What you'll need

• A welcome email template, or you will create one during setup
• Optional: a second follow-up email with helpful content, open job listings, or a recruiter introduction
• Optional: a candidate Source field populated consistently in your ATS, if you want to send different welcome content based on how the candidate found you

Build it

1. 1

   Create a candidate-based standard automation

   In the Automations tab, click + Add Automation and select Blank Automation. Choose Candidate as the entity type and select Standard. Give the automation a name and save.

2. 2

   Build an Always Updated list

   Set the list to Always Updated. Add condition: Date Added is after the date you plan to activate this automation. This prevents the welcome series from firing for candidates already in your database.

3. 3

   Add a Send Email step

   Select your welcome email template. Use merge tags like %FIRSTNAME% and %OWNERFIRSTNAME% to personalize the message.

4. 4

   Add a Wait step

   Set the wait to five to seven days. This spaces out your outreach so the follow-up email does not arrive before the candidate has had a chance to read the first one.

5. 5

   Optional: add a second Send Email step

   Send a follow-up with helpful content: current job openings, tips for working with your agency, or a link to update their profile. Keep it short and relevant to where the candidate is in their job search.

6. 6

   Save and activate

   Review your send window settings before activating. If your agency operates Monday to Friday, restrict sends to business hours so candidates receive emails at a time when they are likely to engage.

How to measure it

These metrics tell you whether your welcome series is converting new registrants into engaged candidates:

• Open rate: the percentage of new candidates who open the welcome email. A low open rate often points to a subject line or send-time issue, not a content problem.
• Click rate: the percentage who click a link in the email. Use this to gauge whether your calls to action (job listings, profile update links) are resonating.
• Recruiter follow-up rate: how often the candidate owner connects with a new registrant within the first two weeks. Pairing automation with recruiter action produces better outcomes than automation alone.
• Submission rate within 30 days: the percentage of newly welcomed candidates who are submitted to a job within a month of registering. This is the downstream measure of whether the welcome series is priming candidates for engagement.

Sample welcome email

Use this as a starting point. Adjust the tone and content to match your agency's voice.