SMS and recruitment marketing – How relevant are SMS in mobile recruiting?

2 years ago

Mobile recruiting is growing strongly in importance and companies are aware of this development, but often do not know where to start.

On the other hand, the ability to apply for jobs on mobile is increasingly in demand, but candidates also don’t necessarily want to download a separate app for each company.

As it is often the case, it can make sense for companies to start with small, simple solutions and see which measures are worthwhile and which are not, depending on the results. The use of SMS in mobile recruiting is also gaining importance.

Therefore, in this article we will deal with the question: In which areas of mobile recruiting can SMS be implemented in a meaningful way?

1. Application via SMS

The fact that applications via SMS are not only possible, but can also deliver special results, was already demonstrated in 2015 by a company from Bielefeld.

With a poster advertisement, .comspace drew attention to a vacancy as a developer and asked interested parties to send an SMS with a keyword to a number. This was followed by a short message exchange with the application bot, which asked for all the important information. The company was very pleased with the outcome. .comspace itself writes on its blog that the campaign generated 600% more applications than average job ads. In addition, the quality of the applications was very good.

In our opinion, the reasons for the success of the campaign are:

The originality

We are not used to being asked to contact a company via SMS, especially not when it comes to job applications. This arouses curiosity and gives the impression that the company is willing to think outside the box and try new things.

The ease of access

Sending a short text message is quite different from completing an entire application. The bot’s questions really ask for the most important information, which is convenient and purposeful for both applicants and the company. This can also lead to qualified applicants coming forward who are not actually actively looking for a new job – the lower the psychological barrier, the higher the chance that many people will apply.

The clever combination

The combination of billboard advertising and SMS in mobile recruiting is rather unusual – but extremely effective. Both options on their own would probably not have had the desired effect.

Poster advertising meets people in very specific places – for example, on the way to work on the bus, in the city, while shopping, wherever your target group is most likely to be. Especially the poster in the bus is well placed, because passengers usually have a few minutes to properly deal with the ad. In buses that travel to universities or other colleges, you will also meet potential young talents who are applying for jobs that require a degree.

The option to apply via SMS is not only particularly easy to access, as described above, it is also flexible. Interested parties can signal their interest and continue conversations when they have more time.

As you can see, there are many good reasons to enable applications via SMS. In any case, it’s worth a try – especially when standard job postings no longer yield the desired results.

2. Number to which applicants can ask questions

Whether you offer an application via SMS or not, do allow interested parties to ask questions via SMS. Not only will this allow you to respond in a particularly timely manner to questions that undecided interested parties may still have, but you will also receive immediate feedback on your job posting. This not only makes it more likely that more people will apply, but also ensures a positive development in your job ads. Either you adjust details immediately or you can do better in the next attempt.

Direct communication also builds trust in your company and leaves a positive impression – even on those who don’t end up applying. This way, using SMS in mobile recruiting also strengthens your company’s positive reputation.

Not sure which inbound number is right for your business?

Our blog post will help you decide:

Inbound SMS at a glance

3. General communication

SMS can also be used for general communication with applicants in mobile recruiting. Because of its personal nature, short messaging creates a genuine conversation with applicants, ensuring that the application process is perceived as less anonymous and automated.

Because SMS messages are opened on average in the first three to five minutes after receipt, SMS can also save time in the application process and make processes more effective. Responding more quickly to queries can help you move the process along faster.

The same goes for notifications when you are looking to fill a new position that a former applicant fits. If you have permission to re-contact interested parties after they’ve applied for a job that’s been replaced with someone else, SMS not only gets you a response faster, but you’re also more likely to get one – in fact, the response rate to SMS is 45% as opposed to 6% for email (source: Gartner). Even if the numbers are probably different in this particular case, it’s clear that communication via SMS is more immediate than via email.

Also, send SMS to invite for interviews or trial work or to remind about these appointments, ask for more info or let applicants know if they are moving to the next round.

4. What do I have to watch out for when using SMS in mobile recruiting?

Even though SMS offer great potential, you should be aware of some stumbling blocks you may encounter.

Therefore, be sure to pay attention to the following points if you plan to use SMS in mobile recruiting.

Mobile accessibility

There are still many companies whose websites can barely be displayed on mobile devices, if at all. This point can be critical in a case like this: If a page that interested parties access is not mobile-optimized, they will abandon the process in the worst case scenario. So make sure that at the very least, your careers page is optimized for mobile devices.

The personal approach

If you decide to send SMS, the more personal your messages are, the better. To save you some time anyway, you can use individual placeholders to automatically insert specific data into your SMS.

Receiving SMS

If you want to receive SMS through our system, you should book an inbound number with us. Also note that recipients can only reply to your SMS if you do not use an alphanumeric sender.

5. How do I implement the sending of SMS in mobile recruiting?

Depending on how you want to use SMS, there are various ways to integrate the sending of SMS into your processes.

Access our API directly to realize the sending and receiving of SMS without detours from your system
Use our webapp for manual sending
Automate sending by linking via automation services like Zapier or IFTTT

In particular, linking through Zapier or IFTTT gives you the ability to easily integrate SMS sending and receiving into your HR system. Currently (November 2022), there are 118 human resource apps on Zapier. You can link each of them to our service in just a few steps and thus have an SMS dispatch triggered by certain actions.

By the way, you can also notify yourself via SMS when an event occurs, for example, when a candidate is added to the system.

To set this up, you will need an API Key, which you can easily create yourself. In most cases, you will also need the login data for the program with which you want to link our service.

Zapier and IFTTT make it especially easy to implement different scenarios.

seven on Zapier seven on IFTTT

Conclusion

So the use of SMS in mobile recruiting definitely makes sense in many cases. Offering the chance to apply via SMS can ensure exceptional applications and positively strengthen your company’s reputation. For further communication, SMS are particularly suitable because of their personal touch, but also because they can be read so quickly and thus move the process forward faster. In any case, it’s worth a try. Make sure to give it a try yourself and register for free on our platform.

How are you planning to use SMS in mobile recruiting? Let us know in the comments or send us a message.

All the best

Header picture by sturti via iStock