In today’s cluttered world, the time of day recruiters send emails is just as important as which day of the week they should choose. Google, smart phones and now smart watches have revolutionized the rate that people receive information. Whether it’s on their phone, watch, or computer, people are constantly bombarded with emails, and their inboxes are almost always overflowing. Sending your email blast at the appropriate time—or more importantly, a time that works for you and you audience—is a critical component of making sure your email receives the attention it deserves.
That being said, how do you know when to send an email blast? Well, the simple way to answer that question is: You must understand when your audience will have time to read your email. Chances are, when you like to receive emails is generally the same time your candidates and prospects would like to receive them.
Best times to send out emails
There are various theories about what time of the day is the best time to send email blasts, but as I stated, nobody really knows for sure. (Just like nobody knows for sure when the best day of the week is to send out emails.)
Right around mid-morning or mid-afternoon, specifically between 10 and 11 a.m. and 2 and 3 p.m. Those are time frames that are generally considered to be ideal for recruiters to send out their emails, but keep in mind there are no definitive rules for this. Also, you have to remember that actual delivery times will vary if you are sending to different time zones. A lot of it is trial and error, and a lot of it depends on how accurately you track your results. Google Analytics is a great tool that you can use to see what time works best for your audience.
When NOT to send out emails
The truth is that there is no black and white, absolute best time of the day to send out emails. However, there are some accepted practices to avoid if you want to increase the open rates and engagements of your emails. Let’s cover those first.
At night
People generally check their email less frequently at night. If they don’t open it before bed, then the email will be buried in their inbox and more likely get lost in a sea of others.
Before 7 a.m.
First thing in the morning isn’t a good time to send out emails. Slammed by emails from the night before, recipients have less patience and are more likely to be trigger-happy with the “delete” button.
After 4 p.m.
People are thinking about their evening’s activities and finishing up the tasks for the day. As a result, they’re less interested in their email’s inbox than they were at the beginning of the day. Your email might look like an extra chore holding them back from punching their time card.
You might discover that sending out a blast first thing in the morning or at the end of the day works better for you. This isn’t an exact science, but mid-morning and mid-afternoon are good starting points if you’re concerned with making sure that you send out your emails at the best times possible.