By Saurabh Kumar · November 21, 2024
Job seekers usually wait for that phone call from the company in which they are interested in working for them to receive an interview offer. Some companies are advancing beyond phone calls and integrating text-to-apply in recruitment efforts.
What Is Text-to-Apply Technology?

Text-to-apply technology is normalizing job seekers completing job applications on their smartphones. It involves a recruitment representative utilizing the software to send out mass messages to active and passive job seekers with information about a job and a call to action to build a candidate profile.
Then, the AI chatbot will step in to finish building the candidate profile before providing the link to the application for the job seeker to complete during their time.
High-volume hiring campaigns integrate text-to-apply in recruitment technology to streamline hiring steps and reduce the administrative burden on recruitment personnel. By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), natural language processing (NLP), and machine learning (ML), text-to-apply technology streamlines the application process while making it user-friendly.
This feature is usually integrated into an applicant tracking system (ATS), which is a technology that centralizes hiring activities into one platform.
1. Faster Candidate Engagement
Text-to-apply software expedites candidate engagement during the hiring process. Text messages are engaged about 95% of the time whereas emails only get about 20% engagement. For some job seekers, going on a laptop or desktop and filling out lengthy forms can cause them to not want to seek an opportunity after all.
By initiating a mass text to active and passive candidates, they can answer questions with an AI chatbot to build their candidate profile. This profile includes name, date of birth, address, and other personal identifiers. Once a job seeker finishes collaborating with the AI chatbot to build the candidate profile, they will receive a text message containing a link to the application. The candidate can fill out the application at any time that’s convenient for them now that it’s in their text messages.
2. Improved Candidate Experience
According to Aptitude Research, about 65% of job seekers did not receive consistent communications from companies in which they submitted applications. This staggering statistic showcases the need to improve the candidate experience to enhance hiring outcomes across various industries.
Streamlining the application process with text-to-apply software improves the candidate experience exponentially. Candidates are more likely to complete their applications if they have a user-friendly interface, especially optimization for mobile devices. The text-to-apply option is a candidate-centric focused technology with ease of usage and proven results in expediting high-volume hiring procedures.
Reducing redundancies in the application process and refining the application to be easy to complete will lower candidate drop-off rates and heighten application volume. A smoother application experience for candidates directly leads to better recruitment outcomes.
3. Real-Time Communication and Updates

High-volume recruitment requires expeditious real-time communication and updates from the recruiters to the candidates. Once a candidate finishes an application, there should be a text message sent immediately to confirm receipt of the application. Make it a priority to reach out to highly qualified candidates within one to two weeks after application submission to schedule an interview. This should be the same time frame that is exhausted before sending a thank you note to candidates who were not selected as new hires.
Consistent communication should be maintained for candidates whether they are onboarded or denied a job. While sometimes sending a personalized note to every candidate not onboarded may not be possible in a high-volume hiring scenario, even an automated message thanking the applicant for their time could make for a better candidate experience.
4. Simplified Screening and Qualification Procedures
Text-to-apply software does more than increase application volume; it also simplifies and hastens efficient screening and qualification procedures. After application submission, the text-to-apply software can text the job seeker pre-screening questions to decide whether or not they are qualified for the position.
For high-volume hiring efficiency, this streamlined screening process saves time while nurturing the critical touchpoints during recruitment procedures, which hastens hiring overall. This strategy also effectively filters out unqualified candidates while bringing qualified applicants to the forefront.
Utilizing text-to-apply in recruitment technology also provides timely updates throughout the hiring process due to its refined communication channels. Candidates can receive text messages about the confirmation of their application submission, receive text reminders about upcoming interviews, and application status updates, which all keep candidates engaged. Consistent communication contributes to an enhanced candidate experience and reduces drop-offs. These strategic communication tactics make for more organized, sufficient, and transparent recruitment procedures.
5. Boost Application Conversion Rates
One of the main challenges of high-volume hiring is boosting application conversion rates while managing candidate drop-off rates. Application conversion rates relate to the percentage of candidates that complete an application after showcasing an interest in an open requisition. Higher conversion rates mean that the application process is user-friendly and manageable to complete for candidates while maintaining candidate interest and engagement.
Application portals should be easy to navigate and the forms should be succinct without redundant or extra steps in the process. Text-to-apply software makes the application process easier to complete so candidates are less likely to drop off in the middle of it.
Hence, text-to-apply technology can enhance a company’s talent pool effectively so there are more candidates to choose from during the selection process.
According to Recruiter, about 68% of candidates aged 18 to 25 utilize their smartphones for virtual job hunting. Text-to-apply technology ensures a more accessible and flexible application experience for all candidates. This means companies can access a broader talent pool because of the many individuals who prefer to apply for jobs over their mobile devices rather than desktops or laptops.
Conclusion
We hope you learned more about the tactics on how to speed up hiring with text-to-apply in recruitment. This technology increases application accessibility, hastens application submissions, and enhances candidate engagement while boosting application conversion rates. All these benefits are the reason you should try text-to-apply software integrated into ATS technology.
Cadient can be the solution your company needs for a streamlined interview process. Contact us today for more information!