2024 Email Requirements for Recruiters

Google and Yahoo announced major updates on how we send ‘mass’ emails in 2024. It’s significant for any person or business, especially recruiters, who send a lot of emails. Basically, if you send marketing or sales emails then you have you be aware of this shift and make changes to how you interact via email. 

Most of the recommendations made by these email providers were historically best practices so the Hinterview platform does already meet these new requirements.  

Hinterview users shouldn’t see a big impact if they’re conscious of who is on their email marketing lists, the permissions they have and keep refreshing those lists. Also, stay mindful of what you send them and how often.  

Here’s a summary of the 2024 email requirements and what Hinterview will be doing to help you manage them. 

What’s in scope? 

Google and Yahoo have announced new requirements for emails they process. Google has confirmed this kick-in in from the 1st of February, while Yahoo has just said ‘in Q1’. 

This covers all @gmail.com and @googlemail.com addresses. There is some confusion as to whether it will cover GSuite emails (which may well use a custom domain) so it’s best to assume it’s going to. 

We also assume this will cover all yahoo.com and yahoo.co.uk email addresses. 

 The additional requirements will be enforced on anyone who sends 5,000 or more emails per day to Gmail or Yahoo addresses. 

What are the requirements? 

Email Authentication 

 They require that all emails are correctly authenticated with SPF, DKIM and DMARC. 

• SPF – this is a way to list all the servers a domain sends email from. 
• DKIM – is a way for domains to digitally ‘sign’ emails from their domain. 
• DMARC – tells an email recipient what to do with an email if they’re found to not conform to SPF or DKIM standards. 

DNS Setup 

Email senders must have PTR records and reverse DNS records. This helps verify that the IP address sending the email is associated with the domain sending the email. 

Unsubscribe 

Emails must have one-click-unsubscribe. This is the ability to hit the ‘Unsubscribe’ button that appears next to or very close to the email address and subject in most browsers. 

Message formats 

Emails sent must meet internet formatting standards and correctly have all the information in the email header (which is normally hidden for regular use). They must not use misleading practices like hiding web links, or misleading subjects and sender information should be clear. 

Spam rates 

It’s expected that reported spam rates will never go above 0.3% and should stay below 0.1% on average. 

What does this mean for you? 

As an email user, this is good news. It should help cut down on spam, make emails clearer and easier to read and make it easier to unsubscribe from emails that are no longer relevant. 

As an email sender, this should also be good news for you. Most reputable email senders will already be complying with the majority of the new requirements and understand that keeping email marketing lists up to date with only relevant emails is helpful to all. 

What is Hinterview doing? 

As mentioned, most reputable email providers will meet most of the requirements here, so as you’d expect we’re no exception. 

• We already have SPF, DKIM and DMARC set for emails we send 
• Our PTR records and reverse DNS records are already setup 
• We already meet message format standards 
• We already monitor deliverability and spam rates and are within the expected thresholds. 

We are bringing in several changes to help protect the reputation of our domain and that of Hinterview users: 

• We’ll enable one-click unsubscribe. We already have unsubscribe links built into all campaign emails but will add this to ensure compliance 
• The domain we send Campaigns from will be changed. This will be switching from @hinterview.com to @campaigns.hinterview.com (If you already send from your domain there will be no change.) 
• For those customers who do not send campaigns from their domain, we will be implementing a sender limit. You will have a limit of 100 recipients per user per day. 

What should you do? 

As a Hinterview user, there is nothing you have to do. However, if you have not yet set up Campaigns to run from your own domain then we’d advise that you do. This is beneficial for your reputation and open rates regardless of the new rules. Plus, it will remove the 100 recipients per day limit on your campaigns.  

If you would like to set it up, then please speak to your point of contact or Customer Success Manager. 

For any other email marketing service that you use, we’d advise that you confirm with them that they’re aware of the new requirements and will be meeting them! 

In general, for your email marketing, keep following best practices (and the law!) for managing and using your contact lists: 

• Make sure people are aware they’re on your database and why you have their details 
• Make sure they’re opted in to receive emails from you 
• Only send them relevant information
• Allow them to opt out at any time