What's WhatsApp Business and Do I Need It For My Recruitment Business and Website?

We all know what WhatsApp is and I can pretty much guarantee you & everyone you know has the app on their mobile phone, along with an unused Telegram and Signal app too. But what is WhatsApp Business? 

WhatsApp Business is a free to download app, much like the consumer version we all know but this one is designed specifically for small to medium-sized businesses, which encompasses the majority of recruitment agencies. 

It offers a range of features to enhance communication with your clients and candidates and hopefully streamline business operations and improve client experience. 

I’m going to dive into what the tangible product is, the benefits of integrating it with your business, any disadvantages, how you’d go about setting it up and integrating it with your recruitment website, official documentation and pricing structures. 

Benefits for your recruitment agency

• It allows for real-time, direct communication with job seekers and employers, enhancing engagement with your client base.

• On the note of engagement WhatsApp boasts a 98% open rate compared to email's 12-40%. Candidates & clients are more likely to see and respond to your messages, after their initial contact with your agency.

• It’s a great way to market to clients and candidates, for example sending job openings or updates to multiple contacts simultaneously, thereby increasing efficiency.
• Easy and convenient to share job descriptions, videos, CVs and general company information with clients & candidates.

• You’re able to set up automated messages for outside of working hours but also for common queries, saving you and your consultants time and ensuring prompt responses for website visitors.

• It gives you the ability to create a professional business profile with useful information like your website, location, and contact details.

• You can organise conversations and categorise clients, candidates, and other contacts for easy management.

• It can act as a customer support channel offering quick & convenient support for common issues or questions.

Disadvantages of using it

• First and foremost it does have its scalability limits and I wouldn’t advise this channel for large businesses or for handling a vast number of clients simultaneously. If you have more than 20 consultants in the business then I’d look to other options such as an outsourced virtual chat system or chatbot. 

• WhatsApp is an encrypted service but handling sensitive data over WhatsApp can raise privacy issues; it's crucial to maintain data protection standards. This is especially true when we consider the type of information that may be sent across to you, which could include CVs, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, salary information, contracts, copies of passports, visas, etc. 

• As we all use WhatsApp on a daily basis to speak with our children, spouses, partners and friends it can be perceived as a more informal communication channel, which can be a good thing but also might not work in your favour depending on the sector you recruit for. It might work well for a recruitment agency that specialises in the media & advertising sector but not be a great option for more formal industries such as banking & finance.  

• It obviously requires a stable internet connection but I think most people understand that. 

Do you need a separate number?

• Yes, you're going to need a separate number and a mobile number specifically. When you register, part of the process is WhatsApp Business sending a text to the number you are using and you’ll need a mobile number for this to confirm receipt of the text. 

Integrating with your website

• You can integrate WhatsApp Business directly with your website by adding a WhatsApp contact button or link, enabling visitors to message you directly. There are also several third party firms that can help with the integration. 

Is it a paid service?

• WhatsApp Business is free for download and use. However, if you scale up and require advanced features like API access for integration with larger systems, bulk messaging or certain automations then there will be associated costs.

Official documentation

• The WhatsApp Business website (https://business.whatsapp.com/) offers comprehensive official documentation and guides. It gives you a great introduction to the service and also has plenty of documentation for your developers to integrate it with your website. 

Steps to getting started

• First you’ll need to download either the Android or iOS app.

• Once downloaded, register with the service using a business mobile number - do not use your personal mobile number if you already have a personal WhatsApp associated with it. 

• Set up your business profile, including essential information about your recruitment agency - name, logo, address, websites, etc.

• Have a play around with the automated messages, labels, and broadcast lists. Craft quick replies for common questions. Write a welcoming greeting message when a visitor opens up the chat section and activate away messages for non-business hours.

• Integrate WhatsApp Business with your recruitment website. Speak with your developer or use a third-party plugin for integration purposes.

• Use your social media channels, website and email marketing to inform your clients and candidates that they can reach you on WhatsApp Business.

If you have any questions on registering for the service or integrating it with your website then get in touch!