June 27, 2006 at 6:42 pm · Authored by Ewan · Filed under People, SMS

I have been pondering why so many recruiters don’t use text messaging.  It really does wind me up.  For me, it seems like a nirvana proposition: the recruiter can get his message through to a candidate privately and immediately — and can get an answer sent back by the candidate with the same speed and privacy.

Sure, there are times when the recruiter needs to speak to the candidate — but once the introductions have been done and the ball is in play, why, why, WHY the incessant need to connect with a candidate audibly?  I see it all the time, particularly with family and friends swapping jobs.  There are missed calls galore.  In fact some of my family members use me as the ‘base’ — recruitment calls often go through me because they’re usually in meetings and I tend to usually have much more of a flexible work schedule. 

Now and again I gently suggest something like, ‘……….er… well you could TEXT him?’

That’s immediately discounted.  IMEDIATELY.  

So do you know what happens? The recruitment person gets disappointed, hangs up and sits staring at the wall. Meantime I text my brother or whoever saying ‘XXX called?’

They’ll then text right back saying ‘In meeting with boss, will call at 4pm.’

If I’m feeling charitable and not too busy, I’ll phone BACK the recruiter and pass on the message.

The recruitment person is invariably DELIGHTED at getting some sort of news. 

DUH.

TRIPLE DUH.  A lot of the time, the recruitment person makes the excuse of ‘well I just work here’.  There’s no excuse nowadays — for the recruiter or the management.  Most mobile networks offer some sort of desktop SMS option.  There are a whole array of mobile desktop SMS services too.  There’s no excuse. 

So, hunting around for someone to listen to me and give me a proper industry perspective.  I turned to Marketing Headhunter extraordinaire, Harry Joiner.  He runs www.marketingheadhunter.com and specialises in executive search for marketing gurus — if you haven’t already added it to your RSS, it’s definitely worth doing so.   I really enjoy his perspective.  Anyway, Harry sympathetically listened to my emotional outpourings ("WHY WONT YOU USE TEXT…") and was kind enough to take some time and comment on the issue.

Here’s the specific question I put to Harry:

Why does your industry not default to using text messaging as the primary method of communicating with clients? (After you’ve met with them for the first time of course)  Surely this is THE BEST possible way of getting answers from clients when they cannot otherwise connect with you?   What’s your attitude to text messaging?   Does it simply not compare to a phone call?

Harry responds: 

Gee.  Great question.  Text messaging seems a little like sex with a condom:  not as much intimacy, although it’s still contact — and sometimes two busy people will take whatever contact they can get!

So why the slow adoption of text messaging by headhunters?

Well, it’s still early in the game — and the competitive convergence in this industry is fairly fast.  What’s competitive convergence?  Warren Buffett describes it as when people go to a parade and one attendee stands on tip toes to get a better view — and within two minutes the whole crowd is on their tip toe.

If a handful of recruiters begin to get traction using text messaging, all others would too.  I’d say that the trick is to use text messaging as part of a coherent recruiting process.  For example, if I were using it I would want to make sure that the call back number was my cell phone — not my desk line where I may or may not be around.  There’s no point in using it if it only adds another way for clients to hit-and-miss you.  That adds frustration — not convenience.

As with any relationship sale, you want to sell to the client in a way that’s consistent with how the client buys.  Some might want to communicate only on their home email address.  Fine.  Others wight want only cell phone contact.  So be it.  Others might like text messaging.  Whatever.  The key is to be easy to work with, and if text messaging can be a meaningful contact channel, then you’ll certainly see more of it.

—–

Harry, thank you for taking the time! 

So, he makes excellent points.  You can hardly go about texting a 55 year old who just doesn’t get text.  Similarly, there is no point sending text messages if it’s going to take too long for the recruiter to compose on their handset — and if the return path is not the recruiter’s cell.  A good solution would be to use a Blackberry to do the text messaging — anyway I think he’s right… if a few top recruitment agencies standardise on integrating texting as a key component of the recruitment mix, it’ll certainly get more traction. 

And stop me from playing piggy-in-the-middle with family members and non-texting recruitment people.