We know that text recruiting software can be a powerful talent attraction tool, but it is our client organizations that prove that every day. One of those organizations is Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, based in Nashville. We sat down with Hunter Simpson, a recruiting leader at Goodwill to get his feedback on using Emissary to hire at scale in the retail space using text messaging.
Goodwill of Middle Tennessee employs about 1,200 people and serves 48 counties throughout Middle and West Tennessee. That encompasses 29 retail stores, 2 outlets, 28 donation sites and 8 career solutions centers.
They have been an Emissary client for about 6 months now. Initially, Hunter said he spent about 3 months looking for the right tool before discovering Emissary’s text recruiting platform. He felt we offered the best ROI for the price point and dove into the implementation feet first with the help of our client success team.
“I was very impressed with our ability to reach out to candidates in order to bring them in for interviews.”
Since using the product, Hunter thinks texting has been a fantastic addition to his recruiting arsenal. He has used the platform for direct one-off communications, mainly with applicants in retail level positions, outside of the warehouse. He has also used texting to reach out to former employees to schedule exit interviews. “I was very impressed with our ability to reach out to candidates in order to bring them in for interviews. It’s been a huge help!” he told us by phone.
Lessons Learned
We asked Hunter to comment on some of the lessons he’s learned so far. Here’s what he told us;
- “Texting dramatically increased our response rate. Within a week of using Emissary, we were able to hire 14 positions for that location.”
- “Candidates were coming in for their interviews, they were able to communicate with me directly, and in real-time. I was able to even provide some directions to the interview location.”
- “The sooner you respond to applicants, the more likely they are to come in, the more engaged they are.”
Summary
For recruiting professionals like Hunter, the key benefits of Emissary’s text recruiting software are the speed and level of engagement it provides.
“What I enjoy about this platform is its ability to reach candidates. Text is a very direct way to reach people of all ages. It also serves as a great way for us to reach people who may not have access to technology. Some candidates don’t have access to computers or know how to access computers. Using a text messaging platform allows us to reach those groups and provide them opportunities”, he added.
Well said Hunter, thanks for choosing Emissary.
