In much of Latin America, Europe, India and Africa, candidates answer WhatsApp long before they open email. This WhatsApp recruitment message template set covers the opt-in wording, a first message written to work as an approved Message Template, and a scheduling reply for once the candidate writes back. Everything is free to copy and edit, and there's a Spanish version for bilingual hiring.
WhatsApp recruiting message template
Step 1: opt-in wording for your application or careers page
Step 2: the first message (submit as a Message Template)
Step 3: the scheduling reply, inside the 24-hour window
When to use it
Use WhatsApp when it's how your candidates already talk: markets where it's the default messenger, frontline and hourly roles, and international or cross-border hiring. It works well for quick confirmations and scheduling, and for sending a location pin or a video link the candidate can open on the spot.
Keep formal documents elsewhere. Offer letters, contracts and anything with salary negotiation belong in email or your ATS, with WhatsApp only pointing to where they are.
How to customize it
- Write in the language the candidate applied in. If your form collects a preferred language, use it to pick the template.
- Keep the first message plain. Message Templates on the WhatsApp Business Platform go through review, and a short, specific message about an application fits its stated purpose.
- Offer numbered choices or YES or NO replies. They're quick to answer with one thumb and easy to process on your side.
- Send from a WhatsApp Business account whose profile shows your company name, logo and website, so the candidate can tell the message is genuine before they read it.
- Give candidates a clear path to a human in every automated flow: a recruiter's name, an in-chat transfer, or a phone number.
WhatsApp's rules for business messages
WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy lets a business contact a person only if they gave you their number and you received opt-in permission to receive messages from you. Meta's developer guidance adds that the opt-in can be general, not WhatsApp-specific, but it must clearly say the person is opting in and name the business. You must respect any request to block, stop or opt out, whether it arrives on WhatsApp or somewhere else, and people can block or report a business, which can lead WhatsApp to limit how many messages it may send.
On the Business Platform, conversations you start must use an approved Message Template. Once the candidate writes to you, a 24-hour customer service window opens, and it resets with each new message from them; inside it you can reply freely. Automation is allowed in that window if a person can reach a human promptly. Depending on where you and the candidate are, privacy and marketing laws may also apply. This is not legal advice.
Variations
Spanish version of the first message
Day-before interview reminder (Message Template)
Mistakes to avoid
- Messaging numbers scraped from profiles, groups or old spreadsheets. Without opt-in you break WhatsApp's policy, and blocks and reports can limit your account.
- Adding candidates to a group chat. It exposes everyone's phone number to strangers; message each person one to one.
- Sending voice notes as the first contact. Many people won't play audio from an unknown business, and it's hard to skim later.
- Relying on a personal phone. When that recruiter leaves, the conversations and opt-in records leave too.
Automating this with Carolina
Carolina, NTRVSTA's AI Head of Talent, runs candidate outreach on WhatsApp alongside email and SMS, answers with updates as people move through the process, and books interviews on your connected calendar. It can also score each applicant's resume against the job before it reaches out, so recruiters spend their time on the strongest matches. Guardrails are set per action (suggest, ask first or auto), and offers and compensation changes always wait for a person.
If good candidate experience in your markets means WhatsApp first, you can test it on one open role with the free Starter plan; paid tiers are listed under pricing.
Questions
Do I need permission to message candidates on WhatsApp?
Yes. WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy says you may contact people only if they gave you their phone number and you received opt-in permission to message them. The opt-in must name your business and say clearly what the person is agreeing to. Local laws may add more requirements. This is not legal advice.
What is the WhatsApp 24-hour window?
On the WhatsApp Business Platform, the customer service window opens when a person messages you and resets with each new message from them. Inside it you can reply freely. Outside it, you can only send pre-approved Message Templates, which is why your first recruiting message needs to be one.
Can I use automation for WhatsApp recruiting messages?
WhatsApp's policy allows automation when responding within the 24-hour window, as long as people have a prompt, clear way to reach a human, such as an in-chat transfer, a phone number or an email address. In recruiting, that means a candidate should always be able to get to a recruiter.
Hiring where candidates live on WhatsApp? Book a 20-minute demo and we'll walk through an opt-in to booked interview flow. For U.S. candidates who prefer plain texts, see the recruiting text message template, or browse all templates.
