Several instances in a person’s life may be nerve-wracking. One of them includes not hearing back from recruiters or consultants. From the time a candidate applies for a job, waiting for a response begins. A candidate’s expectation for consistent communication increases throughout the hiring stages.

Even with all the communication channels, consistent and on-time communication with candidates is just about the ease of the process. Although the standard modes of communication between recruiters and candidates are emails and phone calls, texting is not far behind in the most effective communication channels. 

Many organizations that adopt recruitment software have the feature of sending automated messages. Let us look at how texting can be beneficial for recruiters as well as candidates.

5 Benefits of Recruiters Texting Candidates

Many sectors, such as e-commerce and banking, use texting extensively to share information, confirmation, and updates. Recruitment can also use texting to ensure consistent and timely communication with candidates. 

Here are some benefits of adopting this practice:

#1 Increased Convenience

When texting is integrated with any automated software like Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) or Customer Relationship Management (CRM), it is extremely convenient for the candidate as well as the recruiter. 

A texting tool can access candidate data through the ATS or CRM and send automated messages to the relevant candidates at scheduled times. Messages can be sent through SMS, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, or even Facebook Messenger.

Texting tools are often interactive, where the candidate receives the message on their phone and can also send their responses conveniently. The candidate’s responses are updated on their profiles on ATS for recruiters to view.   

Texting can be used for:

• Employer Branding
• Information and updates
• Interview reminders
• Answering questions
• Engagement with candidates
  

#2 Increased Accessibility 

Texts are a faster way of communicating with candidates than emails and phone calls. Phone calls have constraints around time and emails with accessibility. Messages, however, can be accessed at the candidate’s convenience.

It is said that 98% is the average SMS open rate as compared to the average email available rate of 20%. About 95% of text messages are read within 3 minutes.

Texting is a semi-formal way of interaction between recruiters and candidates. Many platforms have interactive AI or chatbots to help candidates with their queries around the clock.  

Candidates can text a keyword on a designated number or click on a link to access job posts. They are welcome to apply for a job role and are provided with all the information. The candidate’s data is screened, and an interview is scheduled if the candidate fits the bill. 

This makes the process extremely simple and accessible for the candidates.

#3 Increased Efficiency 

Efficiency measures the quality of work with a minor investment of effort and time. While reaching out to candidates at various stages of the hiring process, automated texting tools reduce manual errors due to integration with existing systems. 

Texting also helps manage and save time with self-scheduling or rescheduling interview slots. One-many messaging options also reduce a considerable amount of time and effort.

Some tools also offer pre-screening through texting. Questions that are qualifying criteria for the organization, like education, experience, location, salary expectations, etc., can be used to screen potential candidates. Texting speeds up communication and reduces the time needed to move candidates through the hiring process.

This reduces the ‘time to fill’ since the pool of candidates progressing through the hiring stages is streamlined.  

Read – How to improve Employer Branding

#4 Higher visibility and analytics of texting

Organizations can use messaging campaigns to reach out to candidates. Employer Branding, job posts, organizational updates, and job application links can be sent to a potential candidate pool through texts. 

Recruiters can measure the success of their campaigns through analytics dashboards to measure conversions and engagement.

RPM Pizza, the largest Domino’s franchisee in America, launched one such messaging campaign to attract candidates. An interactive chatbot was created to answer common questions, pre-screen candidates, schedule interviews, and fill over 4,000 open roles. The campaign claims to have increased the application rate by 66% and reduced the time to hire by 80%.

#5 Better Candidate Experience

Phones are the most common mode of communication for most people. With the advent of smartphones, accessibility to messages through various applications is more convenient. Interacting with recruiters through messages is simpler than communicating through emails or phone calls.

Messaging also allows consistent engagement with candidates, creating a better candidate experience. Companies that use text messaging may be perceived as approachable and communicative, strengthening the employer brand.

A 2019 research study found that candidates who received mobile text notifications during hiring rated their candidate experience 50% higher than those who did not.

Read – A Guide for Candidate Engagement

3 Points to be Mindful of while Adopting Texting Tools

Although text messages allow for better compliance; there are some points that recruiters need to keep in mind:

#1 Consent

Make sure that candidates are open to being contacted through text messages. Often, texting tools allow the flexibility to opt-in and out of receiving messages.

Every mass texting must include the option of opting out. It is known that 66% of candidates are open to interacting through text, while 73% are okay with receiving relevant job offers over text.

#2 Clarity

Ensure that the text is clear for the candidate to understand. Typos and errors in text messages can be considered spam. 

#3 Conciseness

If your text is too long, it may not hold the reader’s attention. Therefore, keeping the message short and ‘to the point’ will be more effective.

6 Tools that can help you Text Candidates as a Recruiter

Here are some common texting tools that can be used by recruiters:

#1 Hyreo 

Hyreo believes in delivering a ‘customer-like’ experience for candidates by bringing technology, process, and people together throughout the recruiting cycle.

Key Features:

• Intelligent conversational AI for 24/7 query management
• Automated candidate nudges via SMS, WhatsApp, and emails 
• Automated candidate follow-ups 
• Interviews or meet-ups scheduled with calendar integrations
• Pre-event marketing and sharing information about the brand, events, and jobs

Pricing:

• Free Demo
• Need to contact directly for pricing details. 

Check – Post Offer Candidate Engagement Platform

#2 Sense Messaging

The Sense iOS and Android mobile apps offer the full functionality of the web-based experience on your mobile device.

Key Features:

• Offers 1:1 and two-way SMS recruiting
• Customized multiple broadcasts to hundreds of contacts at a time
• Personalized messages with dynamic variables like name, job role, etc., and custom signatures
• Shared inbox among recruiters
• Sort text conversations based on activity status and advanced search based on phone number, name, tags, etc.
• Bi-directional integration with existing ATS
• Fully integrated conversational AI assistant built for recruiting

Pricing:

• Not openly available; need to contact the vendor for pricing details. 

#3 TextRecruit/iCIMS

TextRecruit is a software that was acquired by iCIMS in 2018. Called Text Engagement, the software enables job seekers and employees to interact with your brand anytime, anywhere.   

Key Features:

• Connecting with candidates through SMS, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. 
• Text-to-apply campaigns allow candidates to apply for job roles by texting a keyword to a mobile number.
• Chat-based virtual career fairs and events
• Automated text campaigns
• Digital Assistant to answer job seeker FAQs, pre-screen candidates, and schedule interviews
• Unify data with integrations to your Talent Cloud. 

Pricing

• No free trial or free version
• Not readily available on the website; need to contact the vendor for quotes
• Average pricing may range between $49 to $99 per user/month

#4 Textus

TextUs is a candidate engagement platform for companies that want to engage in real-time conversations with employees and candidates. 

Key Features:

• Personalized, real-time communication
• Customized campaigns and group texting
• Sort conversations and quickly compose messages 
• Talk-to-text feature
• Integration with existing CRM
• Data tracking and analytics

Pricing:

• A free trial is available
• Subscription starts at $250.00/month but is not provided on their website
• Professional plan has a minimum subscription of 5 text messaging accounts and 2000 monthly messages
• Enterprise plan is for more than 6 messaging accounts and unlimited, customizable messages  

#5 Jobvite Text

Jobvite’s Intelligent Messaging enables connecting with job seekers effortlessly through candidate messaging. 

Key Features:

• Outreach through text messaging or career site chatbots
• Targeted text campaigns
• Send pre-screen forms by text
• Text-to-apply functionality
• Text bots to answer common questions
• Mass texting and spin-off responses into individual conversations
• View audit trails and logs of text conversations with candidates

Pricing:

• No free trial or version
• Pricing is not readily available, but maybe $500/month for less than 100 users

#6 Brazen

Brazen’s text recruiting service is part of its larger conversational recruiting suite.  

Key Features:

• Recruiting chatbot and FAQbot 
• Virtual career fairs and scheduled online group chats with recruiters
• Option for candidates to transition from a chatbot conversation to SMS communication.
• Integration with existing systems
• Sequencing or workflow for recruiters to set up text behaviors based on a candidate’s actions or inaction

Pricing:

• A free trial is available.
• Pricing is subscription-based and is available on request.

Wrap up

Text recruiting has proven helpful in reaching out to a potential candidate pool, increasing the efficiency of recruiters.

With automated messaging, you would reduce time and effort in outreach and ensure consistent engagement with candidates. With careful planning and consideration, you can set customized templates and self-scheduling features to offer a great candidate experience. 

Harness text recruiting to make your brand visible, engage with your candidates, and make the hiring process easy and memorable. 

FAQs on Texting Candidates