(And How to Fix It)
You’re sending emails, but they’re not landing in inboxes. Candidates aren’t replying, your open rates are terrible, and you’re wondering if your emails are just vanishing into the void.
They probably are.
Email providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) have one job—to keep spam out of inboxes. If your emails look even remotely suspicious, they’re getting filtered.
The good news? You can fix it. Here’s why your emails aren’t reaching candidates—and what you need to do about it.
1. Your Email Reputation is Bad (And You Don’t Even Know It)
Every email domain has a reputation score, like a credit rating. If yours is bad, your emails get flagged as spam—even if you’re doing everything else right.
How to check your email reputation:
📊 Google Postmaster Tools (for Gmail deliverability)
📊 Microsoft SNDS (for Outlook reputation if you own your IP addresses)
📊 MXToolbox (for blacklist checks)
How to fix it:
✔ Send emails gradually, not in huge bursts
✔ Keep bounce rates low (clean your email lists)
✔ Get more replies (email providers love engagement)
✔ Avoid spam complaints (this kills your reputation fast)
2. You’re Sending Too Many Emails Too Fast
Recruiters send a lot of emails, but sending too much, too quickly is a big red flag for email providers.
🚨 New domain? Keep it under 50 emails per day for the first two weeks
🚨 Warming up? Increase by no more than 20-30% per week
🚨 Established sender? Still keep it under 1,000 per day per email address
How to fix it:
✔ Warm up new email accounts before sending in bulk
✔ Space out emails instead of blasting them all at once
✔ Use multiple domains or email accounts to spread the load
3. Your Emails Look Spammy
Spam filters don’t just check your email volume—they scan your content too.
Common spam triggers:
🚫 Too many links (especially tracking links)
🚫 ALL CAPS subject lines
🚫 Overuse of exclamation marks!!!
🚫 Using spammy words like “FREE”, “URGENT”, “LIMITED TIME”
How to fix it:
✔ Keep emails short, professional, and personal
✔ Use one or two links max (or none if possible)
✔ Avoid salesy or desperate language
Example:
❌ Spammy email:
🚨 SUBJECT: URGENT! Exclusive job opportunity!!!
“Dear Candidate, We have an AMAZING job for you! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, APPLY NOW before it’s too late!!!”
✅ Better email:
✔ SUBJECT: [First Name], are you open to a new role?
“Hi [Name], I came across your profile and think you’d be a great fit for a [Job Title] role. Would you be open to a quick chat?”
4. You’re Sending Emails to Bad Addresses
If your list is full of old, inactive, or fake email addresses, your bounce rate will skyrocket—and that damages your sender reputation.
🚨 A bounce rate above 5% is a problem
🚨 Hard bounces (invalid emails) hurt your domain’s reputation
🚨 Repeatedly emailing dead addresses can get you blacklisted
How to fix it:
✔ Use an email verification tool like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce
✔ Remove bounced or unengaged contacts from your list
✔ Double-check email addresses before adding them to your CRM
5. You Haven’t Set Up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
If your email authentication isn’t set up, email providers won’t trust you.
📌 SPF (Sender Policy Framework) – Verifies that your emails are sent from approved servers
📌 DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) – Ensures emails aren’t tampered with
📌 DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) – Protects against domain spoofing and phishing
If these aren’t set up correctly, your emails might be rejected outright.
How to fix it:
✔ Check your records using MXToolbox
✔ Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC in your domain’s DNS settings
✔ Use Quinset Powermail to monitor your settings
6. You’re Not Getting Enough Engagement
Even if your emails aren’t spam, email providers look at how recipients interact with them.
🚨 If people delete without reading, that’s bad
🚨 If people report as spam, that’s really bad
🚨 If people reply, that’s great!
How to fix it:
✔ Ask clear, direct questions to encourage replies
✔ Make emails personal, not mass-produced
✔ Avoid sending too many follow-ups (2-3 max)
7. Your Candidates Are Using Gmail (And Gmail is Tough)
Gmail is one of the strictest email providers when it comes to spam filtering. If you’re emailing a lot of Gmail users, you need to be extra careful.
How to fix it:
✔ Use Google Postmaster Tools to check your reputation
✔ Avoid sending bulk emails during peak hours (spread them throughout the day)
✔ Get more replies and forwards to improve deliverability
Final Thoughts
If your recruitment emails aren’t getting delivered, it’s probably because of one (or more) of these issues:
❌ Bad sender reputation
❌ Sending too many emails too fast
❌ Spammy language or formatting
❌ Too many bounced or fake email addresses
❌ Missing email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
❌ Low engagement (no replies, low open rates)
How to fix it?
✅ Warm up new email accounts before scaling up
✅ Keep email lists clean and up to date
✅ Use proper authentication settings (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
✅ Write emails that are personal, professional, and engaging
✅ Monitor email reputation and bounce rates
Follow these steps, and your emails will actually reach candidates—instead of disappearing into the spam folder. 🚀
Need help improving your email deliverability? Let’s chat. 😉
