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Text-Based Recruiting: Could It Really Work for Your Middle TN Business?

That little smart phone in your hand? It could be the next big thing in interviewing.

Skeptical?

Let’s take a look at a few statistics:

People love texting, and many HR professionals and recruiters already use texting to communicate with candidates. But a text-based interview? That’s absurd, right?

Well, it’s actually a lot more feasible than you might think. Dr. John Sullivan, an internationally known HR thought-leader, recently wrote an interesting article explaining why texting could be the next great frontier in interviewing. Here are some of the benefits he describes in his article:

  • Better quality of hire. Face-to-face interviews during work hours are quite stressful on candidates (particularly if they’re employed). Texting interviews can be conducted without candidates having to leave work, which likely means that interviewees will perform better. And, unlike with video and telephone interviews, candidates don’t have to worry about the distractions of background noise. Finally, text-based interviews are attractive to busy, high-performing, passive candidates who aren’t interested in “jumping through hoops” for a screening interview. A better pool of candidates + less stressful interview conditions = better interview performance, and ultimately, a better quality of hire.
  • Accelerated hiring. Because most Americans carry their phones 24/7, text interviews are much easier to schedule than face-to-face interviews. Employers can even conduct more than one text interview at the same time, if they’re so inclined. Removing scheduling bottlenecks can dramatically reduce time-to-hire.
  • Written transcript of the interview. Unlike spoken interviews, text-based conversations are stored on the employers phone. Busy hiring managers can pose questions via text, and then go back to carefully review candidates’ responses when it’s most convenient for them. As an added benefit, interviewers can forward recorded information to other internal stakeholders, without them having to re-interview candidates.
  • Easier to cut losses. Because they’re so uncommon, candidates have no expectation of how long a text-based interview may last. So, if they aren’t going well, interviewers can easily cut them short, without the awkwardness.
  • Reduced likelihood of bias. Text-based interviews minimize many factors that contribute to unconscious hiring bias. With no incoming information about appearance, mannerisms or voice, interviewers make decisions based solely on answers provided.

With all of these advantages, are in-person interviews dead? Absolutely not. Text-based interviews will never completely replace face-to-face interviews, but they could become a valuable tool in your recruiting arsenal to shorten cycle time, reduce bias and increase efficiency.

Hiring?

Trust your search to Wood Personnel. With decades of experience recruiting the region’s finest talent, our Murfreesboro employment agency can connect you with great people quickly and cost-effectively – even in today’s tight employment market.

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