The hiring and recruiting process can often seem to drag on for employers and potential employees. Businesses often look for ways to speed up the process, both to improve time-to-hire and also to create a favorable impression among candidates, which will increase the chances of the offer being accepted.
One way employers are improving the speed of their hiring process is by including multiple forms of communication to reach candidates quickly and easily. One example is using text messages to communicate with candidates. Text messages are instant and often elicit faster responses than other forms of communication. They’re a way to reach the candidates quickly and keep them apprised of their status in the hiring process.
Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons to adding text messaging to your recruiting process.
Benefits of Using Text Messages in Your Recruiting Process
Here are some of the possible benefits of using text messages as part of your recruiting process. Text messages:
- Allow you to stay in contact with candidates easily because messages can be sent to multiple recipients simultaneously.
- May be a better way to reach out to some candidates. Some people may be better able to reply via text than take a phone call at any given moment, especially those who are currently employed somewhere else.
- Provide a form of written documentation, unlike a phone conversation.
- May speed up the recruiting process, allowing you to get answers faster and communicate better.
- May improve the impression candidates have of the process, since you’ll be better able to stay in contact more often.
- Are a form of communication the younger generation may be more comfortable with. It’s often said that Millennials (and even some in Generation X) prefer texting to calling. This could mean the company will be viewed more favorably for using a preferred form of communication.
- Can be a way to reach out to passive candidates, and could be seen as much more personal than a cold e-mail. Text messages also have higher response rates than e-mails for this type of communication.
- Can make the organization appear to be more approachable and communicative, which can be a positive characteristic in the eyes of potential new employees.
- Can even be used to send short screening questions to candidates, thus making it easier to create a short list, and perhaps even shortening the interview process. It could be used in lieu of phone screen and, if done well, can be more efficient because multiple conversations can occur at the same time. Some aspects of this process can even be automated to maximize efficiency.
- Are a means to get information to candidates faster, as some people check text messages immediately but may be away from e-mail for longer periods of time.
- Are a natural way to connect for those who are always on their mobile device—which includes many jobseekers.
- Are a way around scheduling issues. Text messages can be answered whenever the recipient has time and remove the need to worry about whether both parties are available at the same moment—unlike a phone call.
- Are brief, by default.
- Are an easy way to send reminders.
In tomorrow’s Advisor, we’ll take a look at some of the potential drawbacks to using text messaging in your recruiting process.