Adults 18-24 years old send and receive over 128 texts every day.
Adults 25-34 years old send and receive over 75 texts every day.
Adults 35-44 years old send and receive over 52 texts every day.
Adults 45-54 years old send and receive over 33 texts every day.

Over the years, we have spoken to Human Resource professionals and Volunteer Coordinators that have stated that reference checking is one of, if not the most laborious aspect of their jobs. In fact, there many companies that have discontinued reference checking due to multiple reasons (none of which are valid reasons based on best practices). The reason that continues to be a front runner is: Time

“All I do I is leave voicemails”.
“I cannot get the reference to call me back”.
“I sent them an email”.

The problem is not the concept of reference checking; it is the method. Technology has advanced in the communication world in such a way that it is virtually impossible for someone not to know who is trying to contact them using any mode e.g. telephone, email, text.

If you are working at your job and the phone rings, are you going to answer if it is not a familiar number? My guess- No.

If you are working at your job and an email notification pops up from an unfamiliar email address, are you going to stop what you are doing to open it, let alone respond? My guess is- No. At best you will file it away among the other 350 “nonurgent” emails that you received that day. The average employee receives over 121 emails each day. http://www.hrdive.com/news/remote-workers-are-missing-the-memo-study-says/503255/

That leaves the last option: Text

Looking at the texting statistics above tell the story. Nearly 90% of Americans have cell phones with 77% of that 90% owning a smartphone. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/12/evolution-of-technology/

General conclusion: Everyone has a cell phone and everyone texts. Texting takes place at work, for work, on the commute, at home, at school, at soccer games, at lunch, on breaks, etc.

If I want to communicate with my kids, I send a text; I text my wife for a grocery list; I text my mom the address to a soccer game; text a picture to my college buddies. What do these activities have in common? None of these are business-related activities . . . but wait! I had a client last week ask me to, “Shoot me over your contact information to my cell.” My wife, a Certified Real Estate Appraiser, communicates all day via text with her management companies and clients www.accurateappraisalsin.com .

Texting is:

Immediate
Short
Effective
Efficient

Technology allows texting from multiple platforms; thereby, shifting the acceptable business communication methods paradigm. For example:

Canvas https://gocanvas.io/ - a revolutionary recruiting platform that utilizes texting to candidates.

Reflynk www.reflynk.com - a revolutionary automated reference checking platform that utilizes mobile text and/or email to conduct reference checks.

SafeVisitor Solutions www.safevisitorsolutions.com - a comprehensive visitor management platform that has multiple features that will notify using mobile texting.

So, can I Text My References? YES! if you want to get results. Fish where the Fish are as Communicate How the World Communicates.