Since being acquired by iCIMS earlier this year, TextRecruit, the company that helps employers engage with candidates via text messaging, is showing no signs of slowing down. Readers may remember TextRecruit launching a sourcing tool alongside Nexxt back in August, for example.
Now the company is back with the launch of a new feature it calls Automated Scheduling. The new service gives recruiters the ability to send candidates a link to schedule time directly on their calendar. TextRecruit says this will eliminate the back and forth of scheduling meetings.
The scheduling links can be sent on a one-to-one basis, as part of a text messaging campaign. It can even be scaled for high-volume recruiting with Ari, TextRecruit’s artificial intelligence tool. Here’s the company’s explainer video on the feature.
“Automated Scheduling saves recruiters the hundreds of hours they spend scheduling time with candidates, and gives them more time to actually speak with them,” Ameya Deshmukh, content marketing manager at TextRecruit, wrote in a post. “It also gives candidates more visibility into a recruiter’s availability and makes scheduling simpler and faster for a better overall experience.”
Automated Scheduling works with both Microsoft or Google Calendar. To trigger a scheduling request, recruiters click the calendar button, which then adds a scheduler link to a message. The calendar button is located right next to the Send button, so it’s pretty intuitive.
If sending a message en masse, the process is similar. In the schedule message window, users will select “calendar link” from the mail merge options. Using Ari is a bit different, however. In addition to providing a scheduling link, Ari will also suggest three times for a candidate to select, based on availability. Candidates can reply back with the number 1, 2 or 3 to select a time or choose one from the Automated Scheduling link.
After a candidate reserves time, an event will automatically be created on the recruiter’s calendar. An invitation will also be sent to the person who scheduled the event. Ya’ know, automatically.
The amount of time recruiters spend going back and forth on scheduling is undoubtedly a drag, and automation fits nicely into fixing this time waster. Companies like Hire by Google and GoodTime are hoping to remedy this challenge. Now, add TextRecruit to the list.