Overview

iCIMS Text Engagement offers multiple channels for recruiters to communicate with candidates, including WhatsApp as well as SMS.  Meta requires businesses to use pre-approved templates when initiating contact with external recipients via WhatsApp and only allows freeform messages within 24 hours of an external recipient’s response.

This article addresses the process for creating and adding WhatsApp templates to your iCIMS Text Engagement account and using WhatsApp templates to communicate with candidates via iCIMS Text Engagement. For information on WhatsApp templates generally, review WhatsApp’s Message Template Guidelines. (This document is not maintained by iCIMS.) For general information on using WhatsApp through iCIMS Text Engagement, review the Using WhatsApp with iCIMS Text Engagement article.
 

Creating Templates

If your organization chooses to use WhatsApp through iCIMS Text Engagement, drafting your first several templates is part of your implementation process. After your implementation process is complete, you can draft new templates whenever you need an additional messaging option or you want to replace an older template.

Notes:

• Because all templates must be approved by WhatsApp, iCIMS recommends that you draft and submit a range of template options in advance of when they are needed.
• WhatsApp templates are not allowed to have marketing or promotional content, subscription messages (e.g., newsletters or blog post alerts), images, or graphic files.

 

Choosing Template Subjects

Templates are required for two key stages of candidate interactions:

• Contacting a candidate for the first time on WhatsApp
• Re-starting a conversation if more than 24 hours has passed since the candidate’s last message (e.g., over a weekend) and what Meta calls the Customer Care window (during which free-form messaging is allowed) has closed

iCIMS recommends that you have a few different options for each of the above situations. This allows you to avoid repetition (especially if you need to reopen a Customer Care window multiple times) and to tailor your message to different interactions. For example, you may want to have a few different follow-up templates:

• A general follow-up message
• A follow-up message after a weekend
• A follow-up message inviting a candidate to apply for a job
• A follow-up message inviting a candidate to schedule an interview

 

Including an Opt-Out Message

iCIMS Text Engagement’s customer-wide opt-out setting only applies to SMS messages. To ensure candidates communicating with you via WhatsApp also receive this option, you must include it in each of your template messages for initial contact.

Example: Hi Joe, this is Amy from iCIMS! I’d like to use WhatsApp to communicate during the interview process. Is this okay? If you no longer want to receive messages, reply STOP.

Note: If you change your customer-wide opt-out message after template creation, you then need to create new templates in order to update this language in WhatsApp. Templates cannot be edited after approval.
 

Translating Templates

You can submit template drafts in different languages; however, iCIMS Text Engagement cannot translate templates for you. For more information on WhatsApp’s policies regarding message templates and languages, review WhatsApp’s Supported Languages and WhatsApp’s Message Template Guidelines. (These documents are not maintained by iCIMS.)
 

Using Variables

Both WhatsApp and iCIMS Text Engagement allow users to include variables—placeholders for information like names—in their messages.

iCIMS Text Engagement offers two primary variables for use in WhatsApp messages:

• Candidate first name
• User first name

WhatsApp uses generic number variables in their templates. These numbers can stand in for iCIMS Text Engagement variables.
You can draft a WhatsApp template with one or more of these variables using the following steps:

1. Draft the message you want to send, noting any variables you want to use.

• Example: Hi [candidate first name], this is [user first name] from iCIMS. You previously expressed interest in iCIMS. Are you still open to discussing opportunities?

2. Replace your variables with numbers and put two sets of curly brackets around each number.

• Example: Hi {{1}}, this is {{2}} from iCIMS. You previously expressed interest in iCIMS. Are you still open to discussing opportunities?

3. Make sure it’s clear from context what each variable represents.

• Note: This is important for WhatsApp’s template approval process as well as ensuring that templates and variables are entered into iCIMS Text Engagement correctly.

 

Submitting Templates for WhatsApp Approval and Use in iCIMS Text Engagement

During initial implementation, submit your templates to your iCIMS Implementation Manager. Your iCIMS Implementation Manager then submits your templates for approval by WhatsApp. Most templates are approved or rejected within 48 hours. Once WhatsApp approves your templates, the iCIMS Implementation Manager adds them to your organization’s iCIMS Text Engagement instance and your users can leverage them when communicating with candidates.

Once a template has been approved, it cannot be edited.

To create new templates after your implementation process is complete, submit a case to iCIMS Technical Support with additional templates for approval. Follow the same format that you used during implementation.
 

Using WhatsApp Templates to Communicate with Candidates

When you use the WhatsApp channel to communicate with a new candidate, or if a candidate has not responded for more than 24 hours, the first message you send to the candidate must be a WhatsApp-approved template.

When WhatsApp Template-Only Sending is enabled, free text typing is disabled, and a message displays explaining that you can only send a WhatsApp template until the candidate responds. Select the WhatsApp Message Templates icon to search for an appropriate template message to send.

Note: In the WhatsApp channel, only approved WhatsApp templates display and can be used, not templates from other channels (e.g., SMS). WhatsApp templates do not display and cannot be used in any other channel (e.g., SMS).

If a candidate has responded within the past 24 hours and your conversation is in WhatsApp’s Customer Care window, no warning message displays and you can type freely as you would in any other channel.
 

Using the Digital Assistant to Communicate via WhatsApp

Customers with iCIMS Digital Assistant can also use the Digital Assistant to communicate with candidates via WhatsApp during a Customer Care window by completing the following steps:

1. Send the candidate an approved WhatsApp template as your initial message.
2. During the 24-hour Customer Care window following the candidate’s response, select the ARI icon.
3. If the Customer Care window closes before your conversation completes, repeat the previous steps as needed.