Email template · Sourcing and outreach
Recruiting text message templates
In short
Recruiting text message templates are short, pre-written SMS or WhatsApp messages for each hiring stage: first contact, application nudges, interview scheduling, reminders, offers and first-day logistics. Each should identify the sender and company, fit in about 160 to 320 characters, carry one action, and include an opt-out. Below are ready-to-use scripts grouped by stage.
When to send it: Text candidates who have given consent, during reasonable local hours (roughly 8am to 8pm), and at moments where speed matters: right after they apply, to schedule or confirm an interview, the day before and the hour before it, and after an offer.
Recruiting text message templates: 4 versions
First contact and applications
SubjectSMS set: outreach and application follow-up
1. New applicant: Hi [First Name], it's [Your Name] from [Company]. Thanks for applying for [Job Title] in [City]. Got 10 min today for a quick call? Reply with a good time. Reply STOP to opt out. 2. Sourced candidate (opted in): Hi [First Name], [Your Name] here, recruiter at [Company]. We're hiring [Job Title]s, [Pay Rate]/hr, [Shift Options]. Interested? Reply YES and I'll send details. STOP to opt out. 3. Incomplete application: Hi [First Name], you're almost done with your [Job Title] application at [Company]. Finish in about 3 min here: [Application Link] 4. Past applicant: Hi [First Name], it's [Your Name] at [Company]. You applied with us in [Month]. We have new [Job Title] openings starting [Start Date]. Still interested? Reply YES or NO.
Interview scheduling and reminders
SubjectSMS set: scheduling, confirmation and reminders
1. Invite with booking link: Hi [First Name], good news: we'd like to interview you for [Job Title]. Pick a time that works: [Scheduling Link]. Questions? Just reply. - [Your Name], [Company] 2. Confirmation: You're booked, [First Name]. [Interview Type] interview for [Job Title] on [Interview Date] at [Interview Time]. [Location or Video Link]. Reply C to confirm or R to reschedule. 3. Day-before reminder: Reminder: your interview with [Company] is tomorrow at [Interview Time]. [Parking or login tip]. Reply R if you need to reschedule. 4. One-hour reminder: See you in an hour, [First Name]. [Address or Video Link]. Ask for [Contact Name] at the front desk. 5. Missed interview: Hi [First Name], we missed you at today's interview. Everything OK? If you're still interested, pick a new time: [Scheduling Link]
Offer, pre-start and first day
SubjectSMS set: offer and onboarding
1. Offer sent: Hi [First Name], great news! We've emailed your offer for [Job Title] to [Email]. Please review and sign by [Offer Deadline]. Call me with any questions: [Phone Number] 2. Offer reminder: Hi [First Name], just a reminder your [Job Title] offer expires [Offer Deadline]. Want to talk anything through first? Reply here. 3. Paperwork: Hi [First Name], please finish your new-hire forms before [Start Date]: [Onboarding Link]. Bring [ID Documents] on day one for your I-9. 4. Day before start: Welcome to [Company], [First Name]! Tomorrow: arrive at [Arrival Time], [Address], ask for [Contact Name]. Wear [Dress Code]. Parking: [Parking Info]. 5. First-day morning: Good morning [First Name], we're ready for you. Text me at this number if you're running late or can't find the entrance.
WhatsApp versions
SubjectWhatsApp: template messages for approval
WhatsApp Business messages sent outside a 24-hour customer-service window must use pre-approved templates. Keep variables in numbered form when you submit them.
1. Application received:
Hi {{1}}, thanks for applying for {{2}} at {{3}}. We'll review your application and reply within {{4}} business days. Reply here with any questions.
2. Interview invite:
Hi {{1}}, we'd like to interview you for {{2}}. Choose a time here: {{3}}. Reply if none of the times work.
3. Reminder:
Hi {{1}}, a reminder that your interview for {{2}} is on {{3}} at {{4}}. Location or link: {{5}}.
4. Next steps:
Hi {{1}}, thanks for interviewing for {{2}}. We'll be in touch by {{3}} with next steps.Subject line ideas
- Text: thanks for applying
- Text: pick your interview time
- Text: interview reminder for tomorrow
- Text: your offer is ready to sign
- Text: first-day details
- Text: still interested?
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [First Name], it's [Your Name] from [Company]. Thanks for applying for [Job Title]. Want to book a quick interview? Pick a time here: [Scheduling Link]. Reply STOP to opt out.
Placeholders to replace: [First Name], [Your Name], [Company], [Job Title], [City], [Pay Rate], [Shift Options], [Application Link], [Scheduling Link], [Interview Type], [Interview Date], [Interview Time], [Location or Video Link], [Contact Name], [Offer Deadline], [Onboarding Link], [Start Date], [Arrival Time], [Phone Number]
Where texting beats email in hiring
Hourly and frontline candidates live on their phones. Many don't check personal email for days, but they read texts within minutes. That's why text recruiting has become standard for warehouse, retail, healthcare support, hospitality and contact-center hiring, where the first employer to respond often gets the hire.
Texting works best for short, time-sensitive steps: confirming interest, booking and confirming interviews, reminders, offer nudges and first-day logistics. It's a poor channel for anything long or sensitive. Keep rejections, offer details, background check results and anything involving medical or legal information in email or a formal letter, and use a text only to say "check your email."
A practical example: a regional logistics company filling 60 seasonal picker roles texts each applicant within an hour of applying, offers a booking link, then sends reminders the day before and an hour before. Teams that move from email-only to this pattern commonly report fewer no-shows and days shaved off time to hire.
Consent and compliance
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act restricts texts sent with automated systems to mobile numbers without the recipient's prior consent. For recruiting, the safe practice is simple: capture consent on the application form with a clear checkbox ("I agree to receive texts about my application"), identify your company in the first message, and honor STOP immediately. Several states, including Florida and Oklahoma, have their own texting laws with stricter timing and consent rules.
In the US, carriers also require businesses texting from standard 10-digit numbers to register their brand and use case (often called 10DLC registration); unregistered traffic gets filtered or blocked. For WhatsApp, Meta requires opt-in and pre-approved templates for business-initiated messages, which is why the WhatsApp set above uses numbered variables. Outside the US, data protection laws such as GDPR apply to candidate phone numbers. Rules vary by state and country, so check yours.
How to write a recruiting text
- Say who you are in the first line: name and company. Unknown numbers get ignored or reported.
- One action per text. Book, confirm, reply, finish the form. Never two.
- Keep it short. A single SMS segment is 160 characters; two segments is fine, more starts to break up on some phones.
- Use their name and the job title. People apply to many jobs at once.
- Make replies easy: single-letter or one-word replies (C to confirm, R to reschedule, YES or NO).
- Write like a person. Contractions, no jargon, no all caps. One exclamation mark for genuinely good news is fine.
- Send at sensible hours. Roughly 8am to 8pm in the candidate's time zone, and later only if they've asked you to.
For the email side of the same steps, pair these texts with an interview reminder email and, for sourced candidates, a recruiter outreach email.
Two-way texting at volume
Templates only go so far if replies land on one recruiter's personal phone. Use a shared business number that logs every message against the candidate record, so anyone on the team can pick up the thread. Two-way SMS for recruiting and WhatsApp messaging handle consent, opt-outs and history in one place, and automated outreach sequences can mix texts with email so a candidate never gets the same reminder twice.
For teams hiring outside the US, WhatsApp is often the primary channel; our WhatsApp recruiting entry covers how it differs from SMS.
Mistakes to avoid
- Texting without consent, or from a recruiter's personal cell.
- Rejecting by text. It reads as careless. Send the rejection by email and, if anything, a text pointing to it.
- Links that look like spam. Generic URL shorteners trigger carrier filters; use a branded or full domain.
- Late-night messages from a scheduling tool set to the wrong time zone.
- No human behind the number. If a candidate replies with a question and gets silence, you lose them.
Frequently asked questions
Is it OK for recruiters to text candidates?
Yes, when the candidate has agreed to receive texts. Get consent on the application, identify yourself and your company in the first message, include an opt-out, and keep sensitive content such as rejections or offer terms in email.
What should a recruiter text message to a candidate say?
Your name and company, the job title, one clear action such as booking a time or replying YES, and how to opt out. Keep it under 160 to 320 characters.
Do I need consent to send SMS recruiting messages?
In the US, the TCPA requires prior consent for texts sent with automated systems to mobile numbers, and some states add stricter rules. Capturing clear consent on your application form is the standard approach.
Can I message candidates on WhatsApp?
Yes, through WhatsApp Business with the candidate's opt-in. Messages you start outside a 24-hour reply window must use templates pre-approved by Meta, so plan your standard messages in advance.
What is a good text message for a job opportunity?
Something like: "Hi [First Name], it's [Your Name] from [Company]. We're hiring [Job Title]s in [City], [Pay Rate]/hr. Interested? Reply YES for details or STOP to opt out." It names the sender, the role and pay, and has one action.
What time should recruiters send texts?
Between roughly 8am and 8pm in the candidate's local time. Reminders the evening before and an hour before an interview work well; avoid texting overnight even when a scheduling tool would allow it.