Should you add text messages to your physician recruiting strategy?

 

Communicating with busy physicians during the recruitment process can make you want to pull out your hair. You send an email and have to wait for hours - if you're lucky - or days to get a response.

Recruiters who want to reduce lag time throughout each stage of their hiring workflow need to consider which technologies can help to keep candidates active and engaged. To solve this challenge, text messages may be just what the doctor ordered.

SMS open rates are much higher than email

We're all guilty of leaving unread emails to languish in our inboxes. Sometimes there's just not enough time in the day to give each message the attention it deserves. But when it comes to text messages, the story changes. Unlike emails, opening text messages is irresistible. In fact, SmashFly reported that 90% of texts are read within three minutes of being sent.

Recruiters can use this channel to get quick responses from candidates in the pipeline. For example, texts can be a useful way to schedule interviews. If you send an email, you have to keep time slots open until you receive a response; but with a text, you can quickly schedule appointments and get back to more demanding tasks.

Busy physicians still have time to check their phones

Between meeting with patients, reading up on the latest research and taking care of administrative tasks, doctors don't have a lot of time to sift through their email inboxes. However, the majority of physicians do carry a mobile device with them throughout the day.

According to Manhattan Research, 87% of physicians use a smartphone or tablet at the office. So while healthcare providers switch between desktop-based electronic health record systems and their personal tablets, they're likely to check their text messages when they have a free moment. Compared with responding to an email, answering a text message is a much smaller time commitment.

To learn more about how to find and engage busy physician job seekers, check out our resource center today. Recruiters who want to reduce lag time throughout each stage of their hiring workflow need to consider which technologies can help to keep candidates active and engaged.