One of the growing trends for Recruiters is the use of text during the job search process. Texting candidates allows the Recruiter to quickly and easily make contact with a person. While this method of communication may seem natural (and perhaps long overdue) for some people, the thought of it may be a cause of stress for others.
Recruiters are constantly seeking ways to communicate in a faster and more efficient method with job seekers. They are consciously giving up the personal touch or visibility of using the phone and/or in-person for the immediacy of text.
1. Recruiters are carrying larger than ever requisition workloads and have limited time to play the old-fashioned tag game of calling and leaving voice mails. Texting also tends to take away the excuse a candidate may have had that they did not see the e-mail or failed to play the voice mail. Almost everyone sees their texts shortly after they have been sent.
2. Recruiters are trying to adapt to the preferred communication methodology of most job seekers. Most job seekers would rather receive a quick text confirming an appointment or the receipt of a document, rather than a call or an e-mail.
3. Some Recruiters have even taken the texting to the next level by using the method to do the open screening questions that typically would be done in a phone interview. This would be done in a chat/text type of fashion. This is the exception to the rule, as most Recruiters would still like to ask their own questions orally. A challenge for employers would be for positions that still require human interaction. A text chat will provide companies with little insight regarding your oral communication and people skills.
4. In today’s era of almost complete employment, it is critical for Recruiters to expedite their entire process, or else risk losing the candidate to another company. The use of text allows the Recruiter to have immediate and constant contact during the process. If the person is interested, they can quickly move forward. If not, the Recruiter can also receive this immediate response and quickly change gears by focusing on others.
For most Job Seekers, this is a most welcome change in practice. The use of smartphones has become almost universally accepted (it is hard to find a flip phone and even most of those can still text).
• If you are someone who currently does not text then you have to decide if your job search is enough of a reason to start. I would think that a Recruiter will probably be surprised if you told him/her that you do not text, and they probably will use this information to probe further regarding your use of technology and skills in this area.
• For some, the issue may not be that they do not text (they do), but that they have a limited allotment of available texts before they are charged for each. My suggestion is to upgrade to unlimited text (this is a pretty standard package and usually only incrementally more), absorb the additional cost, or tell your friends/family to text you less. This is really not a particularly good reason to tell a Recruiter that you don’t want to text.
• For some people, texting is a privacy issue. The thought is that texting is an intrusion that perhaps does not exist with a phone call or e-mail. In my opinion, people probably had the same opinion of older methods of communication that, as they matured and became more widely used, also became more accepted. In my view, a candidate has to have an open mind regarding texting. If privacy is an issue, keep in mind that this Recruiter already has your address and phone number, and if you are hired, will have even more private information.
If, and when, you do decide to text, please make sure you are following professional etiquette and not relying on the slang of texting. You also need to avoid any texting that will result in any unprofessional references in your texts. I would also avoid the use of an emoji during these job search texts. Just because personal texting can be considered pretty casual does not mean a job search or work related one should be the same.
One of the most difficult yet most critical aspects of staying relevant is the use of technology. In today’s world, technology (such as smartphones and all of its capabilities) is almost a given at all levels. It is going to become increasingly difficult for a candidate not to participate in texting to some degree. By allowing a Recruiter to connect with you via text, you may be reaching them faster and providing yourself a competitive advantage.
As always, the best of luck in your job search.
The following has been prepared for the general information of WNYJobs readers. It is not meant to provide advice with respect to any specific legal or policy matter and should not be acted upon without verification by the reader.
Joe Stein WNY Human Resources Professional
Feel free to contact Joe Stein regarding questions or comments at: Joe Stein
