Will Texting Applicants Help Me Recruit Faster?

What a silly question.  The answer is obviously yes.  "Text messages get read within five minutes of being sent and have a reply rate that's multiples better than e-mail," said Matt Charney, chief content officer for Allegis Global Solutions.  This is much faster than emai!  The question should be, “Should I use texting in my recruiting process?” 

There are several things you should consider:

1.     Texting feels like the only personal instant communication left since people often don’t answer their phones any more.  Before you text someone, you should outline communication expectations. This means simply asking candidates about their preferred communication methods and specifically texting.  If you are not able to get an opt-in before communicating, you might want to consider calling.

2.     Be frugal with texts.  They are best used for automated notifications or logistics like interview times or best times to call if you don’t have that information.  If there is a change in interview time or location and you can’t reach the candidate, texting might be a good option.

3.     Be professional, no snark, emojis or use of acronyms.  Research has shown candidates are most unhappy when recruiter spam them, send messages outside of business hours and get to personal

4.     If you have greater than 50 employees, make sure you protect yourself by recording all communications

Texting  is a great time saver.  Follow these rules and make sure you focus on your goal of better communication with your applicants in a legal manner.