On this page
In short
- Candidates screened by a flow (role, experience, location, notice period) and moved through a pipeline per requisition
- Interview slots booked with reminders; documents collected with reply-to-upload; offers and onboarding as utility messages
- Sourcing messages to candidates who consented, by role and city; no marketing to a scraped list
Recruitment agencies and HR teams use WhatsApp to screen candidates in the first minute, schedule interviews without the back-and-forth, collect documents the same day, and keep candidates informed through offer and onboarding, all as utility messages about the candidate's own application. VGraple CRM runs the screening flow, the pipeline per requisition, the interview slots and the document checklist, with sourcing messages only to consenting candidates; the outcome is more interviews from the same applicants and fewer no-shows on the day.
The problem in numbers
Recruiters lose candidates to silence: the applicant who heard nothing for a week accepted elsewhere, the interview that was confirmed by email was missed, the documents requested by phone arrived after the joining date. And sourcing by broadcast to a scraped list is the fastest way to a blocked number. WhatsApp fixes the first three with utility messages the candidate wants (screening reply, interview confirmation and reminder, document checklist, offer and joining details) at Rs 0.115 or free inside an open window, and makes sourcing sustainable by sending openings only to candidates who asked.
Six things HR and recruitment teams automate on WhatsApp
1. Screening in the first minute
A job post link, a QR on a poster, a Lead Ad or a first message starts the flow: role as a list, experience band, location, current CTC band, notice period; the candidate is created as a lead in the requisition's pipeline with a score and the recruiter is assigned; the CV is requested with reply-to-upload.
hr_application_received (utility)
Hi {{1}}, thanks for applying for {{2}} at {{3}}. Reply with your CV as a document and I will schedule a call.
Flow builder, leads with lead scoring.
2. Interviews booked and reminded
A flow offers slots from the panel's availability, creates the appointment and sends a utility confirmation with the link or address; reminders the day before and an hour before with a reschedule reply.
hr_interview_confirmed (utility)
Hi {{1}}, your interview for {{2}} is confirmed on {{3}} at {{4}}. {{5}}. Reply R to reschedule.
Appointments with reminder timers.
3. Documents with restricted access
A utility checklist with reply-to-upload; documents attach to the candidate and are visible only to the onboarding team; the audit log records access.
hr_document_checklist (utility)
Hi {{1}}, for your onboarding at {{2}} we need: {{3}} by {{4}}. Reply with clear photos or PDFs.
Templates and security and roles.
4. Offer and onboarding updates
Stage changes send utility updates: shortlisted, offer released with the letter attached, joining details, day-one instructions; a sequence nudges an unaccepted offer.
hr_offer_released (utility)
Hi {{1}}, your offer for {{2}} at {{3}} is attached. Reply ACCEPT to confirm or ask me anything.
Stage automation under automation rules; sequences.
5. Candidate questions answered by the AI
The AI answers process questions (status, timelines, documents, location) from a knowledge base and hands anything about a specific decision to the recruiter.
hr_status (session, free)
Hi {{1}}, your application for {{2}} is at the {{3}} stage. We will message you within {{4}} days with the next step.
6. Sourcing with consent
New openings as a marketing template to candidates who consented, segmented by role and city, with an opt-out; interested replies enter the screening flow.
hr_new_opening (marketing)
Hi {{1}}, a new {{2}} role in {{3}} is open at {{4}}. Reply APPLY to start or STOP to opt out.
Broadcasts with consent and delivery protection.
Feature map
| Job | Feature | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Screening flow and pipeline per requisition | Flow builder, leads, lead scoring | Free |
| Interview scheduling and reminders | Appointments | Free |
| Document collection with restricted access | Templates, security and roles | Free |
| Offer and onboarding updates | Automation rules, sequences | Free |
| Candidate FAQs | AI chatbot | Growth Rs 3,499 |
| Sourcing with consent | Broadcasts, delivery protection | Free within Meta limits |
| ATS integration | Zapier, webhooks, REST API | Free |
| Recruiting team | Seats | Starter to Growth |
What it costs
An agency screening 2,000 candidates a month: screening replies mostly in-window (free); interview confirmations and reminders for 600 interviews (1,200 utility, Rs 138); document checklists and offer updates for 150 hires (600 utility, Rs 69); one sourcing message to 5,000 consenting candidates (Rs 4,316). Meta's total is about Rs 4,500 a month; VGraple CRM is Rs 3,499 on Growth for a team of recruiters with the AI.
A 30-day rollout plan
Week 1. Connect the number; submit the templates; build the screening flow; pipelines per requisition; import consenting candidates by role and city.
Week 2. Interview slots and reminders on; recruiters work from the pipeline on the Android app.
Week 3. Document checklist and offer stages; the AI for process questions; ATS connection through Zapier or the API.
Week 4. First sourcing message to consenting candidates; review screening-to-interview, interview attendance, time to document and blocks.
Getting the number ready
Most HR and recruitment businesses already run WhatsApp on the owner's phone, so the first decision is how to connect: coexistence keeps the WhatsApp Business app working on that phone while the team uses the inbox, with up to six months of history imported; an API-only connection suits a new number for the team. Either way, Embedded Signup takes a few minutes, the display name is reviewed by Meta, and business verification in Meta Business Manager lifts the marketing limit from 250 unique recipients a day to 1,000 and beyond. Submit the templates on day one; most are approved within the hour, and the template library has an industry collection ready to submit.
Consent, privacy and the rules that apply
A customer who messages first has consented to service replies and to utility messages about that transaction; marketing needs an explicit yes, recorded with source and date, and an opt-out on every marketing template. VGraple CRM records consent automatically from inbound messages, YES replies, forms, ads and imports, suppresses opted-out and blocked contacts before every send, honours STOP and Meta's app-level opt-out at once, and keeps marketing to United States numbers paused as Meta requires. Personal fields are encrypted at rest, access is by role and team, and the audit log records exports and deletions, which covers India's DPDP Act and GDPR for HR and recruitment data in practice. The opt-in rules guide has the detail.
Numbers to watch each week
First-response time on new conversations (minutes, not hours); the share of enquiries that reach the step that matters for HR and recruitment (a booking, a visit, an order, an enrolment); utility messages sent and how many were free inside open windows; replies to the last marketing send; and blocks on it, which should stay under 0.2 percent. The Analytics page shows them per agent and per campaign on Starter and above; the channel page shows the quality rating and tier, which the blocks feed. A yellow rating is the signal to tighten the segment before the next send, not after.
Common mistakes
- Sourcing to a purchased or scraped database.
- Interview confirmations by email only.
- Documents requested by phone and chased for a week.
- Candidates left without a status message for days.
- Recruiters on personal numbers; the candidate relationship leaves with them.
Why VGraple CRM for HR and recruitment
Screening flows with lead scoring, pipelines per requisition, appointments with reminders, document collection with restricted access, stage automation and sequences, the AI for process questions, ATS integration through Zapier and the API, and broadcasts with consent and delivery protection are on every plan; Growth adds the AI. The leads guide and the appointments guide show the mechanics.