Human Resources often have to fill many different functions and tasks. No matter the kind of business an organization has, HR is vital to keep things running. One of the most crucial tasks of any HR worker is to communicate with other employees. Typical tools that are used to communicate with staff include email. While email will continue to be useful in work communication in the foreseeable future, there are other tools that may be more effective.
One such tool is SMS. Comparing SMS’ high open rates to email, text should be part of any HR department’s arsenal. SMS enables people to reach a large audience quickly. It also doesn’t need much training or onboarding to figure out. Not only is SMS more affordable and easy to use, it is also versatile.
Here are just some ways HR can use text blasts:
1. Recruitment
Recruiting is often a major role of HR. So it’s important that recruiters are able to reach their candidates. SMS is very useful in the recruitment process. Texting can be used to text a pool of potential candidates, telling them of a new opening. SMS is also an ideal way to contact specific people directly. It can be used to inform them of their job interview schedule or what forms they need to fill. SMS is interactive so candidates can also use it to raise their questions or concerns.
2. Surveys
HR often gets feedback from workers. Workplace surveys are used to get a feel of employee satisfaction, mood, and morale. Insights from surveys can be acted on to improve processes and to boost workplace productivity. There are many tools that can host a survey, but for urgent feedback, SMS is an option.
SMS can be a handy tool to get a sense of employees’ mood, whether it’s through asking a couple of short questions or through sending an external link to a more comprehensive survey. Giving specific keywords and/or multiple choice questions are often best for SMS surveys. SMS can also be used for polls, giving HR a way to receive immediate responses.
3. Urgent announcements
If an emergency comes up, one of the fastest ways to spread the word is via text. This is even more relevant now as many businesses are still under remote working schemes. In urgent moments, time is of the essence. SMS is not just the fastest way to communicate, but it has open rates of over 90%. This is crucial in times of emergencies. Sending an alert via text boosts the chances of the message being read. No matter what kind of alert, whether it be a natural disaster to a new lockdown rule to a last minute schedule change, sending an SMS is the way to go.
4. Scheduling events or meetings
Take advantage of SMS for company events or meetings. People will often appreciate receiving a friendly reminder on upcoming dates. A text reminder can be sent for upcoming deadlines or client meetings, to ensure that those dates won’t be forgotten. People often greatly rely on their phones so SMS is one of the best ways to reach them.
-NH-