Texting delivers higher ROI than almost any other technology or process improvement available to modern recruiting organizations… if it’s done right. Implemented the wrong way, it can create needless inefficiency and real compliance headaches. The ins and outs of successful texting for recruiters aren’t complicated, but they are important. This guide aims to educate you about those ins and outs, so your recruiting team gets it right from the start, regardless of the specific tools or platform you choose.

1. Recruiter’s Guide to Texting
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Introduction
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Best Practices
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Texting Etiquette
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Text Recruiting Use Cases
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Why Texting Matters
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Texting & Your Employer Brand
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Table of Contents
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3. SECTION ONE
Introduction
Top talent acquisition professionals know that recruiting is all about building
relationships. They also know that technology and tools can make that work
easier or harder, depending on how they are used. Text messaging tools built for
recruiters are no different. They offer enormous opportunities to improve recruiter
efficiency, speed up time to hire and foster genuine connections with top talent. But,
texting solutions must be implemented with a solid understanding of the underlying
technologies, use cases and best practices that can help ensure success and mitigate
risk.
Texting delivers higher ROI than almost any other technology or process
improvement available to modern recruiting organizations… if it’s done right.
Implemented the wrong way, it can create needless inefficiency and real
compliance headaches. The ins and outs of successful texting for recruiters aren’t
complicated, but they are important.
This guide aims to educate you about those ins and outs, so your recruiting team
gets it right from the start, regardless of the specific tools or platform you choose. It
offers perspective on the following key questions and lots more…
Why is texting important for recruiters?
How does texting fit in with my existing recruiting process?
Are there best practices my organization should employ?
What do I need to consider in terms of my employer brand?
Do I need to worry about legal and compliance issues?
How should I think about texting etiquette?
We hope that our Recruiters’ Guide to Texting will provide you a solid foundation
for evaluating texting platforms and processes. Most importantly, we hope it
empowers you to recruit more effectively.
While an increasing number of technical tools are available for recruiters,
developing close ties with candidates requires a personal touch that no technology
can replace. But technology can help begin and maintain productive conversations.
In fact, it’s changing the very nature of conversations in personal and professional
contexts. For years, phone and email have been the dominant business tools for
collaborating, delivering information and generally keeping in touch. Now, text
messaging is gaining rapid traction in the business world as a key communication
channel.
Since relationships are built on dialogue, recruiters must be experts on how to
effectively use different tools to maintain communications. Today, more than three-
quarters of Americans own a smartphone. Most of them keep their device within
arm’s reach 24 hours a day. That means recruiters have another way to reach
candidates and build relationships—so long as they behave appropriately.
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When recruiting, using text is trickier than it seems at first. The reason: Different
generations approach messaging with different attitudes. Younger candidates text
continuously, to the point that it’s integrated into almost every part of their lives.
Older candidates use it somewhat less frequently and are more likely to object
to receiving messages after business hours. Some may also be reluctant to share
certain types of information over text. That said, there is no one “type” of user to
focus on when you consider texting… virtually all ages and demographics use text
extensively at this point. So, recruiters must think hard about how best to work it into
their process and watch out for the communication cues that candidates offer them.
That’s what this guide is all about. We’ll show you how to use texting most effectively
as you identify and recruit the talent your organization needs. We’ll look at
what different types of candidates like—and don’t like—about texting, when it’s
appropriate to use and how to make sure your efforts demonstrate your company’s
culture and align with its brand.
If you have questions or suggestions about topics you’d like
covered in the guide, please reach out to us at guide@emissary.ai.
We’d love to hear from you!
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5. SECTION TWO
Why Texting Matters
The best recruiters understand that despite all of the technology available to help
them, the foundation of recruiting is a constant. Talent acquisition is about building
relationships.
So, why add yet another communications channel to candidates when email and
phone calls have proven themselves to be so valuable in building and maintaining
past relationships? The answer is that times keep changing, and so do the ways we
communicate. As that happens, the effectiveness of tried and true tools also change
as preferences shift.
The nature of conversation is constantly evolving. That means recruiters must evolve
their tools and tactics at the same rate to remain effective.
Always Within Reach
As of 2018, 77% of Americans own a smartphone. 91% percent of those keep their
device within reach around the clock. And, while emails only generate a 20% open
rate on average, text messages are read over 95% of the time, often within five
minutes of being received.
That tells us that texting—once embraced primarily by younger generations—has
gone fully mainstream, penetrating every age group and demographic.
More data points to consider:
In 2018, more than 80 million American households
texted from their smartphones.
According to Facebook, 64% of regular messagers
connect with businesses via text because they’re
“always messaging anyway.”
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80MILLION
64%
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6. The statistics confirm that text is simply too pervasive for recruiters to ignore. As a
preferred method of communication for many candidates, it has quickly become one
of the most reliable and rapid means of reaching talent. That is true for all members
of the workforce, but especially so for workers who don’t spend their days at a
computer like construction workers, nurses, etc.
How Texting Fits Into the Recruiting Process
When the labor market is tight workers with specialized skills are hard to find and
can pick and choose the job opportunities that they consider. So, it’s especially
important to accommodate how in-demand talent thinks about the recruiting
process. Speed and convenience become paramount. If it’s easy to have a
conversation, then candidates will engage. If it seems like a hassle, they won’t
prioritize responding because they know that they have options if and when they
want them.
Today, most people use technology so extensively in their personal and working
lives that they’ve developed high expectations about the speed and convenience
of virtually all of their experiences, from buying products to paying bills and
communicating with friends. Those expectations remain high when they’re
considering a new job, especially in a tight job market. Texting can help meet those
expectations by reducing friction in the communications stream and making the
experience more personal.
Used properly, texting moves the recruiting and hiring process along faster and
more easily than other methods.
Why is that true?
Texting is Brief
Texts tend to get right to the point, which makes them easier to read
and respond to.
Texting is Convenient
Candidates can respond to texts on their own time…while they’re in
the elevator, waiting in line for lunch or stuck on a conference call.
Texting is Direct
Text messages are viewed as personal communications, so job
seekers know they are reaching a real person.
At this point, virtually everyone across the professional spectrum has a mobile phone on
them 24/7, even if they aren’t at a desk all day. And, many hourly workers don’t own
or have access to a computer and rely on their mobile devices exclusively. To reach
them before the competition, recruiters must adopt a mobile first orientation.
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7. SECTION THREE
Best Practices
Even though mobile phones and texting are pervasive, it’s important to realize that
communication preferences vary from individual to individual. It’s also critical to
recognize that the things that makes texting such a powerful recruiting tool – that’s
it’s direct and highly personal – are the same things that make observing best
practices so important.
Best Practices for Recruiting by Text Message
Get Permission from Applicants
Text messages are governed by different laws and standards than
email. Employers will want to consider how the Telephone Consumer
Protection Act (TCPA) may apply to different types of recruitment texting
activity. Recruiting leaders should consult their legal counsel and get
comfortable with the ins and outs when formulating a text recruiting
strategy and related policies. Creating sensible policies isn’t hard, but it
is critical from a risk management and compliance standpoint.
As a starting point, review the company website and application
process and add simple, clear language stating that phone numbers
may be used to text prospects/applicants. Notice should be placed in
close proximity to the phone number entry field, not buried in a lengthy
terms of service or privacy policy, although those policies should also be
updated. Lawyers may debate the details of when express permission is
legally required or not. But, there is no debate that it is always better to
have permission than not.
In addition, you can use the process of getting consent to highlight text
messaging as a benefit to applicants and prospects. After all, faster,
easier communication is good for recruiters and job seekers alike!
Consider Compliance Requirements
Does your organization use texting to recruit? If your answer is no…
are you sure? There’s a good chance that some recruiters within
any given organization are using personal devices to communicate
with candidates by text. That could be good for results, but bad for
compliance because there is no centralized record of communications.
Using personal devices, or even dedicated company devices, also
makes it difficult to exercise effective oversight to ensure that company
guidelines are followed.
Text messaging activity is increasingly likely to be included in
compliance audits, so make sure your bases are covered. Follow all
of the same protocols—business and legal—that you would in written,
email or telephone conversations.
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8. Define Messaging Standards for Recruiters
Texting should be professional and consistent with your employment
brand, just like any other type of communication. So, it’s helpful to
provide high level guidelines to your recruiting team to ensure that
everyone is on the same page about internal practices.
Communicate Clearly with Candidates
The best text outreach messages get straight to the point. In any initial
contact, you must answer three key questions in order to get the best
possible response:
Who are you?
“Hi, this is Susan, I’m a recruiter at Acme Global…”
Why are you reaching out?
“I’m reaching out because you applied to an
Account Director position with us…”
What do you want to happen next?
“Are you free sometime this week for a conversation?”
If you answer all three questions up front, there’s no room for confusion.
As the conversation progresses and you develop a rapport, messages
will naturally become more conversational and free flowing, but will
rest on a solid foundation. Setting context and expectations up front
maximizes engagement.
Adding text messaging to your recruiting process will make your recruiting efforts
faster and easier for years to come. That should make it easy to justify the modest
time and energy required to put best practices firmly in place at the outset.
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9. SECTION FOUR
Text Recruiting Use Cases
There are as many ways to integrate texting into your recruiting process as there are
topics to communicate about. Most recruiting organizations that we talk to share a
common set of pain points and use cases with others. But, most also have needs or
goals that are unique to their industry or organization. It’s worth thinking hard about
both questions as you evaluate text recruiting solutions. How do other recruiters
leverage texting? And, how can texting address some of our unique challenges?
Candidate Re-engagement
Many recruiting organizations already have a large database of
interesting prospects in their ATS. Text messaging is an extremely
effective way to reach out to those contacts at scale to rapidly generate
interest in new positions. Done right, candidates will feel like you’re
prioritizing them for consideration, boosting engagement.
Initial Contact
Texting candidates to confirm that their job application has been
received and is under review can be a great way to keep them engaged
in the process. It makes the recruiting process feel more personal and
less like a black hole.
Scheduling
Interview coordination is ideally suited to texting. Many candidates
will already need to consult the calendar on their mobile phone,
so responding from the same device is the natural choice. Some
organizations text links to scheduling apps like Calendly to streamline
things further.
Screening
High volume recruiters simply cannot respond to most applicants
individually. Using text, they can qualify applicants faster using response
templates and automated screening questions. Advanced recruitment
texting platforms can be programmed to send back follow up questions,
job application links or other content based on candidate responses.
Internal Coordination
Sometimes, coordinating with the candidate is only half the battle.
Some recruiting teams use texting to send interview reminders to hiring
managers and colleagues, so nothing slips through the cracks. Fewer
missed interviews means shorter time to hire.
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10. Seasonal Hiring
Employers with lots of seasonal jobs often re-hire many of the same
workers year after year. But, it can be difficult to stay in touch during the
off season and figure out how many past employees plan on returning
and how many new employees will need to be hired. Text messaging
makes it dramatically easier to check in.
Campus Recruiting
SMS ‘short codes’ are five to six digit numbers that are often paired with
keywords for use in text recruiting (ex. ‘Text JOBS to 12345’). Employers
utilize them on signage at on-campus events to maximize ROI. They
allow students to register interest in learning more about opportunities,
even if they’re not able to speak with a company representative directly.
Field Recruiting
Retail, hospitality and other employers with large physical footprints can
also utilize text short codes to capitalize on walk-in applicants. Signage
placed on doors, at the register or elsewhere connects job seekers
directly to the online job application forms and minimizes distractions for
managers in the field.
The list above captures some common texting use cases for recruiters, but is not
exhaustive. Brainstorming with your team and talking with peers is likely to yield
other valuable ideas for utilizing texting within your organization’s recruiting
process.
Candidates want personal contact. Texting is effective when used to provide that at
the right time and for the right purposes. Or, when it’s used to speed up and simplify
parts of the process that don’t require a personal touch.
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11. SECTION FIVE
Texting & Your Employer Brand
One of the most important drivers of your employer brand is the employee
experience. A company with a strong employer brand is typically one in which
employees feel a strong affinity for the organization and its products and services. It
has a workforce that is proud to be affiliated with their employer.
The sentiments that drive strong employer branding spread through word of mouth
and the company’s recruitment marketing. The interactions that you have with
candidates are the first concrete experiences that most job seekers will have with
your employment brand. So, every interaction must reflect that fact, including how
recruiters approach text messaging.
“According to LinkedIn, 75% of candidates consider an
employer’s brand before they apply for a job there, so staying
consistent clearly has the potential to impact your success.”
Texting has many unique qualities that can be leveraged to advance your
employment branding goals. For starters, there’s a good chance that recruiters
competing for the same talent aren’t using it, despite the fact that texting is the
preferred method of communication for many job seekers. So, you’ll get faster
responses and you’ll also stand out from the competition when you use texting to
recruit. Technology is such a big part of modern life that embracing it makes your
organization look forward thinking and employee friendly, strong qualities from an
employment branding perspective.
Texting candidates also makes it easy to share photos, videos and links to
employment branding content. Company culture can be hard to communicate
in words, but a well-produced video can provide a real sense of what it’s like to
work somewhere in just 30 seconds. Many large employers have already created
great employment branding content… the challenge is deploying it at the right
time. Texting creates lots of good opportunities for that. Sharing good employment
branding content that’s easy to consume invigorates your pitch and drives the
process forward in an engaging way.
Candidates want to connect with a person, not a process. And, the personal nature
of texts lends itself to relationship building. But, you can reinforce that element of
your text communications by integrating branding themes into the communication
guidelines for your team. For example, encourage them to use terms like “you” and
“your” (as in your career and your development) in their messages rather than “our”
(our business or our approach). It’s subtle, but it advances the idea that employee
development is central to your company culture.
As with every other element of your texting strategy, adapting it to your employment
branding goals is a mix of coopting successful strategies that others are using and
working in new ideas that tie back to the specific goals of your organization.
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12. SECTION SIX
Texting Etiquette
Etiquette is an inherently fuzzy concept rooted in shifting cultural norms, personal
preferences, and demographics that often boils down to whether something ‘feels’
right given the circumstances. Further complicating matters, texting etiquette is
changing rapidly as adoption has moved from nacency to total saturation of
virtually all demographics in just a few years. Despite the challenges in establishing
hard and fast rules, etiquette is worthy of some consideration in the context of your
company’s texting outreach.
Texting is highly personal, as we have noted several times already. That’s a big part
of what makes it effective. So, we think it makes sense to reduce texting etiquette to
a single, high-level principle, which is:
The Golden Rule
Respect that texting is personal
That means that you need to know your audience and respond to the cues that they give you.
You may want to change up your approach depending on who you are dealing with and
how they respond. A recruiter’s job is to keep the conversation moving, and conversations
move more easily when candidates are comfortable. So, be professional and polite and
follow the candidate’s lead as best you can in terms of their text communication preferences.
Things to Consider
• Texting is often viewed in different ways by different types of candidates.
• Think about whether to text only during the workday, say from 8 a.m. local time (the
candidate’s local time) to 6 or 7 p.m. Some recruiters don’t observe those boundaries,
but consider that an East Coast recruiter texting at 9 a.m. may wake up their West
Coast candidate at 6 a.m. Also, remember that timing cuts both ways. By texting a
candidate during off-hours, you may prompt them to do the same with the expectation
of a response. If candidates do reach out on weekends or evenings and you don’t want
to engage, you can steer their communications back to the business day. For example,
if you receive a text on Saturday, you might respond that you’ll follow up first thing
Monday.
• Some parts of the recruiting conversation require a more personal touch than others.
Although many consider messaging “personal” and “immediate,” you may want to
deliver important news (ex. “you didn’t get the job”) or discuss sensitive issues like
salary using other means.
• You will probably recycle messages from one candidate to another. But, be careful…
calling a person by the wrong name can derail a relationship with one cut and paste.
• Texting is not for long, formal messages. So…
• Keep it friendly. Refer to the candidate by name.
• Keep it simple. Messages should be short and direct.
• Respond quickly. Immediacy is one of the key’s to texting’s popularity.
There are no guarantees in life, but if you think through the items above and keep the Golden
Rule of Texting Etiquette in mind, you are likely to stay on solid ground with your texting
outreach.
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