Use your email signature block to drive applicants to your recruitment site

Some people use them and some people don’t.

Sometimes you don’t mind that people don’t and sometimes you wish that they did.

Of course, some are too long. And some are not long enough.

What am I talking about!?

Email signature blocks, that’s what!

Every email program and software available – from the 800 pound gorilla that is Microsoft Outlook – to the free online versions such as Yahoo Mail and Gmail, allow you to add a digital signature or SIG file to the bottom of every mail you send.

You didn’t know this? Then you’re one of the people who don’t (see above) 🙂

If you did know this, and you’re one of the people who do (ditto above), then do you use your signature block to drive applicants to your current vacancies?

You don’t? Then read on…

Don’t waste the potential of your email signature block

Your email signature can serve a number of functions. It can:

1. List your name, title, position and contact details

2. Provide you with (limited) legal protection

3. Act as a online business card that you can use as a recruitment tool

Example email signature block

—-
A N Other, Recruitment Manager – University of Poppleton

To see our latest vacancies please visit:
http://www.poppleton.ac.uk/personnel/vacancies

Contact details
T: 01234 56789 F: 01234 98765

This e-mail is confidential and is intended solely for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed. Any representations view or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The University of Poppleton. If you are not the intended recipient be advised that you have received this mail in error and that any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please inform the sender.

If you’re not promoting your vacancies in your signature block, then you’re wasting a golden opportunity with every email you send.

When you send an email you never know how many times it will be forwarded on and who will eventually see it (which is why you should always be careful what you say in an email!)

Of course, the majority of emails you send might be just to colleagues.

However, internal staff may be grateful for being reminded of current vacancies. They may be interested in applying for a new job themselves or know a good potential candidate that they could forward the link to.

Change your signature block often

You tend not to see something when you’ve seen it several times before. This means that the people who receive emails from you will slowly stop noticing the link to your vacancies.

Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep changing the wording in your signature block. You should diarise changing not only the words you use but also the links you point people at.

Thus…

Do you work in IT or know anyone that does? Then please check out our latest vacancies:
http://www.poppleton.ac.uk/personnel/vacancies/IT

Or how about…

Discover why the University of Poppleton is a great place to work. Watch our short video here:
http://www.poppleton.ac.uk/personnel/discoverpoppleton

If you’re really on the ball, you can even change your signature block to highlight specific vacancies:

Latest vacancy: Senior Adminstrator in Dept of History. To apply go here:
http://www.poppleton.ac.uk/personnel/vacancies/jobs/JA020823

Do you think that this is a lot of fuss?

Well, no it isn’t.

Erecruitment is about being creative and using your existing resources to promote your online vacancies.

A great way to do this is via the hundreds of emails that you already send out each week. And all of this is done automatically by your email sofware and at no cost to you.

Now, just think if you had everyone in the recruitment office doing the same?