Recruiting, Texting and You: A Complete Guide for Recruiters

Reaching and connecting with candidates has always been one of recruiters’ biggest challenges. Why? We can start with the reason that candidates are normally surrounded by too many recruiters trying to connect with them at once, making it very difficult for you to grab their attention. [1] Keeping candidates updated and engaged while you run them through different stages of the recruitment process can also be a chore for recruiters, depending on the volume. This is where recruiting meets texting as a low-barrier form of communication.

How Recruiting, Texting and Communication Work Together

When recruiting, texting is often an underrated method of engaging with candidates through the various stages of the recruitment process. When everyone has a smartphone and is constantly connected, text message recruiting has emerged as a powerful tool for recruiters to reach out to candidates quickly and effectively. It’s also good for candidate engagement when they’re kept up to date about the recruitment process without having to answer calls or open emails.

The Role of Texting During Recruitment

In recruiting, texting gives a much higher open rate compared to emails, making it a more reliable method of communication for reaching candidates. It has become an increasingly popular method for connecting with candidates. Evidently, over 43% of recruiters used texting to reach out to candidates or their current applicants. [2] Let’s take a look at some reasons why this approach is so effective:

• Reaching Candidates Quickly: On average, 95% of texts are read within 3 minutes of being received [2.a]. This makes texting an ideal communication method for reaching candidates quickly and ensuring that your job opportunity is at the top of their minds.
• Increasing Response Rates: Compared to emails or phone calls, text messages have a much higher response rate. 45% of texts get a response, on average [2.b]. This makes it the best channel for important updates from recruiters that may require a timely response from candidates.
• Personalized Communication: Recruiting texting allows you to tailor your messages to each candidate, creating a more personalized and engaging communication experience.

You can ensure a solid recruiting texting by using a recruitment tool like Applicant Tracking System (ATS.) Aside from streamlining the recruitment process by automating tasks like resume parsing or candidate screening, some ATS also enable users to push out text messages easily. An ATS like Manatal allows you to compose text messages within its platform, add the recipient’s number, and inform candidates at every stage of the hiring pipeline. From notifying an interview time, and updating candidates’ status, to offering job opportunities to potential candidates from your talent pool - all can be done within a few clicks.

{{cta}}

Texting During Recruitment: Key Points

• Scheduling Interviews: Texting is an efficient way to schedule interviews. You can send interview invitations, confirm availability, and provide details such as date, time, and location -all through SMS.
• Follow-Up and Reminders: After an interview, you can also follow up with candidates via text. It could be thanking them for their time, requesting additional information, or providing updates on the hiring process.
• Candidate Experience: Texting enhances the candidate experience by offering a more immediate and interactive communication channel. It allows candidates to respond at their convenience and reduces the need for lengthy email exchanges.

Recruiting Texting 101: What You Need to Consider

Now that we’ve explored how recruiting texting can be an efficient way to connect with candidates and how you can use it for each stage of the pipeline, here is what you need to consider before you get started:

• Understand your target audience: Consider whether your target candidates are open to receiving texts for recruitment purposes and adjust your approach accordingly.
• Develop a texting strategy: Define clear objectives, messaging guidelines, and frequency of communication to ensure a consistent and effective recruiting texting strategy.
• Choose the right platform: Utilize recruitment texting platforms or tools that offer features such as automated responses, scheduling, and tracking to optimize your recruitment efforts.
• Train your team: Provide training to recruiters on best practices for texting candidates, including etiquette, compliance, and privacy considerations.
• Measure success: Monitor key metrics such as response rates, conversion rates, and candidate satisfaction to evaluate the effectiveness of your recruiting texting efforts and make data-driven improvements.

Conclusion

In the fast-paced Talent Acquisition scene, recruiting texting stands out as a solid approach to connecting and forming a relationship with prospective candidates. Integrating SMS into your recruitment strategy creates a more dynamic and accessible candidate experience. As we’ve run through the advantages of recruiting texting and how you could leverage it throughout the hiring pipeline, don't forget to consider its impact on candidate experience, the need for balancing automation and personalization, and the importance of maintaining professionalism and compliance in your messaging before you get right to it.

—

Citations:

1. LinkedIn
2. LinkedIn
   a. Viber
   b. Callhub