Candidate Nurturing
When to use
- Senior searches run 2–6 months and candidates go silent mid-process
- Long gap between campus offer and start date — renege risk is high
- The talent pool is "zombified": thousands of records, near-zero reactivation
Input contract
- Candidate list: stage, last touch date, concerns, interest tags
- Nurturing goal: prevent dropout / drive a decision / reactivate later
- Available material: company news, team content, industry insight, event invites
Workflow
- Tier the cadence by warmth — hot: touch every 3–5 days / warm: every 2–3 weeks / cold: quarterly reactivation. Never blast everyone on one schedule
- Design value for every touch: each message must carry something useful to the candidate (insight, resource, progress, goodwill) — never just "checking in"
- Ride natural moments: holidays, candidate milestones, company milestones — appear without appearing desperate
- Escalate on signals: recognize warming signals in replies and tell HR exactly when to switch from nurture to advance
Output template
[Tiered list] hot x / warm x / cold x (with rationale per person)
[30-day nurture calendar] per person & touch: date / channel / topic / goal
[Message samples] 3 ready-to-send touches
[Warming signals] behaviors that should trigger advancement
[Graceful exit line] when to stop selling and keep only a light annual touch
Quality rules
- Nurturing is a relationship, not surveillance — one touch too few beats one touch too many
- Company facts in the content library must match the official external narrative
- Once a candidate declines clearly, switch to a light annual touch — never keep pitching
Example prompt
Candidate: P8 algorithm lead. Paused after offer-stage for family reasons, said "give me a month." Silent for 12 days. Design a 6-week nurture plan with 3 concrete touches.