How SMS is Changing the Rules of Engagement

Today, there are options for candidate engagement. Email marketing, phone calls, skype chats, text messaging—you name it. And yet, more isn’t necessarily better. In fact, precisely because there are so many communication mediums, recruiters must be more careful than ever about their outreach strategies. And more and more, recruiters are finding texting is the perfect way to do that.

Watch the Replay

Within this webinar, we are joined by Larry Hemley (President, S.J. Hemley Marketing), and Amar Chadipirala (CTO, Ceipal), as they share their insights on the most effective communication strategies, as well as a demo on TextToHire, a fully scalable SMS platform for recruitment and staffing professionals. 

Communication 101 

A study conducted by Meta HR Consultancy found that 80% of applicants publicly share their application and hiring experiences. They tell their friends and acquaintances in person, or share their experiences via Facebook, Twitter, or review portals like Glassdoor. 

What does this knowledge-sharing mean? It means that your communications with candidates can no longer be anonymous mass emails. Everything you send has to be personalized and intentional; otherwise, candidates will spread the word that your firm isn’t worth engaging with. The reality is: 

• 72% of candidates who don’t hear back from employers say they would not be likely to recommend that product/service 
• 58% of candidates say they’re unlikely to buy a product/service from a company whose hiring process is unresponsive 
• 22% of candidates will tell others not to apply for a position at your organization 
• 69% of job applicants would not take a job with a company that had a bad reputation, even if they were unemployed 

There’s no getting around it: your recruitment brand is your company brand, plain and simple. So how you interact with candidates is more important than ever. 

How to Effectively Communicate 

Effectively communicating with candidates isn’t easy. But think about it this way: your candidates are your customers. They are the Number 1 thing that you market to clients, and therefore, you need candidates to engage with your brand. 

So how can you up your candidate communication game? Ultimately, there are three core principles to keep in mind: 

• Be Consistent. Candidates should know when their application is received, if they’re being considered, and when the job has closed. If you’re not communicating with them through every step of this process, you’re losing candidates—plain and simple. 
• Be Expedient. Respond to all candidates at all stages of recruitment as soon as you can. Remember: it’s the candidate’s marketplace. Your desired candidate could be fielding other offers by the time you make yours. 
• Be Personal. Standard emails just don’t cut it anymore. Send personalized messages, where you reference candidates by name, so they know that their application is received and under consideration. 

Granted, the above steps aren’t easy to observe. But firms who do will find an increased likelihood of future candidate engagement, a decreased likelihood of candidates bashing their brand, and an increased likelihood of placing that candidate again.

Insider Tips on Communication Best Practices 

Now that you have your core principles, it’s time to implement them. Here are five tips on speaking a recruitment language that candidates will like. 

• Communicate to Inform. Whether it’s providing directions to the office, or reconfirming their interview time, set candidates up for success by making sure they have all the information they need. 
• Speak in Person. Speaking is still the most intuitive method of communication. Once you’ve scheduled a candidate for an interview, call them and check in. They’ll appreciate the personal touch. 
• Schedule Seamlessly. Use software to schedule appointments. Going back and forth about availability three or four times is a good way to annoy anyone. 
• Provide Feedback. 94% of candidates want feedback concerning why they weren’t hired; but only 30% of employers provide it. The ones who do solidify their reputation as leaders. 
• Stay in Touch. Just because your candidate missed one placement, doesn’t mean they’ll miss another. Stay in touch, so that candidate is ready to update their resume and interview for you again.

Texting for Engagement 

One of the best ways to implement these tricks and tips is through texting. It’s an easy, convenient, and low-maintenance way to stay in touch, communicate critical information, and personalize your interactions. 

Ceipal's TextToHire helps recruiters do just that. Fully scalable and integrating with any ATS or CRM, TextToHire combines real-time communication, personalized conversations, and the power of automation to engage talent and increase placements—all at the market’s most competitive price.

To find out more about TextToHire, visit here. To learn more about S.J.Hemley Marketing, visit here.