Guide · Candidate marketing
How to market a candidate to clients without it reading like spam.
The MPC done properly: pick the candidate, find the client who needs them, write one sharp spec angle, anonymise properly and follow up once.
Marketing a candidate, often called an MPC (most placeable candidate) or a spec CV, means approaching a client with a specific, anonymised candidate they haven’t asked for. Done well, it is the fastest way to open a new client. Done badly, it is the recruitment email everyone deletes.
What an MPC is, and when it works
An MPC is a candidate strong enough, and relevant enough, that a hiring manager would want to meet them even without an open role. It works when 3 things line up:
| Condition | Why it matters | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| The candidate is genuinely in demand | A strong candidate opens the conversation on their own | Scarce skills, a good track record, realistic expectations |
| The client plausibly needs them | Relevance is what separates a pitch from spam | A live advert for the role, recent growth, a known gap |
| The candidate has agreed | Their details are theirs to share, not yours | Explicit permission for this approach, to this type of client |
Pick the candidate, then the client
Start from your strongest available candidates, not from a list of companies you’d like to work with. For each, ask who would feel the absence of this person most. A live advert for their exact role is the strongest signal; Live Hiring Radar shows which companies are advertising matching roles right now. More on reading hiring signals in recruitment business development.
The spec angle
The spec angle is the one reason this candidate matters to this client. Not a summary of the CV. One sentence that connects what the candidate has done to what the client is trying to do.
A CV says what someone has done. A spec angle says why that matters to the person reading it, this week.
- Weak: “An experienced warehouse manager looking for a new role.”
- Strong: “A warehouse manager who took a 3-shift site from 78% to 96% pick accuracy, 20 minutes from your new Felixstowe depot.”
The message: a worked example
Example, by email
Subject: Night shift manager for the Felixstowe site
Hi Sam, I saw you’re advertising for a night shift manager at the new Felixstowe depot. I’m working with a manager who ran nights at a 3-shift site of similar size, took pick accuracy from 78% to 96% in a year, and lives 20 minutes away. She’s available on 4 weeks’ notice and has asked me to approach a small number of operators in the area. Worth a 10-minute call this week to see if she fits what you need?
Notice what it does: a relevant subject line, a reason for writing now, one specific achievement, practical details, and a small ask. It does not attach a CV or name the candidate.
Anonymising properly
Anonymising protects the candidate and your fee. Remove more than the name:
| Remove or generalise | Why |
|---|---|
| Name, contact details, photo | Obvious identifiers |
| Current employer, and anything that names it | The client could approach them directly, or it could reach the current employer |
| Exact job title if unique to one company | Some titles identify the person on their own |
| Dates that pinpoint a move | Combined with a sector, dates can identify someone |
| Distinctive projects or awards | Searchable, and often named on LinkedIn |
Studio’s Candidate Pack produces a branded, anonymised one-page submission for each candidate, and Pitch a Candidate writes the spec angle and message from a live role.
Following up
- One follow-up, 3 or 4 working days later, with something new: a second strength, or a date the candidate is available to talk.
- Then stop, or change the candidate. Chasing the same pitch repeatedly damages the relationship you’re trying to start.
- Log it. A client who says “not now” to a strong candidate is a warm lead for the next one.
For the wider picture of winning clients and candidates, see marketing for recruitment agencies.
Common questions
What is an MPC in recruitment?
MPC stands for most placeable candidate: a strong, in-demand candidate that a recruiter markets to prospective clients, usually anonymised, to open a conversation or a new role.
What is a spec CV?
A spec (speculative) CV is a candidate profile sent to a client who hasn’t asked for it. It should be anonymised and sent only with the candidate’s agreement.
Do I need the candidate’s permission to market them?
Yes. Get the candidate’s explicit agreement before you approach clients with their profile, and share only what they’ve agreed to. Their details are theirs, not yours.
How do I write a candidate marketing email?
Lead with a relevant subject line, give a reason for writing now, include one specific achievement and the practical details, and end with a small ask such as a 10-minute call. Don’t attach a CV or name the candidate.
How many times should I follow up an MPC?
Once, after 3 or 4 working days, with something new. After that, stop or offer a different candidate.
Let Studio write the pitch.
Pitch a Candidate matches an available candidate to a live role and writes the spec angle and message. Candidate Pack builds the anonymised submission. Both are in Studio Solo, £149 a month per seat, 7-day trial, card required.
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Written by Andy Pirie, recruitment marketer. The example email is illustrative; the candidate and client are invented.