Using SmartMessage

Channels

Once Messages are open, users are able to send and receive messages from any of the channels configured during the Customer Implementation process. The two possible channels are listed and shown below. 

• SMS

• WhatsApp

A green checkmark next to the channel means opt-in is in place and the candidate is reachable with the channel. 

Opt-In

Regardless of the messaging channel used, the conversation window will be locked until the candidate has opted-in to converse with text messaging. 

For SMS candidates, a double opt-in process is used. Candidates first opt-in during the application process, by supplying their phone number and agreeing to the privacy policy. For the second opt-in, users send an SMS invitation to the candidate with the "Send Invite" button or re-send (if one has been sent and candidate has not responded) with “Your invite has been sent but the candidate has not yet opted-in. You can send another invite by clicking here”. The candidate responds with “Yes” to complete the double opt-in process. 

Once the candidate has opted in, an alert will appear in the Inbox Tray Icon if the user has left the Candidate-Application page.

Clicking the ribbon item for the opt-in notice will take the user back to the Candidate-Application page where they will see both:
1) the invitation to opt-in message and, 
2) the candidate’s explicit “Yes”. Now, the user can proceed to send and receive texts normally with the candidate about their application. 

Note that a candidate can opt-out of receiving SMS messages at any time, with the keyword “Stop”. Any changes to candidate opt-in will be reflected in the conversation for the candidate. In an opt-out state, the window will be locked to the user. Email is always a fallback option for communication in case of candidate opt-out of SMS. Candidates can opt back in at any time with the keyword "Start".

Note that a candidate can opt-out of receiving WhatsApp messages at any time, with the “Block Business” option in their phone app settings. If candidates does use the in-app "Block" feature, Hiring Team users will not be alerted of the change, and the conversation window will not be locked. The WhatsApp "Block" software feature does not currently provide an update as WhatsApp Business service prioritizes consumer privacy. In the case a candidate is unresponsive with WhatsApp, email is always a fallback option. Candidates can opt back in at any time with the "Unblock Business" option.

Messaging with Whatsapp

WhatsApp has an additional layer of invitation in place before Hiring Teams and candidates can freely text. This is a policy defined by Facebook for WhatsApp Business applications. If a candidate has not messaged the Hiring Team within 24 hours (whether a brand new conversation, or an existing conversation without recent messages), the user must re-engage them with a predefined invitation. After the candidate responds to this invitation, users can continue to message normally.

For the first version of SmartMessage, SmartRecruiters will relay messages on behalf of the Hiring Team to and from the candidate. The predefined invitation text is listed below.

Notifications

Notifications will appear for Hiring Team users who have participated in a conversation with the candidate. 

Phone Number Formatting

Phone numbers for the candidates may require some formatting to work successfully with SmartMessage. Improperly formatted numbers may result in the error below

The proper international code must be included in the front of the local number.

 Light validation is provided with spaces, dashes, and parenthesis permitted. However, characters like alpha, special / symbol, or extraneous numbers may cause a delivery failure and the user will be prompted. Changes can be made to the candidate phone number in the Edit Contact Info section of the Candidate header.

Advisory Notices

⭕ Please note the time of day, day of the week, holidays, other privacy factors when sending messages to candidates. Some countries may have specific regulations about sending messages to recipients after business hours and on weekends. 

Q: How does 1:1 Texting work?

Answer: Hiring Teams can initiate text conversations with an individual candidate on a per-application basis. Likewise, Sourcing Teams can initiate text conversations with individual prospects (SmartCRM) on a per-community basis. 

All members assigned to the Hiring Team can view and participate in messages sent to and from the candidate. From the Hiring Team user perspective, each conversation participant is clearly identifiable by name. From the candidate perspective, all messages from the Hiring Team are simply from the customer / hiring company. The same applies for Sourcing Team and prospects. 

Q: How does Candidate and Prospect Reach work?

Answer: All customers with SmartRecruit and SmartMessage can message candidates. Customers with SmartRecruit, SmartMessage and SmartCRM can message both candidates and prospects. 

Q: How does Inbox work?

Answer: The Inbox enables Hiring Teams and Sourcing Teams (SmartCRM) to manage all their communications in one place. It is an entirely new way to view, manage, and send messages to candidates and prospects without having to step through individual pages. It combines email, SMS and WhatsApp together into a comprehensive conversation for each candidate-application (or prospect-community) ordered by most recent message. 

Hiring Team users will still be able to message within the candidate-application and prospect-community pages, but Inbox provides an organized way to address communications quickly and efficiently. New features will be added in later quarters.

Inbox is also available to SmartRecruit customers who do not purchase SmartMessage, but only email will be available. 

Q: What is the difference between SMS and WhatsApp?

Answer: Some summarized differences between the two channels.

• SMS is the standard text messaging protocol used by telecom operators globally. It is a text-only protocol that does not support images or attachments. While it is supported by most mobile phones (feature phones and smartphones), not all consumers have SMS service plans through their telecom operators. Messaging without an SMS service plan may be costly for consumers. SMS is popular in the Americas where data plans may be cost prohibitive. 

• WhatsApp is a messaging service owned by Facebook. It requires the WhatsApp app from Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store, and phone number verification for the mobile device. Messages are relayed over data plans  with the telecom operator (not SMS service plan) or WiFi. WhatsApp is popular in Europe and Asia where data plans are affordable. 

Q: How do the SMS and WhatsApp messaging channels work? 

Answer: Customers will be able to choose which channels they would like to use for their company and hiring process, whether SMS only, WhatsApp only or both. Hiring Team users must select the channel (SMS or WhatsApp) when sending messages to candidates and prospects. Messages will not be sent through both SMS and WhatsApp simultaneously. 

Within the Inbox, both SMS and WhatsApp messages are viewed together in an ongoing conversation. In the Candidate-Application or Prospect-Community pages, the messages are separated by channel. 

Q: Can a customer use either SMS or WhatsApp? Must they use BOTH?

Answer: Customers can opt to use the channel of their choice. They need not use both channels. The practical difference is that WhatsApp has a longer Customer Implementation process due to the guidelines set forth by Facebook (owner and operator). 

Q: How are phone numbers assigned?

Answer: Phone numbers are statically assigned to each customer, starting with one per sending country requested. This forms a pool of sending numbers for each customer, and messages are automatically routed to ensure deliverability. The locality of phone numbers are assigned at the country level with the appropriate international code (see table below). Customers are asked to provide any preferences for area / destination / region portions of phone numbers for a best match attempt, but there is no match guarantee beyond the international code. For customers with high volume of users and messages, additional phone numbers can be added for each country to ensure two-way conversations with minimal interruption.

Candidates will receive texts from a phone number within their own (that is, the candidate's) country designation if it available within the customer's pool of numbers. If not, candidates will receive texts from another number within the pool, a US number if available, or another. 

Q: Can links, images or other attachments be sent with SmartMessage?

Answer: Links can be sent as text with SmartMessage. Candidates using smartphones (whether iPhone or Android) will usually see links as active and clickable within their messaging apps. Links to video meeting applications will usually open the corresponding video app on the candidate's phone (if they have the app installed). Images and other attachments  are not currently supported with SmartMessage. 

Q: Is there a character limit when sending messages?

Answer: Yes, each message can have a maximum of 1600 characters. Consider splitting communications longer than 1600 characters into multiple messages.