Finding the right  talent tops the priority list of an HR manager. Given that it’s a ruthless world out there, the only way to ensure that you get the best of the lot is to have hiring strategies that are superior and different from your competitors.

One way to stand out from the rest would be to use text recruiting! Texting is how the up-and-coming generations communicate with each other, and it is this form of informal communication that can give your hiring strategy a boost!

Text Recruiting – The New Best Way To Acquire Talent?

Today, the pool of job candidates largely comprises of millennials and Generation Z. The latter, while young, are either already employed or on the lookout for jobs. These candidates rely on social media and texting as a prime form of communication.

And you’ve got to admit it, emails are pretty easy to ignore and delete. While they are still the preferred mode for official communication and connecting with potential candidates, maybe they aren’t enough. Adding texting to the mix could be the answer to effectively, and successfully connect with the right talent!

Here are a few reasons why texting could prove to be a very effective way to hire people:

• Most text messages are read within a few minutes of receipt and thus have very high open rates

• Flexibility in incorporating texting at any stage in the recruitment process is a great feature.

• Texting allows for real-time communication. For instance, if there are changes in the interview or schedule, they can be promptly conveyed to candidates.

• Texting ensures better and quicker response rates than emails. Statistics state that only 20% of the phone calls are answered, while 99% of the texts get to be read and that too within the first 90 seconds. Thus, texting is faster and better received when compared to emails.

• Another reason for the popularity of texting over emails is that emails may be viewed as spam, especially if they come from a new and unknown email address. Whereas, in text messages, they are yet to be categorised as spam and people perceive that the message is meant for them.

• Most of the prospective hires use smartphones for job-hunting. Hence, it makes all the more sense for recruiters to go mobile as well.

Ways to Adopt The Text Recruiting Strategy

1. Ensure Brevity:

Unlike emails that can be more elaborate and descriptive, texts need to be crisper, shorter and to the point. A general rule of the thumb is to follow the 140-character tweet limit for brevity. Long messages are quite tricky to read on a mobile screen.

Hence the recruiter must use his/her discretion when texting. Say, for instance, if he wants to confirm an interview, a text message is ideal, while a detailed job description would be better in an email.

2. Use Templates:

One can use ready-to-use SMS templates that help to maintain consistency of messages, especially when shared with many people. Templates also save time and help to keep the messages short and crisp.

Different software available for these purposes like Text Recruit, Trumpia, etc., can be used to automate responses to multiple candidates.

3. Customize Messages:

It is better to send personalised messages by using custom fields that include a candidate’s name while sending automated texts as it conveys a sense of belonging and being liked.

Also, one can use one-to-one texting from dedicated numbers to enhance the perception of the candidates.

4. Set Triggers:

In standard texting, instead of using plain top-level keywords, one can set many sub keywords known as triggers. Such triggers can be set to respond to common queries or information requests automatically.

For instance, one can set the word ‘FASHION’ as a trigger that will automatically respond with the company’s business information details whenever a person types or texts that keyword into the company’s short code.

5. Avoid Ambiguity:

Text messages should be clear and devoid of any ambiguity like using abbreviations or inappropriate or misleading tone. A clearly typed text with correct grammar and pronunciation will help to attract better candidature.

6. Allow Room for Amenability:

Candidates should be given room for unsubscribing from receiving messages, especially in case of bulk messages that are sent at regular intervals to multiple people. Paying attention to such compliance issues is a part of the best practices of the company.

7. Maintain Professionalism:

Maintain a professional tone in the language and do not text in the same style as one would do for friends and family, like using emoticons or adopting a more casual style. Use of slang in text recruiting is prohibited. Also, limit the contacts to only professional discussions.

8. Choose the Right Time:

It is a best practice to text a candidate during the regular office working hours. This will improve the credibility of the recruiter.

While text recruitment may be a revolutionary new way to connect with candidates, it does come with a few pitfalls. It is possible that candidates might miss out on the texts.

Additionally, you will also need to record the candidates’ responses in the applicant tracking system you are using. If this step is missed, you might end up losing out on valuable information about the hiring process.

Verdict: Combine Text Recruiting With Other Strategies For Recruitment!

The ideal (and safer) way to attract talent would be to employ different, innovative strategies in tune with the current trends. For instance, using video job descriptions would definitely make you stand out from your competitors.

Not only can video job descriptions be used to tell a story and humanise your company, they are also easy to consume on mobile devices! You can always share the links to video job descriptions with your texts, and impress your candidates twofold!

In theory, texting may seem a little over the top as a recruitment strategy. But if you think from a candidate’s perspective – receiving a personalised message using a method that’s immediate and minimal interaction – text recruiting might just hit the nail on the head.