Kaitlyn Orred
For staffing and recruitment firms, time is money. Being able to fill available positions quickly is essential to success. These types of businesses need to be able to reach candidates fast to move the recruitment process along quicker. However, staffing agencies also need to be able to combine speed with quality. Finding candidates without delay is essential, but they also have to be suitable candidates for the roles that need to be filled.
Text messaging is one of the fastest and most effective ways to reach the right candidates. Using a mass texting service, staffing companies can contact hundreds or even thousands of candidates simultaneously. They can easily let them know of new roles available promptly and improve engagement with them.
The Benefits of Text Messaging for Recruitment
SMS messages might not seem like a natural first choice for staffing firms to use. If you've ever received a text message from a company, you might have felt it wasn't very personal compared to a phone call. However, text messaging is a very effective way of getting in touch with people in recruitment. The world is more tech-savvy than ever, and tapping into people's attachment to their phones is one of the best ways that you can communicate with people.
If you're not sure about text messaging being a part of the recruitment process, you only have to look at some statistics. 86% of millennials and Gen Z like text SMS messages as part of the recruitment process. Additionally, the open text rate is a high 98%, which is higher than the typical email open rate. Text messaging allows people to quickly receive and view important messages, as well as respond faster too. SMS messages are already used for business in various capacities, so introducing them as part of the recruitment process is unlikely to surprise people.
People prefer text messaging for several reasons. Compared to a phone call, it's much less intrusive. There's no need for candidates to answer their phones right away, no matter what they're doing. They can also discreetly check a new text message, even if they're busy, and many people will still read a text within just a few minutes of receiving it. It can also be an option that candidates find to be less intimidating than having to answer a phone call, not knowing what to expect.
When Can Text Messages Be Used in the Recruiting Process?
Text messages can be sent at different points in the recruitment process to initiate and maintain contact with candidates. Before sending any text messages, recruiters should be sure to get permission from candidates to contact them via SMS. When making initial contact, it's essential to ask for their preferred method of communication. This is an important first step to avoid giving a negative impression to candidates who disapprove of unsolicited texts.
It's vital to only send text messages with information that is relevant to your candidates. You shouldn't be sending unsolicited marketing texts. They want to know about available roles and the progress of any applications that they make. Text messaging should also be a concise form of communication, so candidates will expect you to keep things brief. Choose just one thing to address in each text message that you send.
Some of the occasions when you might send a text to candidates include:
- Letting them know about available roles
- Confirming applications
- Providing interview details
- Tell candidates about the next steps in the application process
- Pre-screen candidates
- Direct candidates to online applications and information
Text Messages Recruiting Process Best Practices
Following some best practices can help you to use text messaging successfully in recruitment. In addition to using text messages for the proper purpose and aiming to keep them concise and relevant, the following tips are best practices for using SMS messages in the recruitment process.
Schedule appropriately
Scheduling automated messages correctly is essential. Candidates can check their phones at any time, but that doesn't mean that they would appreciate a text whenever. It wouldn't be very effective to send a text that people will find annoying or might ignore. So getting your timing right is a must. Scheduling messages in advance with a platform like Text-Em-All means you can plan the perfect time to send your messages. This also allows you to space messages apart so that candidates don't receive too many at once.
Personalize messages
Personalizing text messages helps to make them more engaging for candidates. It can help them feel that they are being treated as individuals rather than just another nameless person in a pool of candidates. You can personalize messages by including candidate names, for example, so that they know they are personally addressed. It will help you to engage with candidates and build a rapport with them. You can also include interview times and dates.
However, it's also essential to maintain security and privacy for candidates. They want to know that their personal information is secure, so be careful about what you share in SMS messages. Avoid including any private subject matter or linking to personal details.
Create templates
Staffing firms can save a lot of time by using templates for text messages. When you create a template, you can use it multiple times to quickly and efficiently send out information about new job listings and other stages of the recruitment process. By creating templates for different points during the process, you can easily automate crucial messages and get more from mass texting.
86% of small business owners who use text messaging say that it offers higher engagement than email communication. With 60% of employers already using text messaging to contact candidates, your recruitment firm shouldn't miss out on the benefits that mass text messaging can bring. Text-Em-All makes it easy to speed up the recruitment process while also making it more personalized and convenient for your candidates.
