Texting to Recruit: 6 Reasons SMS Is A Must For Recruitment
The digital age has altered the way people hire and work. Recruiters are constantly looking for new ways to communicate with candidates, while potential hires look for a transparent and smooth hiring pipeline. So, it becomes crucial to have tools available that can make the hiring process as straightforward and hassle-free as possible.
One such tool is SMS, a channel that has been gaining popularity among recruiters worldwide as a fast and effective communication tool, with a 56% increase in mobile messaging campaigns among recruiters. But what is this hype all about? To understand this, in this article we take a closer look at why you should use SMS for recruitment and 6 ways recruiters can use it for the company's benefit.
Why Use SMS for Recruitment?
When it comes to communication channels when hiring, Email and phone have been the traditional methods recruiters turn to. While those methods are sure to stay, SMS offers many opportunities that make it the next convenient channel for recruiters, such as wide reach, high deliverability, speed of communication, convenience for both parties, and personalization.
Hiring process is by no means an easy one. Recruiters spend long hours to attract applicants, screen applications, contact them, and conduct interviews. During this process, communication needs to be as smooth and effective as possible to avoid any mishaps.
6 Reasons to Use SMS During Recruiting
There are many ways in which texts can benefit your company as a recruiting tool, but we’ve separated 6 key ones. Let’s take a look at them.
Wider Reach
Here’s a number: text messages have an 82% open rate. So you don’t need to worry that the candidates may not receive your updates. Chances are, they’ll receive them sooner than if it was sent on their emails because, with SMS, you are connecting with them directly on their smartphones. Additionally, your message won’t end up in the spam folder, which is a very common case for emails and can result in miscommunication and lost opportunities for both sides. As the number of mobile phone users around the world grows, SMS becomes a powerful tool to improve your reach
Reduced Risk
This is a crucial, but less obvious point. Many of the candidates you’ll be interacting with may be in the process of changing jobs or still working at their old workplace. And chances are, they wouldn’t want their current employer to find out that they are considering switching companies. In this situation, answering phone calls during work may be tricky and inconvenient, so will be checking personal email.
Better Candidate Experience
The main benefit of texting is convenience and speed. Having a channel for quick communication and follow-ups will significantly improve candidate experience as they’ll know at all times where they are standing, and won’t spend days waiting for a phone call or email, both of which are easy to overlook or miss during a busy day. You can use SMS to schedule interviews, send reminders, and even ask for feedback on their experience. Even automated small texts can go a long way to ensure a convenient experience with your company, no matter the final outcome.
Enhanced Productivity
When used correctly, SMS can be a great way to enhance productivity and save time during the recruiting process. One way this happens is through reducing the time spent on phone calls by spending bulk or even personalized texts. Another way is switching to a faster and more direct connection channel than an email, which sometimes can slow down the communication. Additionally, you can use SMS to automate the processes that don’t require human interaction, freeing time for your recruitment team to concentrate on more important tasks, all while still keeping in touch with your candidates.
Boosted Attendance And Reduce in No-Shows
It may so happen sometimes that candidates forget about the interview or a test, or mix up the date. Sending short reminders before the planned discussion significantly reduces the chance of a no-show. Alternatively, you can ask the candidate to confirm their participation so that you or your recruitment team won’t lose precious time.
Positive Employee Branding
The recruitment process is the first point of interaction of the candidate with your company. The way you communicate with the candidates will reflect on the image of your company as an employer. Ensuring a smooth, quick, and comfortable experience during the entire hiring circle, whether the candidate joins the company in the end or not, will brand you as a good employee, attracting more qualified talent.
Final Thoughts
If implemented correctly, SMS can become a valuable tool in your recruiting toolbox. Your HR team can use it both independently and in combination with emails and phone calls to simplify and speed up the hiring process, saving time and resources for all the parties involved. So, if you haven’t been using mobile as a recruitment channel, this is the right time to start.
