Don't Whatsapp me, Hong Kong! Recruiters still need face-to-face communication

WhatsApp is one of the most commonly used remote working tools among Hong Kong workers, according to a global survey on remote working habits. Over 90 percent of 365 workers surveyed in Hong Kong by the serviced office firm Regus, reported using WhatsApp when working away from the office.

I am one of the many WhatsApp fans in Hong Kong. With the ability to create group chats, the speed at which you can communicate and how those little blue ticks confirm that your messages have been read, it has made 'texting' as convenient as ever.

However, I have noticed it taking over the world of business and recruitment in Hong Kong which is a bit of a problem. Why is this a problem, you ask? Isn't it all part of modernising the workplace?

While the digital evolution has created easier communication and networking opportunities for businesses and individuals, the value of face-to-face communication should not be forgotten.

In the world of recruitment for instance, the need for human contact -- either over the phone or face-to-face -- should never be underestimated. Human interactions create the required trust and common understanding between recruiter, candidate, and employer. If you want to succeed as a recruiter, you will need to meet the people you are trying to bring together.

To start with, there are many critical conversations a recruiter needs to have throughout the recruitment process which can't be effectively done through WhatsApp. These are interactions that should always be done over the phone or face-to-face. For example, creating trust and establishing control, understanding salary while managing expectations, gaining interview feedback or managing objections.

When I speak to candidates or clients, I hear too many cases of recruiters using WhatsApp for these types of critical conversations in Hong Kong. The issue you face is that WhatsApp messages, or any type of text messages for that matter, can be misread, misinterpreted, or misunderstood. This can escalate out of control and before you know it you're waving goodbye to a potentially perfect candidate.

New technology is being created every day which makes recruitment faster, more efficient, and more productive. But these technological advances will never replace the human-to-human interaction that's needed to make the recruitment process successful and enjoyable for all involved.

The best recruiters only use WhatsApp to get in touch quickly to schedule a call but never to shape an outcome, especially when it is the future of the candidate and client you hold in your hands.

The use of WhatsApp in recruitment and the wider business world has the potential to create a static workforce, one that loses confidence, dynamism, and the tangential benefits of real human contact.

In a knowledge-based economy, it's a high risk strategy for individuals to neglect person-to-person connections.

WhatsApp, and any other chat and social networking applications, should be no substitute for human contact and companies should monitor their use and ensure staff are not conducting critical business via these channels.