How Inbound SMS Can Change The Way You Recruit


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Many businesses employ inbound phone numbers - numbers where the end user initiates a phone call - as a critical two way communication tool. Common inbound business phone numbers include appointment scheduling phone lines and help desks for troubleshooting. Inbound call numbers numbers are essential for many business uses, but have drawbacks as well.

Most inbound call systems route users to the proper call representative based on chosen inputs (e.g. press 1 to place a new order), but many calls still end with person-to-person conversations that tie up the end user for the phone call’s duration. Even worse is hearing the dreaded phrase “Please hold while you are connected to the next available agent.” Waiting on hold is a near-universal frustrating experience - a man in 2012 even reportedly spent fifteen hours on hold with an airline! This case is an obvious outlier, but provides an example of inefficiency in inbound-calling solutions. Inbound lines also rely on a number of agents ready to handle calls, which increases overhead costs, and the lines’ full use are limited to only the hours when agents are available.

Fortunately, simple alternatives exist. A great application of an inbound number is utilizing an inbound SMS number. Automated inbound SMS lines neither require agents nor uninterrupted time from an end user. Users can carry out a text-based conversation with an SMS number at their leisure to find the information they are looking for, without fully interrupting their current tasks. These conversations can be fully automated to eliminate wait times and streamline the experience.

RoboRecruiter offers this inbound SMS number functionality to enhance the recruiting process. Interested candidates can interact with an automated number via SMS to find more information about available jobs or can be routed to appropriate profile-creating chatbot conversations. For example, if a user works in the healthcare industry, the SMS chat may start a bot conversation that inquires about active medical licenses. Each conversation even sends automatic reports to a chosen recruiter, so the right recruiter instantly can follow up with the right candidate.

Consider automated SMS numbers as a way to streamline your recruitment process, decrease costs, and attract a wider pool of talent.