The Cognitive
Recruit like a sales team
Sales teams don't wait for leads to apply. They pick who they want, build the list and go first. Here is how to do that for candidates, in three steps.
Senior Data Engineer, Chicago · builds real-time pipelines on Kafka · payments or banking
48 peopleAKAnika K.Runs the Kafka platform for card payments, ChicagoStrong match
DMDaniel M.Built the streaming platform at a bank, 7 yearsStrong match
TOTunde O.Kafka in production, based 2 hours awayPossible match
Example · people are made up
Setup
1Create your account
Sign up and open your first role2 min
- Sign up with your work email.
- Enter the code we email you.
- Create a role. Use the title the hiring manager uses.
7-day free trial, 100 credits, no card.
2Write the search like a sourcer
The part that decides who you get5 min
Most searches go wrong before anyone is found: they describe a personality. A good search describes work you can see on a profile.
1The work, not the titleTitles change from company to company. The work doesn't.
2Name the kind of company"Mid-size software companies" finds different people from "agencies".
31 to 2 must-haves you can seeA licence, a system they run, years in the work.
4Leave out what no profile showsAsk these on the call instead.
open to movesalarynotice periodculture fithungryteam player
Weak vs strong
Write yours
Your search, ready to paste
Copied
Paste it into a new search. Each person comes back marked Strong match, Possible match or Not a match, with the reason.
3Work the list
Who to contact, what to send, when to follow up10 min
Strong match
Shortlist, get email and phone. Contact this week, 20 at a time.
Shortlist, get email and phone. Contact this week, 20 at a time.
Possible match
Read the reason. If you can live with the gap, keep them as backups.
Read the reason. If you can live with the gap, keep them as backups.
Not a match
Pass. If the reason is wrong, say what you meant and ask for more.
Pass. If the reason is wrong, say what you meant and ask for more.
Before you message, check three things
- The work in the reason is the work in your role, not just a matching word.
- The location works for the role.
- They didn't start their current job a few months ago. Those people rarely move.
The first message
To{first name}Under 80 words
Hi first name,
one fact about their work, from the reason. We're hiring a role at kind of company in city: pay range, office days.
Open to a call this week?
Day 1Send it. Always include pay; messages without it get ignored.
Day 3One new fact, such as who the manager is.
Day 7Call or text if you have the number. Then stop.
List too short? Widen in this order
Distance→Other titles for the same work→Years of experience
One change at a time. Never drop the must-have.