Why You Should Be Texting Job Applicants

By TEAM Software November 17, 2020 Categories:

Text messaging has become a standard, universally used method of communication, and it’s time to include it in your recruitment process.

For most people, text messaging has become a part of our everyday lives, and in many cases, it has eliminated the short phone call altogether. In fact, most people now prefer text messages to phone calls – especially if it’s a simple response. And, as of 2019, nearly half of our calls are spam and answering the phone has become something many of us avoid altogether.

While text messaging may be seen as informal, unprofessional, and perhaps even daunting, for HR professionals in the cleaning and security industries, it is a communication method that can drastically improve your hiring team’s efficiency. That’s why you should consider texting job applicants.

What Does Texting Job Applicants Really Mean?

You don’t have to pull out your personal cell phone to send text messages to applicants. In fact, you shouldn’t. Look for an applicant tracking system that integrates with a two-way texting service to allow you to send text messages to candidates just like you would send them an email. Functionally for the hiring manager, it performs the exact same way as email. But for your candidates, it is a far easier method of communication than email, making it easier for you to reach and engage all your candidates.

Text Message Guidelines in Recruiting

While it’s clear text messaging can play a critical role in your recruitment process, there are important guidelines to follow to maximize its effectiveness.

  1. Don’t ignore other communication channels. While texting is extremely popular and effective, there are still others who prefer the more traditional means of communication. Use texting as an additional written communication channel. If your candidate proves more responsive to texts than emails, then you may exclusively text for simple communication.
  2. Introduce yourself. Your candidate does not have this number in their phone, and “signatures” are for email. Introduce yourself right off the bat in the first text message, and clearly state your name and your company.
  3. Keep it simple. Brevity is one of the biggest reasons texting is so popular, so get straight to the point and keep the message as simple as possible. For example: “Hi, this is Lisa with Sparkle Clean Co. We reviewed your application and would like to schedule a phone interview. Are you available Tuesday at 2pm?.”
  4. Send Reminders. In the cleaning and security industries, applicants have notoriously high no-show rates for interviews. Text messaging is the very best way to ensure they see the reminder for their upcoming interview.

Text messaging is here to stay, and it can be a critical component of your communication strategy in your recruitment process. It also shows candidates you’re interested in their engagement and that you make use of technology to help them do their jobs. And if texting job applicants helps you attract better talent faster, it can give you an advantage over your competition.