Understanding New Recruitment Channels

June 27, 2019

 

iCIMS Staff

2 min read

The numbers don’t lie – text recruiting is the future, and the future is now. Americans check their phones about 80 times a day, and TextRecruit customers average a 37% candidate response rate within 12 minutes. Compare that to email – CDW, a global technology firm and TextRecruit customer, experiences a text message open rate that’s five times higher than email, and an opt-out rate that’s 25 times lower than email.

The reason why text messaging works better than traditional forms of candidate communication like email and phone calls are clear – the convenience factor of checking a text message is a huge advantage compared to logging on to email or taking a phone call during work hours. Many candidates, like retail workers or healthcare professionals, work on-the-go jobs and don’t have time for email or phone calls – but can shoot off a quick text.

But will texting by itself bring in more qualified candidates? Texting is a means of communicating and getting your message out to potential candidates, but it’s not the overall strategy. For that, recruitment text messaging must be paired with a strong candidate relationship management program.

What is candidate relationship management (CRM)?

Candidate relationship management (CRM) software helps to nurture leads and keep talent pipelines full so jobs can be filled faster. CRMs are ideal for managing the leads you pick up at recruitment events and job fairs, but also to keep in touch with qualified candidates who weren’t a great fit originally but might be later on down the road.

CRM programs rely on one major component – staying connected with passive candidates through engaging content. Whether those candidates are found at a job fair or already exist in a pipeline, it’s important to keep them engaged with your brand through information they’ll find relevant to their own jobs. It doesn’t need to be content that’s exclusive to your company, but should be something that candidates find helpful, like new advances or breaking news about your industry.

This content is usually shared out in automated, personalized email blasts so employers stay top of mind with candidates. But with recruitment text messaging capabilities, you can reach more candidates quickly, taking advantage of better open rates and lower opt-out rates.

Texting + CRM = Your New Recruitment Channel

For optimal candidate engagement, complement your CRM program with recruitment text messaging. Employers who do this can track engagement levels of passive candidates in their pipelines and adjust their strategies if candidates become disengaged, reaching them quickly through text messages. They also free up their recruiters from administrative tasks like scheduling and answering basic questions about the job using AI-powered chatbots, which are automated to perform those simple tasks. This gives recruiters more time to focus on hiring the right talent and providing better experience to candidates.

Interested in learning how to take advantage of these advances in recruitment technology? Download our Definitive Guide to Recruitment Marketing ROI today.