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Managers Should Start Texting Job Candidates, Says Study (fastcompany.com) 155

Posted by msmash from the changing-habits dept.
From a report: A new survey by Yello, a talent recruiting software company, has 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.
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Managers Should Start Texting Job Candidates, Says Study More

Managers Should Start Texting Job Candidates, Says Study

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  • Millenials (Score:3)

    by tattood ( 855883 ) on Thursday May 04, 2017 @03:29PM (#54356377)
    Its not surprising that the Millennials, who spend a lot of their time texting on their phones, like to be contacted by texts.

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by RabidReindeer ( 2625839 )

      So is this age discrimination?

      Because I usually only see the text alerts at the end of the day when I plug my phone in to charge.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by EvilSS ( 557649 )

      Its not surprising that the Millennials, who spend a lot of their time texting on their phones, like to be contacted by texts.

      Not just millennials. I am very much not a millennial and I much prefer text over voice calls most of the time, especially for business. It forces people to be brief, and I can decide how urgent it is and respond appropriately.

    • To me, a text message is good for short conversations that require intermediate speed response.

      If you want me to drop everything I do and talk to you, call me, but in some cases (say, I'm driving) I may be unable to answer, then I'll call you back as soon as I can, hopefully you will be able to answer then. This is OK if what you need to talk about only has value in that instant or you really need a fast response from me r you need a confirmation that I have received the info.

      If you want to tell me somethin

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by boskone ( 234014 )

        The other thing that email is UNIQUELY great at is for having more than a few bytes of info.

        Great, you're hired.

        OK, sure, that could be text or call or email, but WtF are the next steps?

        Employment packet? Call Tim in HR to schedule your background check? What's his number again, here, let me find a pencil and write that down

        or send me a fucking email with the info I need.

        again, fine if some people want to hear via text they got it or not, but even the text would need to include "look for an email with de

        • No, I do not want to have a long conversation via SMS too. However, I may not be able to check my email very often (maybe my current job is away from a PC or I do not have a job and am doing something away from a PC), but I would like to be notified of the answer faster than the next time I check my email.

          After receiving the SMS, I would find some paper and a pen and would call back to ask for the additional information or check my email for it.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          I'm not a millennial but I'll take text over phone call. I get bombarded by calls whenever I update my profiles, most of them during work time. On the rare occasion I answer the other person is either on an unintelligible VOIP line or the job is bullshit. Most of them can't read ether, so rarely take into account my requirements. What part of "not on the Brexit zone (excluding Scotland)" is unclear?

          Email is best, easiest to ignore.

    • The part I don't understand is, "Managers should." This seems a bit like an underpants gnome exercise, with backwards phrasing. Underpants yoda, I guess.

      In other news, 83% of surveyed professionals said they would feel positive about being assigned a private business jet, and 92% would feel positive about being given a free car. Only 7% had positive feelings about receiving a pony as a signing bonus.

      98% of managers felt positive about hiring employees who read and comprehended the contact instructions in th

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by zifn4b ( 1040588 )

      Its not surprising that the Millennials, who spend a lot of their time texting on their phones, like to be contacted by texts.

      Meanwhile, Gen X likes to be contacted via ICQ or AOL Instant Messenger but the Millenials, who are attempting to hire them, don't understand what either of those things are. The struggle is real!

      • Some of us (older) gen-xers prefer to use complete sentences, so email or (gasp!) paper also works.

  • Hai u haz job? (Score:5, Funny)

    by zifn4b ( 1040588 ) on Thursday May 04, 2017 @03:29PM (#54356385)

    Hai u haz job? I haz i wud lik to offr u, u intersted?

    Or u could just go straight to the employer equivalent of Tinder. Ideal candidates will have exceptional rap battle skillz.

  • I guess I'm officially old now. (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I just think this sounds ridiculous. I text my buddy to see if he saw that awesome goal on TV. I'm not interested in getting texts from companies in any way, shape, or form - employment related or otherwise.

    • I just think this sounds ridiculous.

      I'm allegedly a millennial (at least of the "Oregon Trail" generation), and I concur.

      You know what every single person with a text-message-capable smartphone also has? A fucking phone! One that he can make a phone call with, and have a conversation with the interviewer using his voice! It's shocking, I know, but it's true!

      • And the bright side of this - if you leave a voicemail when they don't answer, you can weed out the people who don't check their voicemail.

        • And the bright side of this - if you leave a voicemail when they don't answer, you can weed out the people who don't check their voicemail.

          Or anyone who didn't call within 15 minutes of a job posting appearing on Indeed.com.

          • That just proves desperation - not always a good quality in an employee (or that they spend all day at work surfing Indeed.com).

            • That just proves desperation - not always a good quality in an employee (or that they spend all day at work surfing Indeed.com).

              I've gotten a half-dozen interviews that way. Alternatively, if a recruiter calls you and you don't call back in 15 minutes, some won't consider you for a position because you weren't "prompt" enough.

              • Re: (Score:1)

                by Anonymous Coward

                That just proves desperation - not always a good quality in an employee (or that they spend all day at work surfing Indeed.com).

                I've gotten a half-dozen interviews that way. Alternatively, if a recruiter calls you and you don't call back in 15 minutes, some won't consider you for a position because you weren't "prompt" enough.

                With that attitude they probably weren't worth calling back anyway.

                • With that attitude they probably weren't worth calling back anyway.

                  You wouldn't know until you called them back. Some recruiters think unemployed people just sit around waiting for the phone to ring. When I'm doing an active job searching, I'm tracking of 32 calls and emails each day.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Wulf2k ( 4703573 )

        Why would somebody willingly engage in a game of phone tag?

        I'd rather die of dysentery.

        Well, maybe not die. But at least get really sick from.

      • You know what else somebody with a smartphone has with them? Email. You can haz whole words!

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by dbIII ( 701233 )
        Yes I heard someone do an interview by phone on a bus - I think that kind of sucked for both parties and the large audience was also visibly disgusted that there was a bit of nepotism in the mix.
        Sometimes setting up a time works better than just trying to do it on the fly.

      • You know what every single person with a text-message-capable smartphone also has? A fucking phone! One that he can make a phone call with, and have a conversation with the interviewer using his voice! It's shocking, I know, but it's true!

        But from an HR/interviewer's point of view it's far quicker and easier to get an unpaid intern send out a bunch of "soz u r not hrd" texts, rather than having a well paid professional spend all day on the phone listening to sob stories about how people were depending on the job to feed their bed-ridden mother, etc.

        This is about companies saving money.

        • You know what's even faster than that? E-mail. Paste the rejected candidates' addresses into the BCC field and you're done.

          (There are ways to send SMS to multiple recipients at once too, but as far as I know they're less ubiquitously available. Also, copying and pasting on phones sucks.)

  • More ways to shoot yourself in the foot (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Austerity Empowers ( 669817 ) on Thursday May 04, 2017 @03:32PM (#54356405)

    With reddit full of auto-correct errors ranging from lewd to obscene, I cannot imagine the already stressful process of interviewing will be enhanced with the frustration of texting.

    • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Thank you for contacting me about this opportunity. I promise I will beat a harp worker for you.

      *beat a harp worker

      *BE A HARP WORKER

      *HARD, HARD, DUCKING AUTOCORRECT!

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by mjwx ( 966435 )

        Thank you for contacting me about this opportunity. I promise I will beat a harp worker for you.

        *beat a harp worker

        *BE A HARP WORKER

        *HARD, HARD, DUCKING AUTOCORRECT!

        This must be an Iphone thing. I never get such incorrect texts on my Nexus 5x. Also if I write fucking, it prints fucking.

        Typed this out on my Nexus 5x. HTML is a pain in the arse.

  • Codding childrens needs. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by geekmux ( 1040042 ) on Thursday May 04, 2017 @03:42PM (#54356473)

    "...a survey of 1,461 young adults between the ages of 18 and 30...found that mobile phones are one of the most useful tools for the interviewing and hiring process"

    Translation: 1,461 young adults admit they can't live without their mobile phone, and prefer it as the tool for communicating, regardless if it's for an interview or a Tinder hook-up.

    I wonder how these young adults would feel if they got fired via text message. Oh, suddenly that would be rude and impersonal? Yeah, not unlike wanting to be hired via text message.

    "More candidates are happy to do video interviews in lieu of traveling to meet hiring managers in person."

    I can understand if a company is having a difficult time filling a position being open to a bit more flexibility when hiring, but this kind of pandering and coddling to the social-media texting generation is rather pathetic. You want the job bad enough? Then make an effort to get off your ass and go meet the human hiring you in fucking person.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Not to mention actually SEEING the work environ before you accept an offer can be as enlightening as the interview itself... I'm old and only had to jump 8 or so jobs at most in my career because I made fucking sure I'd like the place before accepting... but hey, wtf would I know right??

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by WDot ( 1286728 )
      I'm in the age range and I've never personally requested a Skype interview, but it's common now from what I see. It's a convenience because the company doesn't have to fly me out and pay for my food and hotel.

      As for texting, yes I would like to be texted information about the current status of the hiring process. Or emailed. Honestly, 9/10 phone calls I get these days are spam. I regularly communicate with my friends through text messages rather than calling them up on the phone. It's quiet, convenient,
    • They must be having a difficult time hiring if they are "companies wanting to hire up-and-coming talent" (from TFA) instead of simply hiring proven talent.

    • Re:Codding childrens needs. (Score:5, Interesting)

      by chispito ( 1870390 ) on Thursday May 04, 2017 @04:29PM (#54356821)
      As someone who's slightly outside of that demographic, I'd appreciate the text because it lets me move the process forward without announcing to all the coworkers in a 50 foot radius that I'm job hunting.

    • I can understand if a company is having a difficult time filling a position being open to a bit more flexibility when hiring, but this kind of pandering and coddling to the social-media texting generation is rather pathetic. You want the job bad enough? Then make an effort to get off your ass and go meet the human hiring you in fucking person.

      Actually, being able to video conference in with the hiring manager is a boon when the hiring manager is at the other end of the state or across the country. It isn'

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      When was the last time you were job searching? The standard procedure now is initial contact via email, followed by a screener call with an HR person. This is followed by 1-2 remote interviews with a manager or someone else from the team you're applying for. I use 'remote' because this is usually on the phone, but it is extremely common for it to be a video chat on Skype, Hangouts, or Webex. If it's a technical job it usually involves some sort of coding test in a shared document of some sort.

      After all tha

    • Re: Codding childrens needs. (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Millennials: Wouldn't it be easier if you just contacted me directly through the device I carry with me everywhere just like most normal people nowadays?
      Angry, confused baby boomer: YOU'RE SO ENTITLED. IN MY DAY WE DIDN'T HAVE PHONES SO YOU SHOULDN'T EITHER. COMMUNICATING EFFICIENTLY TRIGGERS ME.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by mx+b ( 2078162 )

      Translation: 1,461 young adults admit they can't live without their mobile phone, and prefer it as the tool for communicating, regardless if it's for an interview or a Tinder hook-up.

      I wonder how these young adults would feel if they got fired via text message. Oh, suddenly that would be rude and impersonal? Yeah, not unlike wanting to be hired via text message.

      The linked article never said anything about rude or impersonal, where did you get that? It just said the phone is most convenient, and that's kind of a 'duh', isn't it? Not just texts, but email and websites can be accessed by mobile phone, at any time.Of course people are going to say they prefer that to sitting around at home staring at a landline or PC waiting for the call/email. I'm sure people in the '90s were saying "These young people can't live without their internet and email, why can't they just

    • I suspect, more likely, the companies don't want to spend money on bringing a candidate in for an interview until the very end. Many things are phrased like it's convenient for employees and potential employees but it's mostly for the convenience of the company. Which is fine, but a bit of honesty would be nice. But I'd like to see where I'd be living, the environment in which I would be working, and so on.

  • txt job to jobline to find jobs in your area
    txt cmd to jobline for help on to use our sms job app and hr chat system.

    Each SMS costs 99 cents + your standard rate.

    txt stop to jobline to stop.

  • Revenue idea (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    All the phone numbers gathered from unsuccessful candidates will be sold to data mining firms that specialize in marketing to people who are searching for jobs. This will help offset the cost of the interview process.

  • What's wrong with email? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by fred6666 ( 4718031 ) on Thursday May 04, 2017 @03:48PM (#54356515)

    Not being limited to 140 characters, being able to reply from a PC with a real keyboard sounds like real advantages. No reason to still use SMS in 2017, but even less for job hiring.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by antdude ( 79039 )

      Ditto. SMS is so informal and limited. :(

    • I don't know, but many companies don't even bother to send confirmations/denials by email, I cannot imagine they'd be any better at doing so with SMS.

    • Top posting is what's wrong with e-mail.

      How the hell are you supposed to reply to someone who top-posts?

      Whenever I need to converse with a top-poster, I keep deleting the old fully quoted messages the top-poster's email client left, and it gets old really quick and I lose a stupid amount of context with that act.

  • Fuck texts (Score:4, Insightful)

    by bigdavex ( 155746 ) on Thursday May 04, 2017 @03:49PM (#54356519)

    I hate texts. I hate that some people think that texts imply urgency for my reply. I hate that I do not receive them on my computer. I hate that I cannot search through very old texts. Texts are just email only shitty.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by antdude ( 79039 )

      Ditto. I hate texting and yet everyone wants to use it. They hate e-mails, IMs, IRC, etc. :(

    • ... I hate that I do not receive them on my computer. ... Texts are just email only shitty.

      Buy a Mac, and you'll get texts on both your computer and phone.

      Kids prefer texts partially because they believe they are not logged. They are. They are legal documents, just like emails.

      And never respond to an out-of-hours text from the boss – unless it comes with some overtime pay.

  • I guess I will be showing my age here... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ControlsGeek ( 156589 ) on Thursday May 04, 2017 @03:51PM (#54356539)

    But for my first real job I was invited to the interview (and physical exam) by telegram.

    • Is your age 112?

    • But for my first real job I was invited to the interview (and physical exam) by telegram.

      So why did Mr. Edison decide to hire you?

    • wait... Telegram as in the old style messaging system? Or Telegram as in the chat program?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by WallyL ( 4154209 )

        When I read GP's message, I truly was thinking of the chat program. I thought to myself, "He's... my age?" It took me a few additional seconds to realize he must mean the real, telegraph wire system.

    • Owww poor little baby http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tec... [telegraph.co.uk]
  • There are legal issues with offers and other job interview related functions. Usually retention rules on offers and communications, HR signoff, Finance signoff, etc. So this would be limited to "is next tuesday good for the interview?" and that's about it.

    • If you're scared to retain documents related to your hiring practices, you're doing it wrong.

      If you're doing it right, those documents all cover your ass!

  • just give me sex

  • If I'm not worth it to send me a reply that doesn't fit into a fucking Tweet, I guess you can't really want me that badly.

  • When I was working seven days a week for two years after the Great Recession, I upgraded my voice-only cellphone for a generic smartphone that got email and Internet access. That was quite useful as drove back and forth across Silicon Valley for contract assignments. The only problem that I had with generic smartphone that it would occasionally butt call my boss and I would hear his voice coming out of my ass.

  • It shows how responsible I am

    Also using abbreviations that can be easily misconstrued, and workplace invalid emojis.

    "It's So Fluffy!!!!"

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Wulf2k ( 4703573 )

      ...So, don't?

      Or do.

      If that's the sort of thing you're going to do, it's best they find out at the beginning of this process rather than some time after.

  • If the applicant can't handle the hiring process, then maybe they aren't worth hiring. If the applicant is in demand, then they'll be hired regardless of what you do.

    • If the applicant can't handle the hiring process, then maybe they aren't worth hiring.

      I have a zero tolerance for recruiters and hiring managers who waste my time. If I arrive 15 minutes early, announced my presence and nothing happens 15 minutes after the start of the appointment, I'll leave. The only exception to this rule would be if I've drove out of my way for an interview. One time I sat in a lobby for 90 minutes because the hiring manager thought I was a venture capitalist and wasn't expecting me to be dressed up in a suit-and-tie. I was better dressed than the CEO. Unbelievable.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Wulf2k ( 4703573 )

        You sat there 90 minutes without identifying yourself?

        • You sat there 90 minutes without identifying yourself?

          There was no receptionist and only a phone in the lobby. I left a voicemail for the hiring manager. He wore a sweat suit and came through three times. The recruiter kept calling to ask where the hell I was. Finally, on the fourth walkthrough, he talked to me. Everyone in the company thought I was a venture capitalist. That was last interview I wore a suit and tie.

          • I remember a study that they did in my area where they had business people meet with different actors impersonating business people, and then they gave them a survey about it. People in traditional business suits were viewed as untrustworthy. People in business-casual scored pretty well.

            But the highest scoring outfit was blazer + tie + blue jeans + dress shoes. This is in the Pacific Northwest.

            A similar study in California blue jeans scored really low, and blazer + tie + slacks + dress casual shoes scored a

  • is not always good for the gander.

    Sure, Millennials love to be able to ignore the world by sticking their nose in their phone, to the exclusion of all else (including oncoming traffic), but what manager in their right mind would ever interview someone by text, or hire someone without meeting them face to face?

    A conversation that takes two minutes face to face will take days by text, because you can only reliable get most people to answer a single question per exchange, and half the time, it won't be any of

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Wulf2k ( 4703573 )

      Nobody said the entire interview was through text.

      It's likely much simpler to text somebody and arrange an interview than it is to call, leave a voicemail, wait for their call, possibly to your voicemail, and so on. Or do both. Call, and if it goes to voicemail, send a text as well. They'll read the text before listening to the voicemail, and can respond immediately if they're on a bus or grocery shopping, rather than waiting for later to listen to their voicemail.

      Of course, I don't see professional text

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Kjella ( 173770 )

      A conversation that takes two minutes face to face will take days by text, because you can only reliable get most people to answer a single question per exchange, and half the time, it won't be any of the questions asked. That's normal in text and email. Do that in person, and the interviewer will begin to question your mental health. Do that on the job, and you won't be on the job for long. Identifying people who are incapable of doing the job is the whole point of the interview.

      This sounds the exact opposite of my experience, what ought to be a ten minute effective time, three hour wall time email exchange instead becomes a one hour long meeting. I'd appreciate any employee who can get their own thoughts together and give some coherent request or response in their own time instead of scheduling a meeting with no clear agenda, arrive unprepared and spend five people's time getting their rambling thoughts together on the fly. Granted, not everything can be solved like that but the e

  • From TFS:

    "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."

    How are those two phrases actually related? It's like saying "He is quite tall, particularly because his favorite color is blue."

  • I would love to be able to work with people who don't text. This would automatically filter out places with those people.
  • Really? An interview candidate "felt positively" if they would get texted?
    They'd "feel positively" if they got paid 50 hours of work and only have to show up 2 days also.
    Grow up, it isn't about how you feel. Work hard, do a good job, receive recognition for skills and accomplishments. Get raises, move up the food chain...
    Or we can sit in circle holding hands and sharing our childhood insecurities....bwahahahaha
    Actually, I just don't want people to have my cell number...

  • FTS:

    More candidates are happy to do video interviews in lieu of traveling to meet hiring managers in person.

    Really?

    Hiring someone with advanced training is a $300k to $1M decision (BS to PhD). What company would rely on a video-recorded interview to vet candidates on such a major decision?

    Hiring is a major decision in other ways, too. Fit with local and company culture, and myriad other qualities that you can't suss-out without a day or two face-to-face.

  • then im all for it. What a useless industry....

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

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