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WORKPLACE EVOLUTION

Why Managers Should Start Texting Job Candidates

A new survey from Yello reveals that the best way to find and hire young talent is through their phone.

Why Managers Should Start Texting Job Candidates

[Photo: StockSnap via Pixabay]

BY Lydia Dishman1 minute read

Now that graduation season is upon us, employers may see a surge of applicants vying for entry-level positions. And while there’s tons of advice for job seekers on how to stand out among a sea of candidates, a new survey by Yello, a talent recruiting software company, found that there are some aspects of the hiring process that companies could stand to improve.

The report, taken from a survey of 1,461 young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 who were either currently employed or had accepted full-time or internship offers, found that mobile phones are one of the most useful tools for the interviewing and hiring process.

Text messages, for example, may be the unsung hero of the communication loop. Yello’s survey data indicates respondents would welcome getting a text from a business, particularly because they’re so used to responding quickly to text messages. The report shows that 86% of those surveyed felt positively when text messages were used during the interview period, an increase from 79% in 2016.

More candidates are happy to do video interviews in lieu of traveling to meet hiring managers in person. For the second year in a row, three out of every four candidates said they appreciate the use of video technology in their process.

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The most important thing for companies wanting to hire up-and-coming talent is speed. It’s no surprise candidates don’t want to wait too long to hear back from a potential employer and will try a number of ways to nudge the decision-making process along. Yello’s survey found that 74% of respondents turned down another opportunity because of a delayed offer, up from 69% last year.

As such, the report’s authors underscore: “Make sure that open positions, as well as culture and benefits information, are available to millennial and gen Z audiences where they are and when they are searching.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lydia Dishman is the senior editor for Growth & Engagement for fastcompany.com. She has written for CBS Moneywatch, Fortune, The Guardian, Popular Science, and the New York Times, among others More


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