A growing number of startups are trying to take the recruitment process into the digital age. Instead of relying on phone conversations and preliminary interviews, recruiters can rely on texting to test the waters. “You have a generation of recruiters that have grown up not talking on the phone,” says Aman Brar, the CEO of Canvas, a startup that helps recruiters text their first few moves with job candidates. “We're asking them to do something that's getting more awkward every day.” The idea, he says, is that by using texting as a tool early in the process, employers can save time and get answers to the basic questions they require in a much more comfortable and familiar space, rather than trying to schedule awkward phone calls. Often, the process is a lot faster. A 2016 Deloitte survey revealed that 93 percent of people check their phones while they’re at work, and those who do so check it around 50 times a day. Hiring managers are taking note, and have realized that it’s often faster to text with a potential new employee than email or call. Andrew Moon, a recruiter at 1-Page, says, “If you’re not already sourcing over text, it’s time to start.”