Text to Apply Software Hire in hours, not days or weeks!
Text to apply turns every "Now Hiring" sign into a 60-second SMS application that pre-screens candidates and books interviews automatically - no app, no login, no career-site form.
What is Text to Apply?
Text to apply is recruiting software that lets candidates start a job application by texting a keyword to a phone number. The apply by text software replies with an automated SMS conversation that captures contact information, pre-screens for fit, and schedules the interview — all over text.
Text to apply is the new mobile-first job application for frontline hiring, and a core component of the broader text recruiting platform category. Instead of a 20–55 minute career-site form that 95% of mobile candidates abandon, the candidate sends one text and GoHire's text recruiting software walks them through the rest in under 60 seconds. The recruiter wakes up to scheduled interviews instead of hundreds of unqualified candidates they have to call and email.
60–75% of job applications today come from mobile devices (iCIMS), but text recruiting outperforms email response rates by 8x in candidate communication (ClearCompany). That's why frontline employers in restaurants, retail, manufacturing, and healthcare have moved their top-of-funnel hiring to SMS.
No app. No login. No form.
Text to apply eliminates the friction that kills traditional online application.
App downloads
Candidates use the SMS app already on their phone.
Login + passwords
No career-site account. No "forgot password" loop.
20-minute forms
60-second SMS conversation, not a desktop application.
From QR Code or sign to ATS in one workflow
Text to apply isn't just the application step. It's the full top-of-funnel hiring workflow, automated and connected to your calendar and applicant tracking system (ATS).
See the Sign
QR code in a store window, on a job-fair table, or in a digital ad.
Text APPLY
Candidate texts a keyword to your dedicated GoHire number.
Pre-screen via SMS
Automated qualification questions — location, role, availability.
Schedule Interview
Qualified candidates self-schedule from open recruiter slots.
Interview Booked
In-person or phone. Auto-reminders 24h and 1h before.
Sync to ATS
Candidate record + conversation transcript pushed to your ATS.
Two-way candidate communication continues automatically — see two-way text recruiting workflow for the full sequence. For larger teams, automated interview scheduling routes confirmed interviews directly into recruiter calendars. Recruiters can text candidates from any job board or ATS using the GoHire Chrome extension for recruiters.
3 ways to deploy text to apply software
1. Auto-Response
The simplest form. Candidate texts your keyword, the system replies with a static welcome message and a career-site link.
Captures: ~5% of candidates. Use only for one-off career-fair signage.
2. Capture & Pre-Screen
The candidate completes the apply inside the text conversation. Branded welcome, contact capture, pre-screening Q&A, hand-off to the hiring team.
Captures: ~90% of candidates. Entry-level GoHire deployment. Best fit for most frontline employers.
3. Conversational AI
Full enterprise tier. Multi-location routing, FAQ handling, multilingual support, deep ATS integration, end-to-end scheduling automation. Runs on the broader recruiting automation platform.
See the full catalog of conversational use cases in 11 ways to use a recruiting chatbot.
Works with the ATS you already use
GoHire's text to apply software syncs bidirectionally with the major applicant tracking systems. Candidate records, SMS transcripts, and status changes flow in both directions — no copy-paste, no parallel data entry.
Benefits of text to apply software
Down from 7–14 days. With 94% of qualified candidates taking the first offer (SHRM), speed wins.
vs. ~5% on traditional career sites — only 1 in 10 mobile visits results in a completed application (Textline).
Faster candidate response cuts 70% of ghosting (ClearCompany). Time shifts from outreach to evaluation.
Industries that benefit most from text recruiting
Text recruiting is built for frontline hiring environments — high candidate volume, hourly roles, distributed locations, and a mobile-first workforce.
Text to Hire vs. traditional online application
What GoHire customers say
With high-volume hiring we needed tech to interact with candidates at the top of the funnel by answering FAQs and gathering candidate contact information. Our GoHire text messaging chatbot does this while also providing a nice "human-centric" touchpoint for candidates.
More customer stories coming as the library grows.
Set up text to apply in days, not weeks
1–3 Days Typical Setup ATS integration typically requires additional time.
Create an account
Sign up and we'll provision your dedicated GoHire number.
Choose industry template
Restaurants, retail, manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare, logistics — or GoHire will customize for you.
Download QR Code + signs
Print-ready PDFs and digital PNGs with your logo and brand colors.
Post and go live
In store windows, break rooms, job ads. Candidates apply same day.
TCPA, 10DLC, and A2P compliance
GoHire handles the three regulatory layers for SMS recruiting so your team doesn't have to.
Prior express consent and keyword opt-in
TCPA requires prior express written consent before sending automated recruiting texts — violations cost $500–$1,500 per message. When a candidate texts your keyword, they're explicitly opting in. GoHire timestamps and logs every opt-in automatically. Full details in our TCPA compliance guide.
10DLC registration and A2P messaging
Any text to apply software sending messages at scale in the US must be registered under 10DLC with A2P messaging carriers. Unregistered numbers face filtering that blocks up to 80% of outgoing messages. GoHire handles 10DLC registration for your dedicated numbers as part of onboarding.
Opt-out (STOP) and carrier filtering
Every initial outbound message automatically includes "Reply STOP to opt out." Any STOP reply suppresses that candidate across the entire account. Industry opt-out rates run below 3%.
Frequently asked questions about text to apply
What is text to apply software?
Text to apply software lets candidates start a job application by texting a keyword to a phone number. The system replies with an automated SMS conversation that captures contact info, runs pre-screening questions, and in advanced configurations schedules the interview directly over text. Also called apply by text or text to hire.
How does text to apply work?
A candidate texts a keyword like APPLY to your dedicated GoHire number, or scans a QR code. GoHire walks the candidate through 4–6 qualifying questions in under 60 seconds. Qualified candidates are offered interview slots over SMS; recruiters see the completed conversation in their GoHire dashboard, and the record syncs to the ATS.
What ATS systems does GoHire integrate with?
GoHire integrates bidirectionally with Greenhouse, Lever, iCIMS, Workday, ADP, BambooHR, UKG, and 20+ others. SMS transcripts log to the candidate profile; ATS status changes can trigger automated text messages back to the candidate.
Does text to apply work for franchises with multiple locations?
Yes. A single text to apply number per brand asks the candidate which location they're interested in, then routes the qualified candidate to the right hiring manager. Advanced configurations support separate notification emails, location-specific job categories, and per-location reporting.
How much does text to apply software cost?
Pricing depends on volume, users, and tier. Most teams pay a monthly subscription based on recruiter seats and SMS volume. The ROI math is direct — if text to apply saves 20% of recruiter time and fills roles 5–7 days faster, the cost is recouped within the first quarter. See pricing.
How long does setup take?
Entry-level deployments using pre-built industry templates launch in 1–3 business days. Enterprise deployments with ATS integration, multi-location routing, and custom conversation logic typically launch in 2–4 weeks.
Is text to apply TCPA compliant?
Yes — when the keyword opt-in flow is used correctly. When a candidate texts your keyword, they're providing prior express consent and GoHire timestamps the opt-in automatically. GoHire also handles 10DLC registration and appends required STOP language to initial messages.
What's the difference between text to apply and a recruiting chatbot?
A recruiting chatbot can run on any channel — web widget, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, SMS. Text to apply is specifically a recruiting chatbot delivered over SMS, triggered by a keyword.
Ready to hire faster?
GoHire customers fill frontline roles in 24 hours instead of 7–14 days — with zero phone calls and zero emails. 90% of candidates who start a text to apply conversation finish it. 92% self-schedule within 24 hours.