SMS Marketing for Recruitment Agencies in 2018

January is typically a time of year when people are in the market for new jobs and opportunities, with many making it their New Year’s Resolution to find a new job or make a long-awaited career change. In addition, the tighter economy is forcing more and more people to seek better incomes and greater stability, whilst at the same time, there is more demand than ever from employers. All things considered, 2018 is set to be a busy year for recruitment agencies – and SMS Marketing could play a key role in making it a success. We look at the how and why SMS Marketing should feature prominently in your strategy this year.

2018 – an employment boom?

Although there has been a lot of speculation surrounding the issue of Brexit and how this might affect the economy, it appears that Britain’s employment market is looking stronger than ever and all the evidence indicates that the demand for both jobs and candidates in the UK will be higher than ever. Government research has indicated that optimism within the workforce is also at an all-time high, whilst leading recruitment agency Hays reports that 95% of employers expect activity to increase in the next twelve months, with at least 75% expecting to recruit new staff. In addition, they report shortages in skills and high competition to add to what is set to be an exciting boom in the employment sector, and recruitment agencies could be the biggest winners, especially if they have access to the right talent to satisfy the huge demands in the market.

Why should recruiters choose SMS Marketing?

With Millennials and Generation-Z accounting for such a large proportion of the employment market, it might seem at first glance that the latest technology is the obvious approach to managing candidate relationships. However, it is the very fact that these individuals use technology-driven that helps SMS Marketing to stand out.

Although statistics indicate that the majority of personal communication between these key groups of individuals now takes place via popular live messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, users are significantly less responsive to alerts from these platforms than SMS alerts – which typically get acknowledged within seconds. Even today, SMS carries a sense of urgency that encourages recipients to read and respond in real time, making it ideal for time-sensitive communications – such as highly competitive vacancies and key stages in the recruitment process.

SMS Marketing is also far superior to the traditional email approach for several reasons. Firstly, with so much spam to filter out and such a constant barrage of emails reaching the typical inbox, it is easy for users to overlook email communications, or simply to find them when it is too late and the window of opportunity has expired. SMS messaging, on the other hand, is generally used much more sparingly so your likelihood of getting the message seen when it needs to be seen is much greater. Also, the younger generations are more mobile than ever and whilst they have garnered a reputation as technology addicts, the smartphone has replaced the computer as their main hub for connectivity – and this is where you are most likely to reach them. Wherever your candidate happens to be, SMS Marketing allows you to instantly put a message into the palm of their hand, and with support for clickable links, it is easy to initiate the entire process via the handset, making the process incredibly comfortable and convenient for the mobile generations.

How can recruitment agencies use SMS Marketing effectively?

There are many scenarios within the recruitment process that lend themselves perfectly to SMS Marketing. Here are some suggestions:

Alerts – Let your candidates know (simultaneously) when there is a new position available that they’re suited for.

Scheduling – Use two-way SMS to schedule a time for a phone call or an interview without exchanging voicemails.

Interviews – Send details of where, when and with whom interviews are taking place as well as reminders the day before.

Updates – Send your candidates timely updates during the application process to keep them informed at all times.

Job listings – Include links to full job listings or online applications & assessments for candidates to complete.

Feedback – After an interview, automatically gather feedback from candidates on the suitability of the position

Can I integrate SMS Marketing with my recruitment CRM?

One of the most attractive SMS Marketing features that fastsms offers recruitment agencies is a seamless, out of the box API integration with all the leading recruitment CRM software packages. Amongst recruitment agencies, two of the most highly used integrations are AdaptUX and itris.

“Delivered via the cloud or OnPremise, AdaptUX is a powerful recruitment software system providing the ultimate user experience. AdaptUX is the central hub of all recruitment activity, simplifying processes and providing consultancies of all sizes with cutting-edge tools; enabling recruiters to be as effective as possible and gain the competitive advantage.”

“itris is the benchmark for recruitment software, providing recruitment consultancies of all sizes with the optimum tools and features to manage their businesses and confidently plan future success.”

With our powerful API and free access to developer support and documentation, we can get your SMS Marketing integrated regardless of the platform you use.

How do I learn more?

To find out more about how our competitively priced business bulk SMS Messaging bundles can help your recruitment agency to grow in 2018, give our award-winning team of experts a call now on 0800 954 5305. We’ll be happy to talk you through every aspect of SMS Marketing, as well as discuss your specific CRM integration needs in more detail.