Communicating with employees throughout the year can be a tall task for HR departments. Whether it’s for recruiting or improving the open enrollment process, medium and large companies have a lot of challenges in their way. Texting can make this task easier because it can reach your entire employee base in minutes.
Here’s just a snapshot of the amazing benefits seen in recruitment, employee communications, and corporate benefits when SMS is implemented into a human resource department:
- Ensure all messages are seen through SMS, as 75% of emails are sent to spam.
- Text keywords help to speed up the recruitment process.
- Enable direct communication with prospects.
- Provide a discrete form of communication for the 70% of people that Glassdoor reports are already employed but looking for a job.
SMS for Employee Communications
- Increases read and response rates for company announcements.
- Most immediate form of communication for last minute meetings or announcements, as 90% of all texts are read within 3 minutes of delivery
- Ensure everyone has essential information for informed decisions in a timely manner. (98% read rate)
- Decrease confusion through reminders and simple messaging.
Save Time with Automated Text Messages:
Time-consuming tasks, such as coordinating interview times, providing paperwork, and sending notifications of deadlines can all be streamlined through automated text messaging for employee communications.
Keep Applicants Informed By Texting News and Information:
Sharing news and information with prospects will keep them eager to work with you. Send them relevant information based on the keyword they texted to keep applicants excited for everything your company has to offer.
Engage Applicants Through Two-Way SMS Communication:
The recruitment process often comes with questions, concerns, and scheduling conflicts that need to be handled in a timely manner. These issues are quickly resolved through two-way text messaging, where applicants and employers can ask questions and receive answers almost instantly.
Why Use Text Messaging for Recruitment?
An important aspect of any business is recruiting the most qualified candidates. Studies show that 70% of candidates would like to apply for open positions on their mobile devices. That's why you need to implement SMS to take your recruitment process to the next level.
Mobile Keywords Are Effective for Recruiting
So why should you use mobile keywords to recruit? Well, 70% of job seekers use mobile devices to consider their next career move and 23% of all keyword searches from mobile devices contain the word “job”.
Create Mobile Keywords for Job Openings:
Attract qualified applicants to your job openings by sharing keywords that describe each position. Allow applicants to text in your text keywords to be added to your contact database and receive text notifications of future job openings. Example: Use the mobile keyword “ACCOUNTANT” to segment your accounting recruits so you can send them relevant updates about accounting positions.
Get The Word Out:
Share keywords across multiple channels, such as on social media, company website, advertising collateral, and job search sites to reach the most candidates possible.
Invite Candidates To Text In For More Information:
Increase the value of your keywords by letting prospects know they will receive additional information and enter the application process once they text in. Depending on which keyword they opted in to, individuals will receive specific information and application directions through convenient SMS text messages.
Maintain Contact Through Texting:
Just because a candidate didn’t fit the position, that doesn’t mean they aren't perfect for another opportunity down the line. Give these candidates a second chance by scheduling monthly or quarterly texts with current open positions.
Increase Awareness of Open Enrollment with Mobile Keywords:
Effective human resource communication tools will help you to ultimately have a successful open enrollment period. Avoid the amazingly low read rate of 20% for emails by instead using text messaging, which has a 90% read rate within 3 minutes of delivery.
Quickly and cost-effectively share your open enrollment details by using mobile keywords, allowing employees to receive bulk text alerts that are read 98% of the time.
Minimize Time and Effort:
Traditional methods of sharing open enrollment dates and deadlines are proven to be expensive and time-consuming compared to text messaging for Open Enrollment.
Utilize Bulk Texts to Send Periodic Reminders:
By alerting employees prior to enrollment season through a mass text message, you will give them substantial time to evaluate their current plans and ask any questions before the open enrollment deadline.
Share Mobile Links to Open Enrollment Benefits in Group Texts:
Send out links to your open enrollment plans to your employees through text. This will allow them to discover each plan fully while alleviating a majority of the questions needed to be answered by your HR department and ensure they pick the optimal plan. And keep in mind that employees that are satisfied with their benefits are 4x more likely to be satisfied with their work.
Share Essential Policy Changes and Track Who Clicks Them
Any successful business will tell you that updating company policies is an essential part of maximizing employee productivity and satisfaction. Ensure your entire workforce has read your policy changes by sending text notifications with links to the new policies. The average click through rate for links in SMS messages stands at 19% which is much higher than the click through rate for traditional emails at 3.2%.
Are you interested in learning more about SMS for HR communication? Here's a White Paper on the benefits of text messaging for HR, including examples of how large companies like Coca-Cola, Lockton, and Fluor are effectively using texting today.
