Let’s be real: every recruit—and every hiring manager—carries a smartphone 24/7. SMS isn’t just convenient; it’s the channel that people actually read. FinanceOnline found that nearly 48% of consumers prefer getting brand updates via text messages for a recruiting team, that’s almost half your talent pool primed for SMS outreach.
Recruitment has come a long way from static job boards and generic email blasts. Text recruiting is one great way to meet them where they are—on their phones.
A short, personal message can reach candidates quickly, cutting through crowded inboxes and boosting response rates. Used alongside other channels, text messaging helps recruiters stay connected and keep outreach simple, timely, and effective.
Why Text Message Recruiting Isn’t Just a Nice-to-Have – It’s Essential!
Attracting and retaining the attention of today’s candidates is one of the most pressing priorities in hiring. To do this effectively, recruiters must pay close attention to communication performance, especially open rates and responsiveness. Text messaging stands out as a particularly powerful channel.
According to Gartner, SMS recruiting campaigns boast open rates that are nearly five times higher than traditional email, making them a compelling choice for engaging candidates more reliably.
Beyond performance metrics, job seekers themselves are showing strong preferences for text-based communication:
- According to Hireserve, the average SMS response rate is 45%, while email lags at around 6%
- Based on Staffing Industry’s Research, 47% of job seekers say texting is their preferred communication method during the hiring process
In light of this data, adding text messaging to your recruitment toolkit makes strong sense. Thanks to high response rates and how familiar candidates are with texting, it’s a simple way to add a more personal, conversational touch to your outreach.
Used well, SMS can become a valuable part of your overall recruiting strategy—not just a trendy extra. In the next sections, we’ll break down different types of text recruiting software to help you choose the best fit for your team and hiring goals.
Comparing the Text Recruiting Software Landscape
When you first begin researching the perfect text recruiting software, it might be difficult to group them into understandable categories. Check out how we categorize some of the most popular text recruiting solutions on the market to optimize your research.
1. ATS/CRM-Integrated Text Recruiting Solutions
Text recruiting features embedded within applicant tracking systems (ATS) or candidate relationship management (Recruiting CRM) platforms offer a seamless experience across the hiring pipeline. These tools eliminate the need to export data or manually sync candidate records between systems.
iCIMS, for example, offers a native Text Engagement tool within its Talent Cloud platform, enabling recruiters to send targeted, personalized SMS campaigns from within the same system that tracks candidate profiles and interview status. These embedded tools are particularly useful for teams managing high-volume pipelines or enterprise-level hiring initiatives, where efficiency and data centralization are essential.
Did you know that 99% of 384 Fortune 500 companies interviewed by JobScan use an ATS? In the US and other regions, many large employers also need an ATS to meet hiring compliance and reporting requirements. By 2025 and onward, more recruiting teams expect their text campaigns to run inside the same system they use for sourcing, screening, and onboarding.
✅ Save time training your team:
With an all-in-one recruiting suite, your team only needs to learn one platform. This saves hours of training time and reduces the risk of mistakes that happen when switching between apps. It also makes onboarding new recruiters faster — a real plus as teams keep growing or changing roles more often.
✅ Start texting anytime:
When texting is built into your ATS or CRM, candidate data flows automatically. No more copy-pasting contact lists or uploading spreadsheets. Recruiters can send personalized texts at any stage, whether it’s an interview reminder, a quick follow-up, or an offer update — all without leaving the system they already use daily.
✅ Stay compliant and secure:
With growing privacy laws like GDPR, CCPA, and new AI regulations in 2025, keeping candidate data secure and up to date is crucial. An integrated text tool means fewer manual data transfers and less chance of sending messages to the wrong person.
But there are a few trade-offs to know about:
⚠️ Less flexible outside the ecosystem:
A bundled texting tool works best inside its parent platform. If you ever switch ATSs, connecting the old text tool to a new system can cause headaches, from sync issues to lost conversation history. Some companies stick with a vendor longer than planned just to avoid this hassle.
⚠️ Higher total cost:
Buying a complete recruiting suite is an investment. While you gain convenience, the price tag is usually higher than picking a stand-alone texting app. For smaller teams or companies with tight budgets, it’s smart to weigh whether full integration is worth the extra spend.
⚠️ May not have advanced features:
Some bundled text tools focus on basic messaging. If you want advanced features — like AI-powered replies, automated drip campaigns, or deep analytics — a dedicated stand-alone tool might offer more bells and whistles.
2. Standalone SMS Recruiting Platforms
When you first begin researching the perfect text recruiting software, it might be difficult to group them into understandable categories. Check out how we categorize some of the most popular text recruiting solutions on the market to optimize your research.
Grayscale is a strong example of this category. It’s a dedicated texting platform that integrates with popular ATSs like Greenhouse, providing two-way texting, bulk SMS, WhatsApp messaging, drip campaigns, and automation features like interview reminders—all without requiring users to migrate to a new platform.
✅ Pros
The biggest benefit of a standalone text recruiting tool is flexibility. Many stand-alone apps are built to connect with a wide range of ATS and CRM platforms, so you don’t need to overhaul your whole system. Always check with the provider to confirm which ATS or CRM they integrate with — and whether they offer ready-made connectors or custom API support.
Standalone tools are also budget-friendly. Since you’re not buying an entire recruiting suite, you can pay only for the text messaging features you need. Many vendors now offer tiered pricing, so small or growing teams can start small and scale up as needed.
⚠️ Cons
One drawback is that integrating a separate text tool can take extra time and effort. The process depends on how well the text solution works with your current systems. You may need IT support or a vendor’s help to get everything synced properly.
Another point to consider is training. Your team will need to learn how to use the new app alongside your ATS or CRM. While the learning curve is usually short, it’s still an extra step.
Rakuna Text Recruiting Solution – The Best of Both Worlds
Rakuna’s Text Recruiting Software is built to work for everyone — from lean recruiting teams on tight budgets to large enterprises with complex hiring pipelines.
Staying true to Rakuna’s “keep it simple” philosophy, this tool combines the flexibility of a stand-alone text solution with the strategic advantages of a fully integrated suite.
Whether you need to plug it into your current system or roll out an all-in-one recruiting platform, Rakuna scales with you.
You can run Rakuna’s Text Recruiting as part of Rakuna’s full talent acquisition suite — including our Recruiting CRM, Interview Scheduling, and Event Recruiting tools — or use it solo. If you already have an ATS or CRM, Rakuna’s text tool works with it without losing performance.
For teams working inside Rakuna’s ecosystem, the benefits are even bigger. Recruiters can run both bulk and one-on-one text campaigns, get Recruiting CRM-powered performance reports, and track engagement automatically.
Plus, the tool connects with Rakuna’s Event Management and Interview Scheduling modules, so you can send reminders before or after events without lifting a finger.
What makes Rakuna stand out is that even when used on its own, the Text Recruiting Software keeps its full power. Recruiters can send bulk or individual texts and chat back and forth with candidates, all with no drop in speed or results. Our support team is ready to help you get up and running fast and make sure everything fits smoothly into your workflow.
Conclusion
With mobile phone usage nearly universal, text recruiting has emerged as one of the fastest and most effective ways to reach today’s job seekers. Compared to traditional channels, SMS delivers unmatched open rates, faster responses, and a more personal touch—making it a smart, candidate-friendly strategy for any recruiter.
Whether you’re building a pipeline, promoting an event, or following up post-interview, the right text recruiting tool can transform your hiring process. From flexible standalone apps to full-suite platforms like Rakuna, there’s a solution to match your workflow and budget.
Ready to modernize your hiring? Explore our SMS recruiting tips—or request a free demo to see how Rakuna can help you connect with top talent, faster.
Team Rakuna
The Rakuna Team comprises a diverse group of professionals hailing from various corners of the world.
With a passion to enable organizations to hire their next waves of talents, we are dedicated to help organizations stay updated on important recruiting technology and industry best practices.
