AI Text Recruiting Methods Every Agency Recruiter Should Use

Today’s top agency recruiters are screening candidates via text, answering FAQs with conversational AI, and following up through automated SMS outreach. No waiting time, no admin overload, no candidate ignored—or lost to faster competition.

With AI-powered text recruiting, the hiring process isn’t just faster—it’s scalable, automated, and always-on.

In this article, I’ll show you how to use recruitment automation tools to eliminate repetitive tasks, engage candidates at scale, and make every message count. Let’s get into the text recruiting strategies that are changing the game for modern agency teams.

4 text recruiting methods for agency recruiters

Let’s be honest—when was the last time you actually answered a phone call from an unknown number?

Aversion to unexpected calls isn’t just a Gen Z thing. Millennials avoid them too. In a recent study, recruiters reported a phone call response rate of just 49%.

Whether you’re hiring in tech, marketing, healthcare, or finance, the reality is the same: we live in a world of quick texts, instant replies, and asynchronous chats. To reach job seekers today, you need to meet them where they already are: on their mobile devices.

The text recruiting methods below will help you streamline the candidate experience, improve your response rates, and scale your outreach without sacrificing personalization. Just make sure you're using AI recruiting tools that are actually built for engagement, not just another chatbot with a script.

1. AI-managed WhatsApp screening chats: Turn those dreaded initial screening calls no one wants to have into smooth, natural conversations that happen instantly without any recruiter input.
2. AI-powered SMS for communication: Cut through the noise and reach candidates right in their pocket at times you know they’re more likely to respond.
3. AI chat function for application support: Let AI handle those quick questions you don’t have time to answer and catch potential hires before they bounce from your career site.
4. AI assistant for talent pool activation: Keep your best candidates warm and engaged and your candidate database GDPR-compliant.

Let’s dive into what these methods look like in practice.

AI-managed WhatsApp screening chats

Initial screening calls eat up hours of recruiter time - and let’s face it, no candidate is excited to be called out of the blue.

Now, with conversational AI built into platforms like WhatsApp or Messenger, candidates can complete their initial screening through natural, text-based interactions.

These aren't stiff question-answer bots; they're intelligent chatbots that understand nuance, ask follow-ups, and keep the chat on track, even if the candidate veers off-topic.

This type of recruitment automation can screen hundreds of applicants simultaneously, regardless of time zone or work hours.

To give just an example, Carv’s screening module can launch a conversational AI flow for any open position, if you feed it the job posting URL. The automation flow can take candidates from job application to scheduling interviews in their preferred time slots - no human intervention needed.

Once done, the AI chatbot sends the data straight into your applicant tracking system (ATS) - no manual follow-up required. Of course, a human recruiter can always jump in and take over the conversation, if something goes wrong or if the candidate requests it.

Text recruiting tips:

• Choose an AI tool with ATS integration and native support for WhatsApp, SMS, or other social media platforms - Facebook Messenger, LinkedIn, etc.
• Regularly audit chat transcripts to improve screening logic and refine candidate messaging.

AI-powered SMS communication

What's the difference between a 23% email open rate and a 98% SMS open rate? About 75% more candidates actually seeing your messages!

And while most in-house recruitment teams will rely almost entirely on email and phone calls to communicate with candidates, agencies are in the perfect position to leverage SMS outreach instead.

With multiple job openings at one time and larger candidate databases, text message automation is the ideal way to keep candidates engaged.

But here's where most agencies mess up: they treat SMS like a mini email, sending generic blasts that feel about as personal as a parking ticket.

AI-powered SMS communication is different – it’s more like having a conversation with a friend who happens to know about amazing job opportunities as soon as they come up.

And the best part is, the AI learns from every interaction. It starts with a good text template, but then crafts messages that reference specific skills from a candidate’s profile or LinkedIn page, mentioning opportunities that actually align with the candidate’s career goals.

When urgent roles pop up, the AI can reach qualified candidates in real time.

Most importantly, candidates can respond when it's convenient for them. No more scheduling conflicts, missed calls, or back-end-forth emails.

Tips for text messaging:

• Always get opt-in consent for messaging candidates on their personal phones.
• Personalize your SMS outreach—mention relevant skills, roles, or industries.
• Use AI to track response times, optimize outreach, and escalate to a recruiter when needed.

AI-powered chat support function

Many high-intent candidates drop off simply because they can't get a straight answer to basic questions: Is this remote? Do I qualify? Can you sponsor a visa?

In fact, 47% of candidates cited poor communication—such as lack of updates or unresponsive recruiters—as the top reason for withdrawing from an application process.

If you’re not answering those questions instantly, they’ll move on. This happens across industries, but more so in hourly roles, where applicants expect fast response times.

AI-powered chat support built into your career site or landing pages can handle these FAQs automatically. It gives potential candidates real-time support, improves conversion rates, and makes your employer brand look sharp and responsive.

It also helps with candidate screening. For example, based on a few quick answers, the AI can recommend relevant job openings—or disqualify someone politely before they waste time applying.

Best of all, every conversation becomes usable data. You can identify drop-off points, refine job postings, and improve recruiting processes using real insights from real candidates.

Tips for AI-powered chat support:

• Start with your top 10 FAQs and build a smart flow.
• Use AI to route complex queries to a recruiter or hiring manager in real-time.
• Track engagement, application conversions, and common blockers via your recruiting software.

AI engagement assistant in the talent pool

Most candidate databases are full of profiles that haven’t been touched in months—or years. But with the right AI assistant, those profiles become your best shortcut to faster placements.

AI engagement tools can reactivate cold candidates in your CRM by sending personalized messages at the right time. Whether it's a text check-in, a job alert, or a helpful article, these tools turn passive candidates into warm leads—all without manual effort.

The AI watches for signals like job title changes, LinkedIn activity, or lapsed GDPR consent, then triggers messages that feel timely and relevant. Instead of blasting “Just checking in!” texts, it sends targeted nudges based on real behavior and context.

These assistants also enrich candidate data, filling in missing fields and updating stale info as part of each conversation. Your database stays clean, current, and ready for the next urgent job opening.

Tips for leveraging AI engagement assistants:

• Segment your talent pools thoughtfully—by industry, experience level, career stage, and interests.
• Set up intelligent triggers based on career changes and job market conditions.
• Make it easy for candidates to control their communication preferences.
• Always prioritize quality interactions over quantity - spamming candidates on their mobile device is a sure-fire way to get blocked.

Over to you

The agencies winning the best candidates in 2025 aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest teams, they're the ones who've discovered the recruiting platforms that allow them scale genuine human connection through AI technology.

If you’re ready to give it a go, take a look at Carv’s product line or book a demo below to see how AI can support your talent acquisition efforts.