can trigger spam-detecting software.  Here are some examples of words to avoid.
• Email signatures with too many images or linksTry to stick to one image or logo in your email signature. If you want multiple logos in your signature, talk to your design team to see about creating a single image file with the various logos, badges, etc
• Certain keywords Certain words can raise the chance of being marked as spam, especially content that the candidate has deemed spam in the past. Unfortunately, this is purely based on the settings of the candidates and is much more challenging to avoid from your end. Here are some examples of words to avoid.
• Words that create unnecessary urgency or pressureA sense of urgency is a common tactic used by scammers to try and get a reaction from people. 
• Greeting a candidate without using their nameNot only is it impersonal, but phrases like “Hello friend” or “Dear Candidate” are often found in spam emails. Instead, use the candidate’s name. You can even use a placeholder on your email template so that the system will fill in the candidate’s name for you!
• Excessive misspellings and improper use of grammarOften, spam emails are generated by bots. Bots can’t construct an intelligible sentence with proper spelling and grammar. Take the time to proofread your emails and correct any mistakes.
• Sending the same email over and overIf a candidate doesn’t respond to you, they’re just not that into you. Sending the same message with an identical subject will likely frustrate your candidates and could damage your reputation. It also triggers spam detectors.
• Extraneous punctuation and CAPS LOCKIt’s OK to use an exclamation point or a question mark when necessary, but too many of them in an email can flag spam detectors. Similarly, typing in all caps is unnecessary and can get flagged as spam.

Here's an example of an email youshould not send.  How many red flags can you find in this email that may get marked as spam?

What to Include in Emails in Hire

• Write non-spammy subject lines and email bodies
• Limit your use of numbers, exclamation points, and CAPS LOCK
• If you need to send multiple attachments, consider combining them into one file
• Check for correct spelling and grammar
• Get rid of links in your emails or signatures
• Personalize the email with their name
• Discard unnecessary images or cut them back
• Sell your company in the job description, not via email

Pro Email Tips from the Support Team

Here are some great ways to prevent your emails from landing in candidate spam folders!

• Use a Grammar or Spelling Extension

  Extensions like Grammarly are free! It reviews spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity, engagement, and delivery mistakes in English texts. It also detects plagiarism and suggests replacements for the identified errors. It allows users to customize their style, tone, and context-specific language.

• Use a Spam Checker

  A spam checker like Mail Meteor allows you to copy and paste your email body into their site, giving your email an overall score.  You want to ensure you have a high score for better deliverability.

• Add a Question to the Job Application

  Spam filters are tricky - you can do all the right things and still have a candidate's email land in their spam filter. You can add a question to your application form: "We will send you an email once you complete this application. Please check your spam folders!". And have the Answer Type be "Applicants can choose multiple options" - but the only option is Yes

That way, when the candidate applies, they're mindful that their email might filter incoming emails from your team.  This is what it will look like on the application.

Checking Deliverability.

To help you and your team monitor sent messages, we show check marks by sent messages in Hire.

Once check mark means it is processing but not yet delivered:

Two check marks mean the message was successfully delivered to the candidate’s mail server. To our system, that means it has successfully reached your recipient's inbox, but their settings may prevent it from landing right in their main view:

A red exclamation mark indicates that there was an issue sending the message. If you see this message, you can reach out to us at hire@trakstar.com for our support team to investigate:

Frequently Asked Questions

I would like to know if a candidate’s email bounced. Can I do that?

We can check our email server logs for bounces or blocks! If you write to us at hire@trakstar.com and include the candidate's email address, we can check for and clear any bounces or suppressions.

Can I see if the candidate has opened or clicked on an email?

The Hire system doesn’t have this feature in-app, but if you write to us at hire@trakstar.com, we can check to see if the candidate has opened an email from you.

Do you integrate with Gmail or Outlook email to send from my company domain?

We currently integrate with Gmail, and you can learn more about this integration here.  If you want to see an integration with Outlook Email, please leave this feedback so we can keep a pulse on how many requests we get! 

What is your Trust Level?

We maintain an extremely high trust level for our mail server to ensure your messages reach your candidates. Our Trust Level is at a 99% success rate, whereas the industry standard aims for 97%. The trust rating of our server is the first safety check mail providers use to allow mail delivery.

Do you have email template examples I could use to create my own?

Yes, click here for some example email templates. Want to learn even more about excellent candidate communication?  Check out our article and eLearning course here.