SMS Interviews

What you get: Candidates are screened by text. The AI sends short questions, they reply at their pace, and you get pass/fail and a full transcript.

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When to use it

Use SMS screening when you want to:

• Screen large volumes quickly: Get answers from many candidates without scheduling calls.
• Cut no-shows and slow replies: Text gets opened and answered faster than long emails.
• Ask simple, mobile-friendly questions: Yes/no or numeric so they can reply in seconds.
• Filter on must-haves first: Disqualify early so you only invest time in qualified candidates.
• Reach people who won’t open emails: Especially for hourly, frontline, or high-volume roles.

Less ideal for: Deep skill assessment or long-form answers. Use voice/video for that.

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Before you start

• Phone number: Your workspace needs a number for SMS. Go to Outreach → Phone Numbers to view or add. Need one? Contact your dedicated CSM or reach out to support@heymilo.ai.
• Question plan: Decide how many questions (e.g. 1–6; 3 is a good default). Each message has a cost, so keep it short and impactful.

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Add SMS screening

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Step 1 — Add the stage

In Interview Stages, add SMS Screening. Click the SMS Screening card to open setup.

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Step 2 — Quick setup and configuration

Control how the SMS agent runs:

• Prompt version: V1 (legacy) or V3 (recommended) — V3 has custom messages, multilingual, and better nudges.
• Number of questions: 1–6; 3 recommended. Fewer = faster replies and less drop-off.
• Enforce Required Qualifications: ON = candidates can be auto-disqualified. OFF = SMS is informational only. Turn ON if you want SMS to filter.

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Step 3 — Customize candidate messages

Control how SMS feels to candidates:

• Intro message: First text they get. Use {{name}}, {{interviewer_name}}, {{company_name}}, {{job_title}}. Example: “Hi {{name}}! I’m {{interviewer_name}} from {{company_name}}. Thanks for applying — can I ask a few quick questions about the {{job_title}} role?”
• Disqualification message: Sent when they fail a knockout. Customize or let AI decide.
• Follow-up message: Nudge when they haven’t replied.
• Call invitation message: Sent to qualified candidates to move them to phone or web interview.

You can toggle AI-generated messages on or off for more or less control.

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Step 4 — Context (optional)

Add shared context so the AI asks better follow-ups and keeps tone right. Options: Company info, role details, hiring process, interview style. Not shown verbatim to candidates.

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Step 5 — Nudge and timing settings

Protect candidate experience and compliance:

• Cooldown period: How long to wait before nudging (e.g. 24 hours).
• Maximum nudges: How many follow-ups (e.g. 3).
• Blackout period: Time window when messages are not sent. Important for compliance, time zones, and trust.

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Step 6 — Questions and scoring

HeyMilo generates a baseline set of SMS questions. Edit, delete, or add your own.

• Question types: Yes/No and Numeric only — keep it short so candidates reply fast.
• Required qualifications (dealbreakers): Mark questions as knockouts for work authorization, shift availability, certifications, years of experience. If enforced, failures are auto-disqualified.

Tip: Each message costs money and long flows increase drop-off. Keep questions short, mobile-friendly, and relevant. Use SMS early, then hand off to resume or voice/video if you need more depth.

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Step 7 — Test before going live

Check how questions are asked, how nudges behave, and how disqualifications trigger.

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Step 8 — Activate and add other stages

When SMS is ready, activate the interviewer. You can add form, resume, or voice/video as other stages — do it before candidates interact (or duplicate the agent and add stages in the new copy). SMS often works best as the first step; only qualified candidates move on.

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Step 9 — Review SMS results

Results appear in each candidate’s profile under SMS Evaluation:

• SMS Score: Pass/fail, which questions were met or failed, dealbreaker outcomes, eligibility for next steps.
• SMS Transcription: Full thread, exact responses, timestamps. You can also continue messaging the candidate from this tab.

Together you get both the decision (pass/fail) and the context (full conversation).

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Things to remember

• Keep questions short: SMS is for quick filter questions, not long descriptions. Save depth for voice/video.
• Yes/No or numeric only: SMS doesn’t support long answers. You get fast replies and clear pass/fail.
• Set expectations in the question: Add “(Yes/No)” or “(Provide a number)” at the end so candidates know what to send. Fewer processing issues and clearer answers.
• Each question has a cost: More questions = more messages. Keep the flow intentional.

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Fast-track a candidate past SMS

Sometimes you’ve already qualified a candidate elsewhere — a sourcing call, a referral, an in-person event — and you don’t need them to go through SMS screening before the voice interview. The Skip SMS action sends them straight to the next stage. How:

1. ​Open the interviewer → Candidates.
2. ​Find the candidate → click the ⋯ (three dots) on their row.
3. ​Select Skip SMS → confirm.

The candidate gets the voice interview link by email (their “magic link”) and can start right away. Anyone you don’t fast-track keeps following the normal SMS → voice flow. Good to know:

• ​Only the candidates you fast-track skip SMS. Everyone else moves through the usual pipeline.
• ​They’ll still appear on your Candidates page with their voice interview status.

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Next steps

• Outreach → Phone Numbers — Set up your SMS number
• Voice/Video Interviews — Add a voice or video stage after SMS