Email template · Staffing agency (client and candidate)
MPC candidate marketing email
In short
An MPC email markets your most placeable candidate (MPC) to a client or prospect who has not asked for one. It presents one strong, available, anonymized candidate in a few bullet points and asks whether the client wants to meet them. Below are four MPC email templates, subject lines, an SMS and rules on candidate consent.
When to send it: Send it within a day or two of qualifying a strong candidate who is actively looking, to clients who hire that profile. Tuesday to Thursday mornings work best, and the candidate must have agreed to be marketed first.
MPC candidate marketing email: 4 versions
Prospect (no existing relationship)
Subject[Job Title] with [Key Skill], available [Availability]
Hi [First Name], I'm working with a [Job Title] I think would be a strong fit for [Prospect Company]'s [Department or Site]: - [Number] years in [type of environment, e.g. high-volume 3PL warehouses], most recently leading a team of [Number] - [Measurable result, e.g. cut pick errors by a third after redesigning slotting] - [Certification or system, e.g. Certified forklift trainer, experienced with Manhattan WMS] - Looking for: [Pay Range], [Shift or Schedule], within [Commute Radius] of [City] - Available: [Availability] They're interviewing elsewhere, so I expect them to move in the next couple of weeks. Would you like to see the full profile? [Your Name] [Title], [Agency Name] [Phone Number] [Agency Address]
Existing client
SubjectSomeone you should meet for [Team or Department]
Hi [First Name], You don't have an open req for this, but I met someone this week who reminded me of [Previous Placement First Name] and I didn't want you to miss them. [Job Title], [Number] years with [comparable employer description], strongest at [specific strength]. Interviewed well with me on [Competency] and has [Certification or Skill]. Available [Availability]. If you have backfills coming or a team that's stretched, a 20-minute conversation might be worth it. Want me to set it up? [Your Name] [Title], [Agency Name] [Phone Number]
Short teaser
SubjectAvailable now: [Job Title] in [City]
Hi [First Name], Quick one: I have a [Job Title] with [Number] years of [specialty] experience, [Certification], available from [Availability], looking in [City] at [Pay Range]. Worth a look for [Prospect Company]? I can send a branded profile today. [Your Name] [Agency Name] | [Phone Number] [Agency Address]
Bundle of MPCs (volume roles)
Subject[Number] screened [Job Title]s available for [Month]
Hi [First Name], Ahead of your [Season] ramp, we have [Number] pre-screened [Job Title]s ready to start from [Availability]. All have passed [screening steps, e.g. a background check, drug screen and a forklift practical]. Two examples: - [Candidate A summary: years, skill, shift preference] - [Candidate B summary: years, skill, shift preference] If you're planning headcount for [Site], I can hold this group for you for [Number] days. Shall I send the full list? [Your Name] [Title], [Agency Name] [Phone Number] [Agency Address]
Subject line ideas
- [Job Title] with [Key Skill], available [Availability]
- Someone you should meet for [Team or Department]
- Available now: [Job Title] in [City]
- A [Job Title] who [specific achievement]
- [Number] screened [Job Title]s available for [Month]
- Before they take another offer: [Job Title] in [City]
- Experienced [Job Title] open to [Prospect Company]
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [First Name], [Your Name] at [Agency Name]. I have a [Job Title] with [Number] yrs [specialty] experience, available [Availability] in [City]. Want the profile? Reply STOP to opt out.
Placeholders to replace: [First Name], [Job Title], [Key Skill], [Availability], [Prospect Company], [Department or Site], [Number], [Pay Range], [Shift or Schedule], [City], [Commute Radius], [Certification or Skill], [Competency], [Previous Placement First Name], [Season], [Month], [Your Name], [Title], [Agency Name], [Phone Number], [Agency Address]
What makes a candidate an MPC
Not every good candidate is worth marketing. A true most placeable candidate ticks four boxes: skills that many employers in your market hire for, a realistic pay expectation, genuine motivation to move soon, and availability within a few weeks. A brilliant engineer asking 40% above market fails the test. So does a solid forklift operator who “might look in the spring.”
The MPC is a business development tool as much as a placement. A hiring manager who ignores a generic introduction email will often reply to a specific person, because a real candidate is easier to evaluate than an agency's claims. Many desks expect their best leads of the month to come from MPC calls and emails rather than cold pitches.
What to include and what to leave out
Write the candidate up the way a hiring manager reads: fast, looking for reasons to say no.
- Three to five bullets: experience in comparable environments, one measurable result, certifications or systems, and what they're looking for.
- Pay expectation and availability. Leaving these out wastes the client's time if they don't fit.
- A reason to act now, stated honestly: interviewing elsewhere, notice period ending, relocating.
- No identifying details. No name, current employer, photo or LinkedIn link. Describe the employer generically (“a regional grocery distributor”).
Send the full profile only when the client asks. A branded resume with contact details stripped and your agency's header keeps the presentation consistent and stops the client contacting the candidate directly. When the client does bite, the formal candidate submittal email follows, ideally after you've confirmed the candidate's interest in that specific company.
Candidate consent and privacy
Get the candidate's permission before you market them, and tell them roughly which kinds of employers you'll approach. Candidates who discover their profile circulating without their knowledge rarely work with that agency again, and a profile that reaches their current employer can cost them their job.
Rules vary by country. In the UK and EU, sending a candidate's personal data to a client needs a lawful basis under data protection law, and the UK Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 require candidate agreement before details are passed to a client. In the US there is no single federal rule, but some states have consumer privacy laws that cover candidate data, so a written consent line in your registration process is good practice everywhere. The email itself is a commercial message to the client, so CAN-SPAM's address and opt-out requirements apply.
Targeting: who gets the email
Ten well-chosen clients beat a hundred random ones. Start with employers who hired this profile in the last 12 months, then those with similar postings open now, then lookalike companies in the same commute radius. Exclude the candidate's current and recent employers, and any company they asked you to avoid.
As a rule of thumb, market one candidate to no more than 10 to 15 employers at once. Beyond that, you risk the profile being recognized and the client feeling they got a mass mailing. Logging which clients received which candidate also stops two recruiters on your team pitching the same person to the same manager. Candidate sharing with view tracking shows you who actually opened the profile, which tells you who to call first.
Follow-up
Call within one or two days of sending, ideally after you see the profile was opened. The call script is simple: “I sent over a [Job Title] on Tuesday. Is that a profile you hire?” If the answer is no, ask what they do hire for. That question often produces the job order the MPC was really fishing for. If you get no response, one email follow-up a few days later is enough; then move on to the next candidate.
Mistakes to avoid
- Marketing someone who isn't really looking. The client says yes, the candidate says no, and you lose credibility with both.
- Over-describing the candidate. Too much detail makes them identifiable.
- Attaching the resume to the first email. It bypasses your fee protection and hurts deliverability.
- Inflating the candidate. If they've led five people, don't say “managed a team.” Clients check.
- Using the same MPC for months. If nobody bites in two weeks, the profile or the targeting is wrong.
Frequently asked questions
What does MPC mean in recruitment?
MPC stands for most placeable candidate: an in-demand, available candidate with realistic expectations whom a recruiter proactively presents to clients and prospects, even when those clients have no open job order.
How do I write an MPC email?
Use a subject line that names the role and key skill, three to five bullets on experience, results, certifications, pay expectation and availability, a reason to act now, and one ask: would you like to see the full profile.
Is a spec CV email the same as an MPC email?
Mostly. Spec CV is the common UK term for sending an unsolicited candidate profile to an employer. MPC marketing usually means a short anonymized teaser first, with the full CV sent only on request.
Do I need the candidate's permission to market them to clients?
Yes, as good practice everywhere and as a legal requirement in many countries, including the UK. Confirm consent in writing and agree which employers or types of employers you will approach.
How many clients should I send an MPC to?
Usually 10 to 15 well-targeted employers at most. Sending a profile more widely raises the chance it is recognized and makes the email feel like a mass mailing.