We’ve all had that feeling of annoyance as someone tries to call us first rather than email or text to arrange if a call if it is necessary. This gut feeling has been changing the way we communicate steadily as technology has advanced, it can be seen from studies that average monthly voice minutes has steadily decreased and average monthly texting has doubled; especially amongst the millennial generation. 

So, what is the cause for this steady abhorrence to telephone conversations in preference to text or instant messaging? The main consensus over numerous studies is that people find phone calls obtrusive and less personal, in that as the caller you are valuing your time over the recipient of the call. The feeling of not being in control of their reply, their to-do list and due to the respect for their time when someone texts them over calling they feel more valued. This element of value and respect is important not just for daily life, but also when companies are approaching recruitment.

Control

Give the control back to candidates when it comes to their applications. Through messaging rather than phoning, you can remind them in an unobtrusive way about their progress. This provides candidates with the control to read back any information provided in a convenient manner that they control. Whilst texting may not be the most common format, but messaging via email or live chat will give the candidate that same feeling of control. This, in turn, will increase their respect and value for your company if they feel they have control over their application, that the communications lines are open but not in the obtrusive way of only telephone calls. From this increase in control, candidates may perform better and provide more qualified information on themselves as they have time to read and respond at their pace; allowing you as a business to make more qualified hires.

Value

Messaging candidates over calling them allows them to feel more valued. Understanding that candidates may have varied and busy lives is at the heart of why messaging should trump calls when recruiting. It is creating a more humane connection in the initial stages with a candidate that will increase their happiness, advocacy of the company and provide them with a great candidate experience. At some point, a phone call may be necessary as part of the interview process or to arrange more finite details; however, taking time to message all initial communications and setting up a time when the candidate feels they are ready for a call will really provide them with a positive experience. Therefore, when initially contacting candidates, doing so via instant messaging or emails will make them feel more valued and increase positivity felt for your company. 

Personal

Many millennials feel that it is much more personal to send an instant message than to have a phone call. As stated before - messaging increases feelings of value and control, this will, in turn, increase the feeling that this choice is personalized towards the candidate to take into account their schedules, preferences and allow them choices with their application. This personal element is critical when recruiting as it has been stated many candidates feel that recruiting experiences aren't personal enough, they are aimed at masses rather than treating them as an individual. Moving from telephone calls to messaging could be a very simple way to increase positive candidate experience and make the experience feel much more personal to each individual candidate. 

From the recent studies into messaging over talking, where 76% of Millenials prefer receiving messages over calls, due to convenience, respect, and control; it is important to consider this in your recruiting strategy. Simply changing your messaging tactics could result in happier candidates and more qualified leads. Since messaging is more time consuming for recruiters, investing in messaging software, such as jobpal, could provide the type of messaging millennial candidates want and result in better hires! It's time to change the way your company messages and increase your candidate experience today.