SMS Messaging Benefits in a Tight Labor Market

The World Loves to Text

Have you considered using SMS messaging (texting) in your recruitment process? Texting is quickly becoming a requirement to any applicant tracking system (ATS) and hiring workflow. Recruitment is already highly competitive, and enabling texting is a perfect way to stay ahead of your competition and ensure you’re attracting the right talent. Candidates increasingly conduct their job search on mobile devices. Additionally, with the proliferation of social media, videos, and chat platforms, job candidates appreciate short, fast communication and a conversational tone. Texting is a great fit for this type of recruiting.

An astounding 98% of SMS messages are opened and 91% of Americans have their smartphones within close reach at all times—the average Millennial checks their phone more than 157 times per day. If you want to successfully connect with applicants and maximize response rates, texting is a great method.

Three Benefits of Texting in Recruiting 

Texting is Immediate

Attention spans are decreasing and applicants expect to receive immediate responses. Eliminate communication barriers by avoiding phone tag. Instead, utilizing texting, which occurs in real-time. While you’re spending time and resources emailing or calling a candidate, your competition may have already piqued that same candidate’s interest with a text message. Through texting, hiring managers can obtain better responses and find candidates faster, which is vital in a tightened labor market.

Job Candidates Want to Text

Candidates age 18–44 prefer texting over any other form of communication. Millennials, who infamously dislike voicemail, often won’t even check their voice messages. Don’t create unnecessary barriers! Permit candidates to apply and communicate using the method they prefer.

Smart Phone Use is Ubiquitous 

Most Americans have smartphones, and mobile use continues to skyrocket. We use our smartphones to access social media, to shop, to bank, and find information. Similarly, more and more job seekers are accessing career sites on their phones. If mobile users cannot easily apply to the jobs they’re interested in through your application process, you’ll lose an important segment of your recruiting demographic.

Texting is something today's job candidates want. It can help increase your applicant traffic. Need other ways to increase the number of job candidates applying to your open positions? Check out The HiringThing Guide to Increasing Your Applicant Traffic.

Tips for Recruitment Texting

Be Quick

Texting should be timely! While an applicant may not be surprised to receive an email a full week after applying for a position, texts should be sent as close to real-time as possible. Don’t let competitors snag your candidates just because they’re quicker to send texts.

Be Conversational

A text message isn’t the place to break out a “Dear Sir or Madam.” Be personable and personal (but not too casual). Your messages should read similarly to how you’d speak to a friendly coworker. Address applicants by the first name, as you would in a casual conversation.

Be Engaged

A conversation must be two-sided, so encourage feedback and responses. Answer any response messages and be sure to provide other methods of contact.

Texting for the Win!

You already know candidates use their smartphones to search for jobs, so make sure they can apply for positions and communicate via texts. Texting is a perfect way for candidates, especially Millennials, to apply for jobs and schedule interviews. Keep them moving through the application process! Provide applicants with a better candidate experience while filling your positions more quickly. Plus, text messaging is an easy way to ensure you’re maintaining compliance — unlike phone calls and voice messages, texts are traceable for compliance purposes.

HiringThing makes it simple to communicate with applicants with our SMS Messaging and Text to Apply features.

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