The benefits of a text message interview

Text interviews have several potential benefits. Firstly, they’re relatively quick and efficient. Most job applicants will be quite comfortable sending text messages and have access to a mobile phone.

Texting can be an efficient use of an interviewer’s time because they can fire off messages to applicants and wait for a response rather than calling and hoping the applicant is available to answer the phone. A recruiter can carry out several text interviews at once, sending each question one by one, and will have a record of the answers to look back on at a later date.

Performing SMS or chat interviews can help reduce the risk of unconscious bias on the part of the interviewer. Text-based interactions remove distractions such as physical appearance, accents and certain personality traits. This allows the interviewer to focus purely on the applicant’s skills and how they answer the questions presented to them, making the interview process more inclusive.

How to conduct an SMS interview

Before you contact a prospective employee to arrange an SMS interview, consider calling them at least once to speak to them over the phone. SMS scams are quite common, so a call will reassure the applicant that the text interview is legitimate. Check that the applicant is willing to answer questions over text, as some people may struggle to send SMS messages due to a disability or may not have access to a mobile phone with credit to send messages.

Keep the interview questions short and to the point. Chat interviews aren’t the best time to ask in-depth “tell me about a time…” questions where you’d want to feel confident the interviewee was relating a genuine story rather than something rehearsed or scripted. Rather, these interviews are a good starting point for basic screening.

Let’s imagine you’re interviewing for a technical position. Some good questions to ask in an early technical interview include:

• What programming languages are you most comfortable with?

   

• What tools do you usually use in your day-to-day work?

   

• Do you have a GitHub/Gitea account to show some of your work?

   

• How comfortable are you with [insert technology here]?

   

• Do you prefer X or Y technology for [project type], and why?

   

Simple questions such as these will give you an idea of the candidate’s level of experience and competence. The purpose of the text interview is to narrow down the number of applicants. You can rule out those who don’t have the right knowledge or experience and also reduce the field based on soft skills such as text message etiquette and general good manners.

You can then call the best applicants for face-to-face or video interviews, and you’ll have the answers they gave to the text message interview to refer to. This serves as an additional layer of screening. If someone lied or exaggerated their expertise during the text interview, you’ll have a chance to catch this when you bring them in for a face-to-face interview.

Text message etiquette tips

Interviewing is a two-way process, and as much as you’re evaluating the applicant, they will be evaluating you and the organization you work for. Presenting a professional image at all times is essential. Try to abide by widely accepted text messaging etiquette, including:

• Avoid abbreviations and text-speak

   

• Avoid slang

   

• Try to keep messages short and to the point

   

• Avoid emojis

   

• Keep communication during regular business hours unless you have agreed otherwise with the applicant

   

The above aren’t hard-and-fast rules. There may be occasions when it makes sense to respond to a time-sensitive message from an applicant with a thumbs-up emoji, for example. However, it’s a good idea to treat most text-based communication formally and use similar etiquette to what you would if you were writing a letter.

What to look for in the applicant’s responses to a chat interview

Screening applicants via SMS interviews can be a challenge. SMS messaging removes many of the visual and audible cues you’d benefit from during an in-person interview. You may need to exercise a level of discretion when interviewing someone via chat.

For example, it’s easy to say abbreviations, slan, or emojis are a bad sign in an interview. However, if someone shines in other ways but uses abbreviations to make an answer fit into a single text, they could be forgiven. Text etiquette isn’t a universal thing, and there’s a huge difference between:

•  “Gr8, C U l8r” and 

   

• “My latest personal project is a custom ticketing system 4 a sports group I’m a member of. It’s all written in Python/Flask and generates 1-time-use animated QR codes. Stewards can scan the code using an Android app to count spectators in.”

   

The first message suggests the sender frequently uses slang and ‘txt-speak’ even in formal contexts. The second is an example of someone shortening some words to fit a message into 240 characters.

Text messaging is a different medium than face-to-face communication and email. If someone can explain themselves well in short-form text messages, this is often a good sign. It suggests they know the subject they’re talking about well and that they’re generally a good communicator. You can’t reasonably expect someone to be eloquent or completely precise about technical details in a short message, but someone who can write confident, concise and clear messages is likely to be worthy of calling for the next stage of the recruiting process.

Text message interview FAQs

Are text message interviews professional?

Text messaging can be a professional form of communication as long as it’s used properly. Keep messages short, but pay attention to spelling, punctuation and grammar. Avoid emojis and slang in a professional context.

Should I text job applicants?

Text message interviews are less common than face-to-face or video interviews, but they’re becoming more popular with recruiters and applicants alike. Texting some preliminary questions can be an efficient way of screening applicants before a round of video or face-to-face interviews.

What should I say in a text interview?

Keep chat-based interviews short and to the point. Ask questions that are open-ended but the applicant would be able to answer in a few sentences. Your goal with a text interview is to get a feel for the candidate’s skills and level of professionalism before inviting them for a longer interview.

When is a text interview appropriate?

Text interviewing can make sense for some types of job openings. For example, if you have a large number of applicants, text interviews can be an effective option for the first round of screening. They can also be appropriate for remote roles or if you’re hiring several people at once for an entry-level position with training provided.