With over 1 billion users, I'm sure you've at least heard of WhatsApp. But are you making the most of the instant messaging app? Loads of candidates use it, and they're only a message away! Let's look at 5 reasons why WhatsApp is great for recruiters...
1. WhatsApp is Very Popular
OK, this isn't entirely specific to WhatsApp. Direct messaging apps, of which WhatsApp is one, are now accessed more than social networks (3 billion vs. 2.5 billion) and in the UK, WhatsApp is by far the most popular too. With such a large audience, WhatsApp provides you with a great big pool of potential candidates to source from. Plus, as these candidates are whiling away up to 145 minutes every day on their smartphones, a quick, discreet message via WhatsApp is more likely to get a speedy response than a clunky email, or worse yet, a phone call at work.
2. WhatsApp Users are Loyal
A year after downloading WhatsApp, 62% of users are still active on the platform. With such a thriving and loyal user base, it's clear this platform is here to stay (at least for the foreseeable future). So, forget the sad legacy of social media platforms like Myspace - now is the time to consider a WhatsApp marketing campaign that targets candidates with relevant job ads.
3. WhatsApp is Free (and International Too)
WhatsApp is free and you can send messages internationally. With 55.6% of the entire world using WhatsApp, it really is an effective platform to use to reach that extremely elusive candidate in outer Mongolia. But it's also a great way to reach that super busy creative director in the office just down the road. Don't sit on job opportunities waiting for the perfect time to call a candidate - send them a direct message via WhatsApp and gauge their level of interest! You can even send images, or a quick WhatsApp video, making it nice and easy to package up and market out a job to candidates.
4. WhatsApp Groups
To get the most out of the instant messaging platform, you need to create and join WhatsApp groups. This is perhaps the best WhatsApp feature for recruiters to use. You can create WhatsApp recruitment groups (up to 256 members strong) and organise each one per type. Looking to fill an IT role? Simple. Create a relevant group and market out the job to the members of that group and wait for a response! As WhatsApp uses the phone numbers in your address book, you can quite quickly organise and segment candidates by profession, location, or even level of seniority. This makes it really straightforward to get relevant information in front of the right people quickly. Need some help organising candidates? Read our quick guide on creating and cultivating talent pools.
Creating WhatsApp groups is easy too:
- Open WhatsApp and go to the chats screen
- At the top of the chats screen, tap the New Group button
- Add group participants by selecting or typing the name of the contact
- Add an icon for the group by tapping on the empty photo box
- Add a name for the group
- Tap create when you're finished
5. WhatsApp Tells You When Your Message is Read
Just like Facebook messenger, and numerous other direct messaging apps, WhatsApp lets you see when someone has read your message so if they're taking too long to respond... move on. They're probably not interested anyway. But if they do reply quickly, you can have a short conversation with them and batter out any relevant details. Want a meeting for this evening? You can arrange that meeting speedily via a WhatsApp conversation.
Using WhatsApp means you save time when interacting with candidates. Instead of waiting out the clock, or calling them bright and early in the morning, you can message candidates whenever it's convenient for you.
As WhatsApp is used exclusively on a candidate's smartphone, you can rely on them viewing and replying far more speedily than with an email. Plus, it's free. Meaning you can save money whilst reaching more candidates. Is there really such a thing as a win-win? Perhaps WhatsApp recruiting is it!
