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Reach out to talent after competitor layoffs

Layoffs are never pretty. But when a competitor goes through a reduction in workforce, reaching out to people, whether they were impacted directly or not, is a smart move.

These individuals or their colleagues are often looking for new job opportunities and are motivated to make a change quickly. If you have a modern CRM with advanced campaign capabilities, you can do so without help from job sites and agencies.

By connecting with them, your teams gain access to a pool of talented professionals who are ready to bring their invaluable skills and experience to new roles. Plus, reaching out shows empathy and support during tough times. Building relationships when times are tough positively impacts your employer brand in the long run. It’s a win-win for finding great talent and fostering meaningful connections.

Channels run:
Email | Text | Video

KPIs affected:
Time to source | Conversion rates
Average sourcing cost


Set-up steps

  1. Create a campaign. You can name it something like “Recent layoffs.”
  2. For each email, turn on conditions for campaigns based on open and click-through rates. Set up a series of emails specifically for those who clicked on the previous one and a series for those who didn’t. See the templates below for examples.
  3. Create a pipeline called something like “Competitor layoff campaign MM/YYYY.”
  4. Filter your database to find people from the talent competitor that recently had layoffs.
  5. Add them to the “Competitor layoff campaign MM/YYYY” pipeline.
  6. Add that pipeline to your campaign.

Here is the first email in the series to sensitively open a conversation about how your organization can help with potential job opportunities for either the recipient or their former colleagues.  

Subject: Are you (or a friend) looking for a career move?  

Body: Hi [Name], 

I hope you’re doing well. I noticed [organization] recently had a reduction in workforce. I’m not sure if you or your coworkers were directly impacted, but know that we at [organization] are here to help. 

The job search can be daunting, so I’ve gone ahead and pinpointed a few roles that seem to fit your skill set: 

  • Role 1 
  • Role 2 
  • Role 3 

I also wanted to share a post from our blog about navigating the job market in our industry [link]. If you or a former colleague are interested in talking about these roles further, let’s connect.  

Best, 

[your name] 

If the candidate opens your email or clicks a link but doesn’t respond or apply, it indicates some interest. Gently remind them that you can assist them in their career transition by sending them a follow-up with more information about the department that would be applicable to their experience.  

Subject: Re: Are you (or a friend) looking for a career move? 

Body: Hi [Name], 

Just following up on the roles and insights shared. If you have questions, feel free to reach out. If you want to learn more about the [department] organization before deciding to apply, here’s a video made by an employee that will give you an overview of a day in the life of someone that works there. 

[Embed employee-generated video] 

I’m here to help with your next steps when you’re ready. 

Best, 

[your name] 

If the candidate didn’t open or click the last email, a little nudge could remind them that you’re there for them as they take their next steps. It’s important not to keep pushing open roles if they aren’t ready, so you could possibly share a video, blog post, or testimonial so they get to know your organization better. 

Subject: Re: Are you or someone you know looking for their next career move? 

Body: Hi [Name], 

I wanted to make sure you received the roles and information I shared. If you haven’t had a chance to review yet, take a look. 

If you want to learn more about [organization] before you consider us, here’s a video from an employee that will give you a better idea of how [organization] supports employees through tough times.  

[Embed an employee-generated video] 

Let me know if you’re interested or have questions. 

Best, 

[your name] 

Texting is beneficial here as it provides a direct way to connect with those in a transitional period, offering a casual and open conversation during sensitive times. It adds a personal touch, showing individual support and captures attention effectively. This makes it easier for recipients to respond and discuss job opportunities. Here is an example of a text you can send:  

Message idea 1: Hi [name], it’s [your name] from [organization].  

Message idea 2: I heard about recent layoffs at [candidate’s organization]. If you or anyone you know is affected, I’m here to help. We’ve got some great job opportunities that might be a good fit for you or a friend. Let’s chat if you want to discuss what it’s like to work at [organization]. 

Make sure you are collecting employee-generated videos on an ongoing basis so your content library never gets stale in situations like this. Especially after a job loss, job seekers want to get to know an organization and role before applying. Video is a great way to give them insight and build trust. Here are some examples of prompts you can provide employees for these videos:  

  • How does [organization] support you during tough times? 
  • How does [organization] keep your career progressing in the right direction? 
  • What is it like to work in [department] on a day-to-day basis? 


Next steps

Don’t wait to follow up with individuals who express interest or show potential in exploring job opportunities. For those that didn’t express interest, it would be best to add them to a general nurture campaign to warm up the leads, and then send them more department and role-related content after they start to engage with your campaign. 

To be ready for whenever layoffs at talent competitors happen, your teams should continually create helpful resources like blog posts, videos, reports and brochures. These can cover topics such as career advice, industry transitions and resume building, offering valuable guidance to those seeking their next career move. Personalizing the experience based on someone’s specific phase in their career will engage talent even more deeply than generic job invitation emails ever can. 

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