If you’re not a regular texter, it probably means you’ve been living under a rock somewhere for the past several years. Recent research shows that 85 percent of Americans own a smartphone, and the average person spends more than five hours a day using it. And, text messages are more likely to be viewed and read than emails or even social media posts.
You shouldn’t expect texting, or short message service (SMS), to take away or replace your other recruitment tools. But done right, it can greatly enhance your hiring process by getting information to candidates quickly and starting productive conversations with them.
Be sure to master the “do’s” and avoid the “don’ts” as you use SMS as another tool in your recruitment arsenal.
The Advantages of Text Recruiting
The advantages of using SMS to connect with the right candidates include:
- It’s fast: Texting can improve the speed and efficiency of your recruiting process, as people tend to be more willing to reply to text messages soon after they receive them. And once someone responds, your communication with a candidate turns into a private conversation, so you can begin to dialogue with prospects who are truly interested in your position. This helps eliminate all the rest.
- It feels more personal as you build candidate relationships: People crave relationships with businesses that interest them, especially those they consider potential employers. SMS recruiting humanizes and personalizes your candidate outreach efforts.
What Not To Do
No platform is perfect. Some people feel text messaging is too invasive. So, bed sure to control how and when you send texts – as well as their actual content, of course.
- Don’t send confusing messages: Writing effective text messages takes skill. Be sure you’re sending the right information with the right tone, so your content isn’t misinterpreted.
- Never share confidential information in a text. Once you initiate a one-on-one discussion, it’s safest to switch to email or phone so you can talk freely.
- Avoid blasting spam: Unfortunately, as text recruiting becomes more popular, it can be abused to spam entire contact lists with job postings. And if enough candidates report you as spam, your number will be blocked. Unblocking is a lengthy, difficult process.
- Keep your database clean and target your contacts: Clean your contact lists and target your recipients before sending out a variety of job postings. Use only contacts who have responded and/or signed up in the last year or two. This will narrow down your pool to those who are still interested in your messages. To target your list, filter candidates by qualifications.
- Include opt-out instructions in every message: This may save your number from being blocked, as it increases the probability of a contact opting out instead of making a spam report.
To learn more about the latest innovations, strategies and successful hiring tactics and be the best recruiter you can be – or to find your next great career opportunity in the talent acquisition field – reach out to Search Wizards today.
