Sequences: InMail and Connection Request Stages
You can create sequences with additional stage types like LinkedIn InMail or Connection Requests. Check out SequencesSequences for a full guide on setting up a sequence.
Video overview
Permissions & access
See the chart below for information on the permissions needed to enroll candidates in a sequence.
Access Role | Can enroll candidates in a sequence? |
|---|---|
Limited Access | ❌ |
Agency User | ❌ |
Elevated Access - External Recruiter (not linked with an agency) | ❌ |
Elevated Access - Analyst | ❌ |
Elevated Access - Hiring Team Member | ❌ |
Elevated Access - Hiring Manager | ✅ |
Elevated Access - Admin | ✅ |
Elevated Access - Admin Private | ✅ |
Organization Admin | ✅ |
Sequence setup
When setting up the stages within your sequences, you can select the stage type as any of the following:
- Email: Send an email to a candidate.
- LinkedIn InMail: Notify you or a team member to request a Connection on LinkedIn.
- LinkedIn Connection: Notify you or a team member to send an InMail on LinkedIn.
Taking action on the notification
If you set up a stage type to either LinkedIn InMail or LinkedIn Connection, when that stage is reached, you or the sender specified when enrolling candidates are notified. You receive both an email notification and a task on your home page to send the connection request or InMail.
Clicking the task on your home page takes you to the candidate's LinkedIn profile. The email also contains a link to the candidate's profile so you can quickly take action.
The LinkedIn Connection message or InMail copy shows in a pop-up once on the candidate profile.
- Copy: Copy the text from the template to add to your connection request or InMail message. You can either click Copy or click the text itself to copy it.
- Skip Stage: Opt to skip this stage and continue the sequence.
- Mark Complete: Confirm that this step has been taken and the sequence can continue.
Logging LinkedIn outreach and responses in Ashby
If the message is sent as part of a sequence, it automatically syncs to the candidate's profile when you click Mark Complete on the pop-up.
Any manual LinkedIn outreach and responses received can be recorded in Ashby. This can be done:
- On the candidate's profile.
- Via the Ashby Chrome Extension.
- When setting a response on a sequence.
You can select the activity type (outreach or response), along with the outreach type (LinkedIn InMail or LinkedIn Connection). You also have the option to add the text used in the outreach message.
The first manually logged LinkedIn reply is also counted in the Sequence Reply Rate report in Sourcing Home if a sequence is running for the candidate in question. A message shows whether the response has been linked to a sequence or not before logging the activity.
Logging activity on a candidate profile
To log outreach or a response from the candidate's profile:
- Navigate to the Feed tab on the candidate's profile.
- Select Log Outreach or Log Response from the action bar at the top of the feed.
- Specify the outreach type and add the message text if needed.
- Click Log [activity] to confirm and add the activity to the feed.
Logging activity on the Chrome Extension
While viewing the candidate's LinkedIn profile, click the Log Activity button at the bottom of the extension.
On the following Log Activity screen, select whether you're recording outreach or a response, the outreach type, and add the message text if needed. Click Log Activity to confirm.
Once confirmed, you see your message on the Feed tab in the Chrome extension. The Chrome Extension has a Last Communication widget on the Profile tab so you can check the last outreach or response activity there too.
Logging activity on the sequence record
When setting the response as Interested or Not Interested manually, set a Response Type (LinkedIn InMail, LinkedIn Connection, or Email) alongside the response status. You also have the option to add the message text. Click Set Response to confirm.
Reporting on sequences with LinkedIn outreach
We have a range of default templates for sourcing reporting in the Templates section of Reports. The templates allow you to track outreach activities sent and how many received responses, both by outreach type (initial, follow-up, etc.) and by outreach activity (via email, LinkedIn InMail, LinkedIn Connection).
Custom reporting
You can filter by Outreach Activity's Type or set Outreach Activities as a subject to specifically pull initial and follow-up LinkedIn outreach statistics or activities for custom reporting.
Sequence home reporting
The first manually logged LinkedIn reply is also counted in the Sequence Reply Rate report generated in Sourcing Home if a sequence is running for the candidate in question.
FAQ
Can you automatically trigger an email sequence after initially sending an InMail if there is no response?
Yes! Once the stage is marked as complete for sending an InMail or skipped, the sequence continues to run and sends out an email as expected when reaching that next stage.
Can I start a sequence with a LinkedIn InMail or LinkedIn Connection?
You can, yes. Previously, the first stage needed to be an automated email but that's no longer required.
My sequence status has a Paused status and won't resume when I click Resume Sequence. Why?
If the sequence's next step is a LinkedIn InMail or connection step, then the step needs to be marked as completed before the sequence can continue. Clicking Resume Sequence will not work in this case. More on marking a step as complete in Sequences: InMail and Connection Request Stages.