Overview

iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) is a recruitment marketing tool that helps organizations find and nurture the best candidates. It enables you to create organized groups of talent and keep them engaged through email campaigns and personal communications so you have candidates ready and waiting when new jobs open up.

iCIMS Candidate Experience Management (CXM) combines the functionality of traditional candidate relationship management technology with AI-enhanced marketing automation capabilities to assess candidate engagement and automate campaigns.

For more information on email campaigns, review the Creating and Sending Email Campaigns in iCIMS Candidate Experience Management (CXM) and iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) and Creating and Sending Automated Campaigns in iCIMS Candidate Experience Management (CXM) articles.

Details on creating and sending individual emails, including creating and using email templates, are outlined in the sections below.

• Initiating One-Off Emails in CXM and CRM
  • Emailing Specific Candidates in the System
• Composing Emails
  • Scheduling Emails
• Leveraging Email Templates to Compose Emails
  • Editing and Branding Your Emails
• Accessing One-Off Emails
  • Searching for One-Off Emails
  • Evaluating One-Off Email Analytics
• Managing Email Templates for Recruiter Admins
  • Saving Email Templates as New Templates

Initiating One-Off Emails in CXM and CRM

CXM and CRM provide various ways to email candidates in your system and tailor the content of your messaging to specific audience(s), as desired. Emails sent directly to candidates through CXM or CRM are listed on the One-Off Emails tab of the Email Search page, as discussed in Accessing One-Off Emails below.

Note: The other tabs on the Emails page, Campaigns and Automated Campaigns (CXM only), list all of your organization's email campaigns—targeted email blasts, delivered at set intervals to specific pipelines in your system. Campaign emails are not considered one-off emails. For more on campaigns, review the Creating and Sending Email Campaigns in iCIMS Candidate Experience Management (CXM) and iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) and Creating and Sending Automated Campaigns in iCIMS Candidate Experience Management (CXM) articles.

Emailing Specific Candidates in the System

There are a few places in CXM or CRM to email candidates, either individually or in bulk:

1. From the Search page, dedicated pipeline pages, and other candidate tables:
   • Select the three-dot action button at the far right of an individual candidate's row and select the Email (envelope) option.

     

   • Check the boxes at the far left of candidates' rows and select the Email button that opens at the top.

     

2. From the candidate's profile:
   • Select the Actions button at the top right of the profile and select the option for Email.

     

Notes:

• Unlike email campaigns (initiated from the Campaigns tab or Automated Campaigns tab on the Email Search page), bulk messages through the Search page do not take into account whether candidates are subscribed to mass emails.
• When you select all candidates using the single checkbox above the results, an information bar opens that allows you to select every other candidate from the search (on all additional pages).

Tips:

• If you plan to send several bulk emails to the same group(s) or intend to email hundreds of candidates at once, consider using email campaigns instead. This allows you to schedule your emails at set times/intervals and evaluate the success of your emails through open, click, and bounce statistics. To learn more, review the Creating and Sending Email Campaigns in iCIMS Candidate Experience Management (CXM) and iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) and Creating and Sending Automated Campaigns in iCIMS Candidate Experience Management (CXM) articles.
• Use the Invite to Apply action (instead of Email) to email candidates to invite them to apply to a particular job. The Invite to Apply option is available in the same places described above. Selecting this option opens an Invite to Apply window rather than the Compose Email page outlined in the next section.

Composing Emails

When you select the Email action using any of the methods described above, a Compose Email page opens to set up the email you intend to send. This page is outlined as such:

1. From Name: The name of your organization, as it will be displayed in the From field of your email. To have your individual name displayed instead, select the toggle button for Change 'From Name' to my name.
2. Reply To Address: The email address to which candidate replies will be directed. This is auto-populated with the email address you logged in with. To insert a different email, select this field and typing a new address.
3. Recipient(s): The email addresses of the individual candidates you selected, with each one included in its own gray block. You cannot edit or remove email addresses from this field.
4. Schedule Email: A toggle to schedule your email. When this toggle is enabled, date and time pickers open underneath. For more information, review Scheduling Emails below.
5. Subject Line: The required subject line of your email. Type in this field to insert your subject line, .
6. Select Email Template: The email template used for your email. You must select an email template from this dropdown to proceed with your email. For more on email templates, review Leveraging Email Templates to Compose Emails below.
7. Email Template Content: The area where the content of your selected email template will display. You cannot edit the template from this area.
8. Cancel: The button to cancel your email and return to the previous page.
9. Edit Design: The button to make content/design changes to the selected template. For more on branding your template, review Editing and Branding Your Emails below. (Note: When inviting candidates to apply, this action is done through the Edit Email button.)
10. Send Email: The button to send your email immediately to the intended recipients. (Note: If you are scheduling your email to go out at a later date and time, this button is relabeled Schedule Email.)

Note: A Source Code field is also available on this page, allowing you to add optional UTM source codes to your email URLs for analytics and performance purposes. This field is hidden by default but can be enabled by submitting a case to iCIMS Technical Support.

Scheduling Emails

You have the option to schedule your email go out at a later date and time using the Schedule Email toggle on the Compose Email page. Once you enable this toggle, date and time pickers open, where you can select a particular date (up to 14 days in advance) and time of day (in 15-minute increments).

The system will automatically send your scheduled email at this specified day and time. Once the email is sent, it will display on the One-Off Emails tab of the Emails page, as discussed in Accessing One-Off Emails below.

Note: Currently, after an email is scheduled, it cannot be edited or rescheduled.

Leveraging Email Templates to Compose Emails

Every email you send through CXM or CRM must begin with an email template. Email templates are pre-made emails that you can build off of. Since templates already include the content and/or layout you want, they allow you to reuse the same emails and create new emails quickly by writing over existing text and images.

As a recruiter, you can create your own private template and leverage any available public template to develop emails for specific audiences. A public template can be used by all recruiters in CXM or CRM; a private template can only be used by the recruiter who created it and any recruiters it was shared with.

Notes: 

• Recruiter admins can create either public or private templates. For more information, review the Email Template Management for Recruiter Admins section below.
• New templates in CXM or CRM must be assigned to at least one category; this determines where in the system the templates will be available for recruiters. For instance, a template assigned to the Invite to Apply category will only be accessible when recruiters on the Search page invite candidates to apply to a job.

Tip: If there are no templates available from the Select Email Template dropdown, have your recruiter admin create a new template for recruiters to use. For more on template management, review the Creating and Managing Templates in iCIMS Candidate Experience Management (CXM) and iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) article.

Editing and Branding Your Emails

Once you select an email template from the Compose Email page, you have the option to edit the content and design of that template. Typically, email templates are branded with the colors, images, and/or logos of your organization so that candidates associate each email with your brand. Using these elements displays professionalism and makes your messages more visually appealing.

When you select Edit Design from this page, you are directed to CXM's and CRM's  WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor, which allows you to alter the formatting of your email, add content in the appropriate places, and edit brand elements like font and color.

CXM's and CRM's WYSIWYG editor

Using the WYSIWYG Editor

The WYSIWYG editor allows you to edit the format and design of your email by dragging and dropping content from the right panel into the structure (or body) of your email—without the use of any code. This panel includes three tabs:

The Rows tab allows you to:

• Drag and drop different row styles into the structure.
• Edit any row or column already in the structure. When you select a row or column from the structure, headers for Row Properties and Column Properties display in the Rows tab, where you can make edits such as row background color and content background color.
• Delete rows or columns from the structure or duplicate them. When selecting a row or column from the structure, two buttons open near that item and also in the Rows tab:
  • Delete (trash can icon): Removes the selected item from the structure.
  • Duplicate (paper copy icon): Creates a duplicate version of the selected item in the structure.

The Delete and Duplicate icons that display when selecting the item from the structure

The Content tab allows you to:

• Drag and drop new content (e.g., images, buttons, videos) into the structure.
  • Note: If your organization has iCIMS Video Studio, the Content tab includes a Video Studio option to add Video Studio functionality to your emails.
• Edit any piece of content already in the structure. When you select content from the structure, a header for Content Properties displays in the Content tab, where you can make edits such as text color and line height for a text box.
  • Note: You can also add in dynamic content related to the candidate, recruiter, and job. For more information, review the Adding Dynamic Content section below.
• Delete content from the structure or duplicate it. When selecting content from the structure, the same two buttons display for Delete and Duplicate.

The Settings tab allows you to:

• Update settings for the email template as a whole, such as content area width and link color.

Adding Dynamic Content

The WYSIWYG editor also allows you to add in dynamic content, which is information automatically populated for the intended recipient(s). For example, to directly address a candidate by name, insert the Candidate First Name tag to a text box so it displays as Hi, {{user_firstName}}; the candidate’s first name will be filled in when they receive the email (e.g., Hi, John).

In the editor, when you select a text box from the structure, a text-editing ribbon displays. Through this ribbon, you can:

• Select Merge Tags to add different dynamic information fields. Among the available fields are:
  • Candidate First Name, Candidate Last Name
  • Recruiter First Name, Recruiter Last Name, Recruiter Email, Recruiter Phone
  • Job Title, Job Req ID, Job URL
• Select Special Links to add unique links, such as an Unsubscribe Link, Manage Profile Link, Job Application Link, and Job Description Link.

Note: You can also add special links to a button by selecting that button from the structure and selecting Special Links from the right panel.

Accessing One-Off Emails

You can track all individual (non-campaign) emails you have sent through the system via the One-Off Emails tab on the Email Search page. To access this tab, select the Email Search (envelope) icon in the vertical navigation menu on the left and then select One-Off Emails at the top.

Emails on this tab are organized in table format. The table lists each email's subject line, sender, and sent date, along with counts for various email statistics (sent, delivered, open, click, and bounced). Select an email's subject from the table to open its Email Detail page, which features two tabs:

• Email Design: Includes the content and design of that email.
• Email Analytics: Includes various analytics for that email, including delivery and open dates for each recipient. For more information, review Evaluating One-Off Email Analytics below.

Notes:

• For recruiter admins, the One-Off Emails tab includes the emails sent by all recruiters in the system. Regular recruiters can only view their own emails from this tab.
• The other tabs on the Emails page, Campaigns and Automated Campaigns (CXM only), enable you to view and create email campaigns (i.e., scheduled email blasts) in your system. For more information, review the Creating and Sending Email Campaigns in iCIMS Candidate Experience Management (CXM) and iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) and Creating and Sending Automated Campaigns in iCIMS Candidate Experience Management (CXM) articles.

Searching for One-Off Emails

On the One-Off Emails tab, recruiters can find emails or narrow their results through the One-Off Email Search panel, accessible by selecting the magnifying glass at the top or on the right. This panel includes the following search options:

• Search Event Name: As you type in this field, the system automatically filters results in the table with emails matching that word/phrase in the subject line.
• Primary Filters: Use these filters to narrow your results:
  • Sent/Delivered/Open/Click/Bounced Count: Enter a range for any of the available email statistics; the system will only display emails with a count within that range.
  • Sending Recruiter Email: Select the email address of a specific sender to only display emails sent by that person.
• Date Filter: Select a start and/or end date; the system will only display emails sent in that time frame.

Evaluating One-Off Email Analytics

Analytics are available for each one-off email through the Email Analytics tab on its Email Detail page. The analytics here are organized in table format and outline the email activity of each candidate who was sent the email. The table includes the following columns:

• Candidate: The name of the email recipient. Selecting the candidate's name takes you to their Candidate profile in the system.
• Sent: The date and time the email was sent to the recipient.
• Delivered: The date and time the email was delivered to the recipient.
• Open: The date and time the candidate opened the email.
• Clicked: The date and time the candidate clicked a link in the email.
• Bounced: The date and time the email hard-bounced (i.e., it did not and will not get delivered to the candidate). This is often caused by an invalid email address.

Note: A column will be blank if there is no data (e.g., a candidate never opened the email).

Filtering One-Off Email Analytics

On the Email Analytics tab of the Email Detail page, select the magnifying glass at the top or on the right to open the Search Email Analytics panel. In this panel, the following date filters are available to narrow down the results in the table:

• Queued
• Sent
• Opened
• Clicked
• Bounced

Select a start and/or end date for any of these filters; the system will only display recipients with analytics matching those dates.

Note: This panel also features toggles for No Opens and No Clicks, which enable you to only display candidates who didn't open that email or click a link in it.

Applying Actions to Email Recipients

You can apply an action to multiple candidates listed on the Email Analytics tab. To select candidates for bulk action, select the checkbox at the far left of their row in the table. (A checked box becomes yellow.)

As soon as a box is checked, a group of buttons displays at the top of the results:

• Email
• Invite to Apply
• Manage Tags
• Add to Pipeline
• Remove from Pipeline
• Add to Event
• Download Resumes
• Submit to Job
• Bulk Text
• Export

Once all desired candidates have been selected, select the appropriate button from the toolbar to apply that action. For more on taking action on candidates in CXM and CRM, review the article Reviewing Profiles and Taking Action on Candidates in iCIMS Candidate Experience Management (CXM) and iCIMS Candidate Relationship Management (CRM).

Note: For recruiter admins, action buttons are also available for Subscribe and Unsubscribe, which enable them to subscribe or unsubscribe candidates from campaign emails in bulk. These buttons are accessible when selecting any of the 50 candidates visible on the page; they are disabled when selecting more than 50 candidates (e.g., when using the "select all candidates from search" functionality). 

Managing Email Templates for Recruiter Admins

Recruiter admins are responsible for managing the email templates in your organization's system. Through the Templates tab on the Admin Settings page, they can perform the following tasks:

• Create new templates from scratch by selecting the Create Template (circular +) button at the bottom right.
• Search for templates using the search field and filter at the top.
• View and edit templates by selecting Edit next to the appropriate template listed.
• Archive templates by selecting Archive next to the appropriate template listed.

Note: Recruiters also have access to the Templates tab, but they can only edit the templates they created or view (not edit) the templates that were shared with them.

Tip: It is beneficial for recruiter admins to have a strong background or proficiency in design so they can effectively create and edit their organization's email templates.

Saving Email Templates as New Templates

In the WYSIWYG editor, recruiter admins can save any template as a new template for use in future CXM or CRM emails. This is described in the following steps:

1. Open the WYSIWYG editor by selecting your template from the Select Email Template dropdown and selecting Edit Design (or Edit Email from the Invite to Apply window).
2. After making any content and/or design changes, save your email by selecting Actions at the top and selecting Save as Template.
3. In the Save Template menu that opens, select Save as New to save the email as a new template. (Note: If you simply want to save your changes to that template, select Overwrite Existing instead.)

Note: For recruiters, the Save as Template option will be visible in the WYSIWYG editor but not functional.