In the past, recruiting candidates required lengthy phone engagement as well as a prolonged interview schedule and rescheduling.
There are numerous touch points you need to communicate with candidates from the moment a job is posted to the time a suitable candidate is onboarded.
Because texts are easy to send and have a significantly greater response rate than emails, you can save time by delivering information via text and getting feedback about candidates quickly.
Here are some of the simplest ways of using text messaging for recruiting:
Screen candidates with a text survey
Before considering a candidate for an interview, most businesses have a screening process in place to ensure that they are a good fit for the role. Screening calls can take recruiters hours to schedule.
You can save time and effort by conducting an in-text survey to help screen your candidates before an interview. Instead of calling each candidate one at a time, and engaging back and forth over the phone until you can schedule the interview, this survey can be sent to all candidates at once.
With this approach, you can complete the screening stage quickly and with minimum effort.
You can use surveys to assist with recruiting. Send candidates a link to a brief application requesting them to fill in their basic information. This data helps the organization sorting and screen all applicants to ascertain which candidates qualify and advance to the next stage of hiring.
Send interview details
The interview schedule (time, date, and location), is one of the most important messages you can send a candidate. It is imperative that the message be brief and informative. Since text messages often have a 98 percent open rate, you can be sure that the applicant will receive the information you sent in a timely manner. Sending a message via text instead of email will more than likely be read.
Here’s an example of a schedule interview text:
Hi Nancy, looking forward to meeting with you next Monday at 9 am! Let me know as early as possible if you need to reschedule.
Hi Nabuma, looking forward to meeting with you next Thursday at 11 am! Here’s the link to the zoom meeting: https://bit.ly/ew4N. Let me know as soon as possible if you need to reschedule.
Reschedule interviews
Schedule conflicts or unforeseen circumstances can occasionally force you to reschedule an interview. To ensure your reschedule request gets received and has a better chance of getting a response, send a text message rather than taking the chance that the candidate won’t pick up the phone when you call or won’t see your email.
Here’s a rescheduled interview example:
Hi Gerad, a scheduling conflict means we’ll have to change tomorrow’s meeting to another day. Sorry for the inconvenience. Are you available on Thursday morning between 8 am and 11 am? If not, let me know some other time you might be available and we’ll reschedule. Thanks!
Send follow-up messages
A text can be personalized and delivered to every applicant that shows up for an interview. This makes it simple and quick to follow up with applicants.
Here is a follow-up example:
Thanks for meeting with us, Keila. We enjoyed getting to know you and talking about the position. As the next step, we’ll send over a brief work sample. We’ll be in touch soon, once you complete it and send the final version to us.
Onboard new employees
Onboarding new hires is frequently the last step in the hiring process. Text messaging new hires is an underutilized way of communication that can customize the experience for your new hire and smoothen the hiring process.
Here’s an example of a new hire onboarding message:
Hi Samira, congratulations on landing the role as our new project coordinator. We’re so excited to have you as a part of the team! As discussed your start date is August 1st. Let me know if you have any questions before your start date.
Texting rather than just emailing your recruits gives the organization a human touch and makes you seem more relatable.
Speaking with applicants in the same manner they communicate with friends and family helps build a bond before they join the organization and gives your company that personal touch with potential hires.