Few carriers these days take advantage of text messages in their recruitment strategy. Smartphones and text messaging go hand in hand, and developing a strategy incorporating both is crucial to reaching untapped candidates and setting yourself apart from other employers. Here are the five biggest reasons you need to implement texting in your recruitment strategies today.
1. People are glued to their mobile phones
The average person checks his or her phone over 150 times a day, and 91% of people polled report that they always have their phone within arm’s reach. Since 99% of people who have mobile phones also have text messaging plans, your messages are going to be right there in front of your candidates every time they check their phone.
"Around 81% of Americans today have smartphones"
2. It’s a personalized approach to recruiting
Texting these days is the preferred method of communication for candidates between the ages of 18 and 44 years old, and that increasingly includes business communication. Only 32% of candidates consider it unprofessional to text, and the majority of those who find it unprofessional are 45 or older. For most candidates, texting is preferable, because it eliminates the hassle of playing phone tag and allows your recruiters and clients to respond quickly as soon as they receive a message. From your candidate’s point of view, a well-crafted text message can also add a personal touch to your recruitment strategy. A professional, targeted text conveys a genuine interest that many people probably find lacking in most mass emails they receive. By doing your homework on what demographic you’re appealing to with each job recruitment cycle, you can target your younger candidate pool more effectively with text messages. Just remember to stick to texting during business hours, keep the messages professional and to the point, and provide an easy way for them to follow up.
3. It’s faster and more effective than email
The average response time for emails is about 90 minutes, and the reality is that initially starting a conversation over email can take hours or days before your candidate begins to actively respond. In fact, the odds of any given email being read is only about 20%. Text messages, on the other hand, have a nearly 100% open rate, and 98% of people read their text messages within three minutes of receiving them. So it should come as no surprise that 90% of recruiters who have implemented texting in their recruitment found that using texting speeds up the process considerably.
4. 75% of your candidate pool can’t respond to calls
The reality is that 75% of people currently employed are considering a job change. These people looking for other options make up the majority of your candidate pool, and most of them probably can’t respond to your recruiter’s calls because they’re still at work during business hours. Texting allows for an unobtrusive option to communicate with these candidates who would otherwise be unable to respond and get them to do so faster.
5. Texting presents a unique opportunity for seamless follow-up
Around 81% of Americans today have smartphones, and almost all of them use their smartphones as their primary way to access the Internet. This allows recruiters to incorporate texting into a seamless transition from initial communication to completed application. The market shows that 90% of candidates have used their smartphones to research jobs, and 72% of all Tenstreet applications are submitted from a mobile device. Meaning, if you provide an easy mobile recruiting experience, you have a better chance of recruiting more applicants. Enroll candidates in an text automated Drip marketing program. Have your recruiters finish every text communication with a link to your application. Once your candidate receives your text, he or she can immediately take action and move forward in the recruitment process.
