Q: Is texting the new medium for recruiters? A: It better be! 

The studies show that texting is the most frequent form of communication for anyone under the age of 50. This should be a wake-up call for any recruiters that don’t believe in the power of text for reaching and cultivating new candidates. This article will show you how to use testing during the recruiting process. 

🙂 Call Me, Maybe? 

Texting is the hot, new medium for all ages, according to Gallup. The surveyor reports that more than two-thirds of Americans regularly send and receive texts. It’s only candidates who are over 65-years old that haven’t jumped on the texting bandwagon. 

The first thing to consider is whether your candidate will feel comfortable with texting. If they are, you should keep in mind some of the basics of texting etiquette to keep things strictly professional and moving forward during the SMS process. 

  • Be careful not to come across as too pushy—remember that texting itself does not imply tone in the way that a video conference or phone call could. While you can use an emoji or a meme to the text to lighten things up, that may not be the best approach for a c-suite candidate. If your text is taken as unprofessional, you may run the risk of having the candidate perceive you as less-than-serious. 
  • Stay simple and use texting for follow-ups, to confirm interviews, or to answer quick questions. You can send a thank you for interviewing note, too, or provide the candidate with the next steps for the hiring process.  
  • Texts are generally tougher to ignore over an email or voicemail. There are positives and negatives to this. While texts are a way to get the attention of a candidate, don’t overwhelm them or come across as a stalker. 
  • Never decline the candidate over a text. That is the ultimate bad form. Although software like Exelare offers SMS texting that saves directly into a candidate’s application history, sending a “ding” letter via texting is pretty cold. Save texting for the less delicate stages of the hiring process. 
  • Stay organized in your texting efforts. Dozens of texts every day are easy to confuse, but Exelare has your back on this, too, offering a complete candidate record of any contact. 
  • Only text during business hours. We know that many of you are working from home, so the boundaries between work and home are blurry. But don’t send a candidate test at 2:00 am because you can’t sleep.  
  • Avoid texts that mention something other than the job hunt. That’s too casual and maybe a bit weird. 

Texting is in, faxing is out. (What’s a fax?).

Americans are texting more than ever, and your recruiting team should make use of their relatively new medium for reaching clients. Gallup reports that texting is more frequently used by everyone under the age of 50-years old. In fact, 30 to 64 years old’s still text, but once they pass 64, the usage of these tools drops off considerably.  

This is a striking statistic that indicates our world has changed. Today’s recruiters must consider texting to stay on top of their game by reaching more candidates in the medium where they are comfortable and competent. 

Talk to Exelare about our software, which now offers SMS/texting options to help you succeed.