Twenty-plus years ago, paper applications were the only way to get a job. But long are the days of driving around with a stack of applications that need to be hand-delivered; much like everything else in the world, most employers have digitized the process. But there are still many points within the hiring process that turn off hourly applicants.
The majority of the hourly workforce grew up with modern technology, so they’re used to working digitally and expect communication to be mobile-friendly. Growing up with access to the internet means that the Millennial and Gen Z generations often expect immediate responses, which is why they tend to go with the employer who gets back to them quickly and has a streamlined application process.
But they hate phone calls — studies show that 75% of Millennials avoid phone calls and 81% get anxious about making a call — and even email isn’t fast enough sometimes.
The best way to reach hourly candidates in the 21st century is by texting.
It’s been shown that:
- 88% of the hourly workforce prefers texting
- 98% of texts are read vs. just 20% of emails
- Texts get a 10x faster response than phone calls or emails
In addition, think about all the time hiring managers waste going back-and-forth with applicants to schedule interviews, send reminders, follow-up on paperwork… the list goes on.
In short, the applicant will lose interest if you don’t respond in a timely manner but hiring managers these days don’t have time to engage applicants.
The answer is Text Communications, a feature that allows hiring managers to quickly communicate with applicants to keep them engaged and reduce interview ghosting. During the onboarding process, it’s easy to notify new hires of any missing paperwork or update them on the latest policies and procedures.
Effective Text Communications are built into a talent management platform and include:
- Texting directly in the platform so that hiring managers don’t have to use personal phones
- The ability to see if the candidate has read the message
- Reminders that can be scheduled to send out to multiple people at once
- Compliance features such as a communication audit trail, Opt-In/Opt-Out, and phone number verification
- Templates and campaigns to save even more time
What kind of results can you expect with Text Communications?
- Average time-to-hire decreased by 21% for TalentReef customers using Text Communications
- 98% deliverability rate and TalentReef customers have seen up to an 83% response rate from applicants
“We are investing a lot of development time on SMS and automated notifications which will allow our customers to be able to quickly engage with applicants and track the history of their communication with each specific applicant. The first step of that investment is adding functionality to allow hiring managers to send SMS messages directly to applicants through the TalentReef platform,” Senior Vice President of Product Management Adam Seubert explained when Text Communications launched in 2021.
Check out how TalentReef’s Text Communications can speed up your hiring process.