1. Introduction: What Text Recruiting Is and Why It Matters
Text recruiting refers to the strategic use of SMS (Short Message Service) and text messaging platforms to communicate with job candidates throughout the hiring process—from initial outreach and screening to interview scheduling, offer delivery, and onboarding.
The rise of text recruiting isn’t merely a trend; it’s a response to profound shifts in communication preferences and candidate behavior. Over 90% of text messages are read within three minutes of delivery, compared to email open rates that typically hover around 20-30%. For recruiters competing in tight labor markets where top candidates receive multiple offers, this difference in engagement speed can be the deciding factor between securing talent and losing them to competitors.
Text recruiting matters because it meets candidates where they already are—on their mobile devices. The average person checks their phone over 150 times daily, making SMS one of the most immediate and personal communication channels available. Unlike emails that languish in crowded inboxes or phone calls that go straight to voicemail, text messages create an accessible, low-pressure touchpoint that respects candidates’ time while maintaining meaningful engagement.
Organizations that have adopted text recruiting report response rates as high as 98%, compared to traditional methods that struggle to achieve even 50% engagement. In an era where candidate experience directly impacts employer brand and hiring outcomes, text recruiting has evolved from a nice-to-have capability to an essential component of competitive recruitment strategies.
2. Why Text Recruiting Outperforms Other Channels
Text vs Email — Engagement & Response Rates
The performance gap between text messaging and email in recruitment contexts is staggering. Email open rates in recruiting typically range between 20-30%, with response rates even lower at 8-15%. In contrast, text messages boast open rates exceeding 95%, with response rates commonly reaching 45-60% and sometimes climbing as high as 98% for well-crafted campaigns.
The speed differential is equally important. Email responses, when they arrive, typically come within 90 minutes to several hours. Text message responses average just 90 seconds, with most arriving within the first three minutes. For time-sensitive recruiting scenarios—like scheduling interviews with in-demand candidates or filling urgent positions—this velocity advantage can be decisive.
Furthermore, email suffers from deliverability challenges that text messaging largely avoids. Spam filters, promotional folder sorting, and overcrowded inboxes mean many recruiting emails never reach their intended recipients. Text messages arrive directly to candidates’ primary notification stream, ensuring visibility.
Text vs Phone Calls — Speed & Candidate Experience
While phone calls allow for rich, real-time conversation, they’ve become increasingly ineffective as a primary recruiting outreach method. Phone call answer rates have plummeted to below 10% in many demographics, particularly among younger candidates who view unsolicited calls as intrusive.
Text recruiting offers several advantages over phone outreach. First, it’s asynchronous, allowing candidates to respond when convenient rather than requiring immediate availability. This flexibility is particularly valuable for passive candidates who may be employed and unable to take recruiting calls during work hours. Second, text creates a written record of the conversation, reducing miscommunication and providing candidates with details they can reference later. Third, text messaging feels less invasive than phone calls, reducing candidate anxiety and creating a more positive initial impression.
From a recruiter efficiency standpoint, text messaging enables simultaneous communication with multiple candidates, whereas phone calls require sequential, one-on-one attention.
SMS Trends Across Industries and Generations
Text messaging adoption in recruiting varies significantly across industries and demographic groups. Healthcare, hospitality, retail, and logistics sectors have led adoption, driven by high-volume hiring needs and workforces that are predominantly mobile. Technology companies and professional services firms have followed, recognizing that even skilled professionals prefer text for initial contact.
Generational preferences reveal important patterns. Gen Z candidates demonstrate the strongest preference for text communication, with studies showing over 75% prefer text over phone calls for recruiting interactions. Millennials similarly favor text, with approximately 68% expressing preference for SMS in early-stage recruiting communications. Even Gen X and Baby Boomers increasingly accept and appreciate text messaging for transactional recruiting communications like interview reminders and status updates.
3. How Text Recruiting Fits in Your Hiring Workflow
Lead Capture, Opt-In & Consent
The text recruiting journey begins with proper consent and opt-in procedures. Candidates can opt into text communications through various entry points: job applications with consent checkboxes, career site SMS opt-in forms, QR codes on recruiting materials, text-to-apply keywords advertised in job postings, or during initial phone screenings.
Best practice requires explicit, documented consent before sending recruiting texts. This typically involves candidates actively checking a box or replying with a keyword like “YES” or “JOIN” to confirm they want to receive recruiting messages. The opt-in message should clearly state what types of messages candidates will receive, the approximate frequency, and provide easy opt-out instructions.
Recording consent is critical not just for compliance but for maintaining candidate trust. Your ATS or recruiting system should timestamp and store opt-in confirmations.
Screening & Qualification via SMS
Once candidates have opted in, text messaging becomes a powerful screening tool. Quick qualification questions can be sent via text, allowing recruiters to efficiently filter candidates based on key requirements without lengthy phone screens. Questions about availability, salary expectations, required certifications, willingness to relocate, or specific skill requirements can be posed through concise text exchanges.
The conversational nature of SMS makes screening feel less formal and intimidating than traditional phone screens, often resulting in more candid responses. For high-volume recruiting scenarios, automated SMS screening sequences can pre-qualify hundreds of candidates simultaneously.
Interview Scheduling & Confirmation
Interview coordination is where text recruiting delivers some of its most tangible time savings. Rather than phone tag or protracted email exchanges, recruiters can send available time slots via text and receive immediate responses. Calendar integration allows many platforms to send scheduling links that candidates can click directly from their phones.
Confirmation texts ensure candidates have all necessary details: date, time, location or video link, interviewer names, parking instructions, or required materials. These confirmations can be automated to send when interviews are scheduled, reducing no-show rates.
Post-Interview Follow-Ups
The period immediately following interviews is crucial for maintaining candidate engagement. Text messages sent within hours of an interview can thank candidates for their time, set expectations for next steps, and request feedback about their interview experience. This rapid follow-up demonstrates organizational responsiveness and keeps your opportunity top-of-mind.
For candidates advancing to next rounds, text provides an efficient channel for coordinating additional interviews or requesting supplementary materials. Post-interview texts also serve internal purposes, prompting interviewers to submit feedback.
Offer and Onboarding Notifications
When offers are extended, text messaging plays a supporting role to more formal offer letters and calls. A congratulatory text following the official offer call can include links to offer documents, benefits summaries, and acceptance portals.
Throughout the offer acceptance and pre-onboarding period, text keeps new hires engaged and informed. Messages can confirm start dates, provide first-day logistics, share onboarding schedules, and answer last-minute questions. This continued communication helps prevent offer reneging and ensures new hires feel welcomed.
4. Comprehensive Text Recruiting Best Practices
Timing & Frequency of Messages
Timing significantly impacts text message effectiveness. Research indicates that texts sent during late morning hours (10 AM to 12 PM) and early evening (6 PM to 8 PM) generate the highest response rates. Avoid sending recruiting texts early in the morning (before 9 AM), late at night (after 9 PM), or on Sundays unless you’ve established a relationship with the candidate.
Frequency management is equally critical. Overmessaging is the fastest way to generate opt-outs and damage your employer brand. For most recruiting scenarios, limiting texts to 2-3 messages per week per candidate is appropriate during active recruitment. Once candidates are in active interview processes, frequency can increase for coordination purposes.
Personalization at Scale
Generic, clearly mass-distributed texts generate poor engagement and high opt-out rates. Effective text recruiting requires personalization, but achieving this at scale demands smart systems and processes. At minimum, messages should include candidate first names and reference specific roles they’ve applied for or expressed interest in.
More sophisticated personalization incorporates details from candidate profiles: mentioning specific skills from their resume, referencing previous conversations, or tailoring messages based on candidate source. Technology platforms can enable this level of personalization through merge fields and dynamic content.
Tone, Professionalism & Candidate Segmentation
Text messaging’s casual nature creates both opportunities and risks. The appropriate tone varies based on your industry, company culture, and candidate segment. Technology startups might adopt friendly, emoji-inclusive messaging, while financial services firms typically maintain more formal, conservative text communication.
Regardless of baseline formality, recruiting texts should always remain professional, respectful, and clear. Avoid slang, excessive abbreviations, or overly familiar language in initial contacts. Candidate segmentation should inform tone decisions—executive-level candidates generally expect more formal communication, while hourly workers and early-career candidates often respond well to conversational messaging.
Mobile Etiquette & Response Management
Successful text recruiting requires understanding mobile communication etiquette. Keep messages concise—ideally under 160 characters when possible, certainly under 300 characters. Break longer information into multiple sequential messages rather than sending text walls. Use proper punctuation and capitalization to maintain professionalism.
Response management protocols ensure consistency and professionalism. Establish expected response timeframes (candidates typically expect replies within a few hours during business hours) and set up auto-responses when recruiters are unavailable. Make opting out effortless and respect opt-out requests immediately.
5. Template Library: SMS Scripts for Every Stage
5.1 Candidate Outreach Scripts
Initial Contact for Active Job Seekers: “Hi [Name]! This is [Recruiter] from [Company]. I saw your application for the [Job Title] position and I’m impressed by your [specific skill/experience]. Are you available for a brief call this week to discuss the role? Let me know what works for you!”
Passive Candidate Engagement: “Hello [Name], I’m [Recruiter] at [Company]. I came across your profile and think your background in [specific area] would be perfect for a [Job Title] opportunity we’re working on. Would you be open to a confidential conversation about your career goals?”
Referral Candidates: “Hi [Name]! [Referrer Name] thought you’d be great for our [Job Title] opening and shared your contact info. I’d love to tell you more about the role and hear about what you’re looking for. Have 15 minutes to chat this week?”
5.2 Follow-Up & Status Updates
After Initial Application: “Thanks for applying to [Company], [Name]! We’ve received your application for [Job Title] and our team is reviewing it now. You should hear back from us within [timeframe]. Questions in the meantime? Just reply here!”
After Screening Call: “Great speaking with you today, [Name]! As discussed, I’ll send over [information/documents] by [timeframe] and we’ll coordinate next steps for [next interview stage]. Thanks for your interest!”
Moving to Next Round: “Good news, [Name]! The team was impressed with [specific positive] and would like to invite you to the next interview stage. Are you available [day/date] for a [interview type] with [interviewer name/title]?”
Keeping Warm Candidates Engaged: “Hi [Name], wanted to keep you updated on our [Job Title] process. We’re still interviewing candidates and expect to make decisions by [timeframe]. You’re definitely still in consideration—thanks for your patience!”
5.3 Interview Reminders & Confirmations
Day Before Reminder: “Hi [Name], this is a friendly reminder about your interview tomorrow ([Day], [Date]) at [Time] for the [Job Title] position. You’ll be meeting with [Interviewer Name/Title] at [Location/Virtual Link]. See you then!”
Same-Day Reminder: “Good morning [Name]! Your interview with [Company] is today at [Time]. [Address/Link]. Please arrive 10 minutes early. Looking forward to meeting you! Contact me at [phone] if anything comes up.”
Virtual Interview Technical Check: “Hi [Name], your virtual interview is at [Time] today via [Platform]. Test your link here: [URL]. Ensure good lighting, quiet space, and stable internet. You’ve got this!”
Interview Confirmation Request: “Hi [Name], can you confirm you’re still available for your [Job Title] interview on [Day, Date] at [Time]? Just reply YES to confirm or let me know if you need to reschedule.”
5.4 Rejection, Referral & Other Situations
Rejection with Future Consideration: “Hi [Name], thank you for your interest in the [Job Title] role. While we’re moving forward with other candidates for this position, we were impressed by your background and would love to stay in touch for future opportunities. Would you be open to that?”
Rejection with Alternative Role: “Hi [Name], while we filled the [Original Job Title] position, we think you’d be a strong fit for our [Alternative Job Title] opening. Would you be interested in learning more about this role?”
Referral Request: “Hi [Name], we’re currently hiring for [Job Title] roles and I thought you might know talented people in your network. If you refer someone who gets hired, there’s a [$X] referral bonus. Know anyone interested?”
Offer Acceptance Follow-Up: “Congratulations again, [Name]! We’re excited to have you joining [Company] on [Start Date]. I’ve emailed your offer documents and onboarding information. Questions before your start date? Text me anytime!”
6. Legal & Ethical Compliance
Consent & Opt-In Best Practices
The foundation of compliant text recruiting is proper consent. Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) in the United States, businesses must obtain prior express written consent before sending marketing or promotional text messages to mobile phones. While recruiting texts may not always be classified as marketing, following TCPA consent standards is the safest approach.
Valid consent requires candidates to clearly authorize text communications through affirmative action—checking a box, signing a form, or replying to an opt-in message with a confirmation keyword. Pre-checked boxes or implied consent from providing a phone number do not meet legal standards.
Consent documentation should specify what types of messages candidates will receive, approximate frequency, and how to opt out. Beyond legal compliance, ethical consent practices build trust. Make opting in and out equally easy, and never share candidate phone numbers with third parties without explicit permission.
TCPA & Other Regional Regulations
The TCPA sets strict rules for text messaging in the United States, including requirements for consent, content restrictions, time-of-day limitations (generally 8 AM to 9 PM in the recipient’s time zone), and mandatory opt-out mechanisms. Violations can result in penalties of $500 to $1,500 per message, meaning even small-scale non-compliance can generate substantial liability.
Beyond federal law, many U.S. states have additional regulations governing text messaging. California, Florida, and Washington have particularly strict privacy and anti-spam laws that may apply to recruiting texts.
Internationally, regulations vary significantly. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) imposes strict requirements on processing personal data, including phone numbers, and requires explicit consent for marketing communications. Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) similarly mandates express consent. Organizations recruiting internationally must understand and comply with regulations in each jurisdiction.
Spam Risks and Candidate Privacy
Beyond formal regulations, text recruiting must navigate spam perception and privacy concerns. Even legally compliant messages can damage your employer brand if candidates perceive them as unwanted or intrusive. Respect for privacy extends beyond legal minimums.
Protect candidate phone numbers with the same rigor you apply to other sensitive personal information. Store numbers securely, limit access to authorized personnel, and never sell or share contact information with third parties. Be cautious about information you request or share via text—Social Security numbers, financial information, and detailed health data should never be transmitted via unencrypted SMS.
Transparency builds trust. Be clear about who is texting, why you’re reaching out, and how you obtained the candidate’s number.
7. Important Recruiting KPIs to Track
Delivery, Open & Response Rates
Delivery rate measures the percentage of sent messages that successfully reach candidate phones. Healthy delivery rates exceed 95%, with lower rates suggesting problems with phone number quality, carrier filtering, or technical sending issues.
Open rates for text messages typically exceed 95%, dramatically higher than email’s 20-30% benchmarks. However, focus less on open rates and more on response rates for text message performance assessment.
Response rate measures the percentage of delivered messages that generate candidate replies. Strong text recruiting campaigns achieve response rates of 40-60%, though this varies by message type. Initial cold outreach typically generates lower response rates (20-35%) than messages to engaged candidates (60-80% or higher).
Time-to-Response & Time-to-Hire
Time-to-response measures how quickly candidates reply to recruiting texts. The median response time for recruiting texts is approximately 90 seconds, with most responses arriving within 3 minutes. This speed advantage over email (90 minutes median) and phone (often no response) demonstrates text messaging’s efficiency value.
Organizations implementing text recruiting typically see 20-40% reductions in time-to-hire compared to traditional recruitment methods. This acceleration results from faster response times, more efficient scheduling, and reduced communication lag at each hiring stage.
Conversion & Completion Rates
Conversion rates measure how effectively text messages move candidates through your recruitment funnel. Key conversion metrics include percentage of contacted candidates who respond, percentage of respondents who schedule interviews, percentage of scheduled interviews that actually occur, and percentage of interviewed candidates who receive and accept offers.
Text recruiting typically improves conversion rates at multiple funnel stages. Interview attendance rates often increase by 15-30% when reminders are sent via text. Conversion from initial contact to completed application similarly improves when text makes the process easily accessible.
Segment-Specific Benchmarks
Performance varies across candidate segments, making segment-specific benchmarks essential. Early-career candidates and hourly workers typically demonstrate higher text engagement (response rates of 60-70%) than executive-level candidates (40-50% response rates). Geographic location, industry, and role type also influence performance.
Develop internal benchmarks based on your specific candidate populations rather than relying solely on industry averages. Track metrics separately for different job categories, experience levels, and sources.
8. Tools & Tech for Modern Text Recruiting
ATS & CRM Integrations
Integrating text messaging with your Applicant Tracking System or Candidate Relationship Management platform creates seamless workflows and ensures candidate data remains centralized. Native ATS texting capabilities or integrated third-party platforms allow recruiters to send texts directly from candidate records and automatically log text conversations.
Leading ATS platforms like Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, and Workday offer native texting functionality or certified integration partners. When evaluating integration options, consider whether the solution provides two-way messaging, whether conversation history is fully logged, and whether texting actions trigger appropriate workflow updates.
SMS Automation Platforms
Dedicated SMS automation platforms provide sophisticated capabilities beyond basic messaging, including drip campaigns, triggered sequences, personalization at scale, and advanced analytics. Platforms like Textline, TextRecruit, Sense, and Grayscale specialize in recruiting-specific text automation.
Key capabilities to evaluate include template libraries and customization options, scheduling and bulk sending functionality, personalization and merge field capabilities, conversation routing features, compliance management tools, and analytics dashboards.
AI & Chatbot Assistants
Artificial intelligence and chatbot technologies are increasingly embedded in text recruiting platforms, enabling sophisticated automation while maintaining conversational quality. AI-powered features include intelligent response suggestions, sentiment analysis that identifies candidate enthusiasm or concerns, conversation routing, and predictive engagement.
Chatbots can handle routine interactions like answering FAQs, providing application status updates, and collecting basic qualifying information, freeing recruiters to focus on relationship-building. However, transparency is critical—candidates should understand when they’re interacting with automation.
Multichannel Communication Stack
Text recruiting delivers maximum value when integrated into a comprehensive multichannel communication strategy. Candidates experience recruitment through multiple touchpoints—job ads, career sites, email, phone, text, and social media. Technology platforms that unify these channels into coherent candidate experiences create significant competitive advantages.
Integration with other recruitment technologies—video interviewing platforms, assessment tools, background check services, and onboarding systems—creates end-to-end workflows that reduce manual data entry and accelerate hiring velocity.
9. Emerging Trends in SMS Recruiting
AI-Assisted Messaging & Predictive Engagement
Artificial intelligence is transforming text recruiting from simple message delivery to intelligent, adaptive communication. Predictive engagement uses machine learning algorithms to analyze candidate behavior patterns and determine optimal timing, messaging, and outreach strategies for individual candidates.
Natural language processing enables AI systems to understand candidate intent and sentiment from text responses, automatically categorizing inquiries and detecting enthusiasm or hesitation. Generative AI tools are beginning to create candidate-specific outreach messages that reference specific details from resumes and applications.
Rich Media & Interactive SMS
Standard SMS text messages are limited to 160 characters and plain text, but newer messaging protocols enable richer experiences. Rich Communication Services (RCS) enables images, videos, interactive buttons, branded sender identification, and read receipts similar to popular messaging apps.
For recruiting, RCS creates opportunities to share visual content like workplace photos, employee testimonials, and visual job descriptions that text-only messages cannot convey. Interactive buttons enable candidates to schedule interviews or apply for positions through single taps rather than typing responses.
Voice-to-Text & Multilingual Support
Voice-to-text technologies that transcribe spoken messages into text are beginning to bridge text recruiting with voice communication preferences. Candidates who prefer speaking to typing can leave voice messages that are automatically transcribed and delivered as text to recruiters.
Multilingual support addresses the growing need to recruit diverse, global talent pools. Advanced translation capabilities automatically detect candidate language preferences and translate recruiting messages in real-time, enabling recruiters who speak only English to effectively communicate with candidates who prefer Spanish, Mandarin, or dozens of other languages.
10. Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Over-messaging & Too-Long Texts
The most frequent text recruiting mistake is excessive message frequency that overwhelms candidates and drives opt-outs. While email tolerance for frequent messages may be higher, text messaging feels more intrusive, and candidates react negatively to what they perceive as spam.
Establish clear frequency caps based on candidate stage and relationship strength. For initial outreach to cold candidates, limit messages to one or two per week maximum. Create messaging calendars that track all candidate touchpoints to avoid inadvertent over-messaging.
Message length similarly impacts candidate experience. Best practice suggests keeping recruiting texts concise—ideally under 300 characters. Messages that require scrolling feel burdensome and often go unread.
Generic Templates Without Personalization
Template-based efficiency is valuable, but sending obviously generic messages generates poor response rates. Candidates immediately recognize impersonal approaches that signal organizations view candidates as interchangeable.
Effective text recruiting requires balancing efficiency with personalization. At minimum, every message should include candidate first names and specific role titles. Better personalization references particular skills or experiences from candidate profiles. Technology enables personalization at scale through merge fields and conditional content.
Ignoring Candidate Preferences
Candidates have communication preferences that organizations too often ignore. Some explicitly state they prefer email or phone contact, yet continue receiving texts because recruiting systems don’t properly honor preference flags.
Build robust preference management systems that capture candidate communication preferences across channels and consistently honor those preferences. When candidates opt out of text communication, ensure that preference is respected system-wide.
11. FAQs
What should you NOT text to candidates?
Certain information should never be communicated via text messaging due to security, compliance, or appropriateness concerns. Never text sensitive personal information including Social Security numbers, detailed financial information, comprehensive medical information, or background check results containing sensitive details.
Avoid texting complex, nuanced feedback or detailed rejection explanations that benefit from conversational dialogue. While brief status updates via text are appropriate, comprehensive interview feedback should generally be delivered through phone calls or detailed emails.
Don’t text information that requires lengthy explanation or detailed review. Job offer details, benefits summaries, and complex policy information should be sent via email or document sharing platforms. Avoid texts during inappropriate hours (generally before 8 AM or after 9 PM) unless you have explicit permission.
How do you measure ROI on text recruiting?
Measuring text recruiting return on investment requires tracking both costs and benefits. Cost components include platform fees, SMS message costs, integration expenses, and staff time. Benefits manifest across multiple dimensions including time-to-hire reduction, response rate improvements, and quality of hire metrics.
If text recruiting reduces time-to-hire by 30%, recruiters can manage larger requisition loads, representing tangible value. Response rate improvements similarly enhance recruiter productivity—if text generates 60% response rates versus 15% for email, recruiters spend less time chasing candidates.
Organizations implementing text recruiting typically see 15-30% cost-per-hire reductions when time savings, improved efficiency, and reduced advertising spend are fully accounted for.
What response rates and timeframes should you expect?
Realistic expectations depend on message type, candidate relationship stage, industry, and role level. For initial cold outreach to passive candidates, expect response rates of 25-40%. Active job seekers who have applied typically respond at 50-70% rates. Interview reminders and scheduling messages generate 70-85% response rates.
Response timing for text messages averages 90 seconds to 3 minutes, with approximately 50% of all responses arriving within the first five minutes. If candidates haven’t responded within 24 hours, response likelihood drops significantly.
Response patterns vary by sending time, with late morning and early evening generating fastest responses and highest rates.
12. Conclusion
Text recruiting has evolved from experimental tactic to essential recruitment channel, fundamentally changing how organizations connect with talent in our mobile-first world. The evidence is compelling: response rates exceeding 95%, reply times measured in seconds rather than hours, and candidate experience improvements that strengthen employer brand.
Organizations that master text recruiting gain significant competitive advantages in attracting, engaging, and hiring talent. Success requires more than simply adding text messaging to your communication mix. It demands thoughtful strategy about when and how to use text, respect for candidate preferences and privacy, commitment to compliance and ethical communication practices, and continuous optimization based on performance data.
The templates and best practices outlined in this guide provide foundation, but effective text recruiting ultimately emerges from understanding your specific candidates, roles, and organizational culture, then adapting approaches to serve those unique contexts. Technology will continue advancing, bringing AI-powered personalization, rich media capabilities, and sophisticated automation. However, the fundamental principle remains constant: text recruiting succeeds when it serves candidate needs and preferences.
As you implement or refine text recruiting programs, commit to measurement and iteration. Establish baseline metrics, test different approaches, and continuously improve based on what your data reveals. Share learnings across your recruitment team and maintain focus on the ultimate goal: creating exceptional candidate experiences that attract outstanding talent to your organization.
