TextExpander Story: How Maisha L. Cannon Uses TextExpander to Be a Better Recruiter

To start, please introduce yourself and what you do for a living.

I’m Maisha and I am a professional recruiter with a passion for training. My specialty is sourcing – identifying, engaging and assessing talented people.

I also enjoy sharing lessons learned from my career with the Recruiting/Sourcing community by speaking at conferences, conducting webinars and creating custom training for teams.

And how about what you do for fun?

I enjoy listening to music (from Mozart to Les Nubians) and learning about technology and design (from Python to cinemagraphs). I also write about a variety of topics, from non-linear career paths to tips for job seekers.

What are some of the challenges in your line of work that TextExpander has helped you address? Where has it been most impactful for you?

TextExpander has been the most impactful in my day-to-day correspondence with internal hiring managers and external candidates.

Recruiters and sourcers can benefit greatly from TextExpander since many of the most time-consuming administrative pieces of our day – process documentation, note-taking, and written communication – can be automated.

If you can remember, think back to your work B.T.E. – Before TextExpander. What were those dark times like?

Tedious. Time-consuming. Inefficient.

Do you remember how you discovered TextExpander?

I was actually introduced to TextExpander during my onboarding as a Technical Sourcer at Google. I recall hearing the team trainer say, “Download this tool.” I also recall ignoring that sage advice.

A few weeks later, I had my light-bulb moment as I found myself typing the same outreach message to 20-30 candidates each day. I quickly downloaded the app. That was four years ago and TextExpander has played an integral role in my daily workflow ever since.

If you could pick one thing, what would you most like to see improved or added to TextExpander?

It’s quite functional as is, but I would love to see the default text a bit larger and the UI a bit more slick and intuitive.

Could you share a couple snippets that are specific to your industry?

I like to send a follow-up email to candidates after the first discovery call (phone screening). Usually, this message contains links that address questions we weren’t able to cover during the brief introductory call.

Here’s one from my days at LinkedIn:

saving time and keystrokes with a common follow-up message.

It’s also nice to send an introduction to candidates who were referred by current employees.

Snippet: Note to an Employee Referral

And this is a simple reply to a frequently asked question about remote work.

Frequently used response to candidate inquiring about available locations.

Can you share a couple of your TextExpander stats? Namely: number of snippets, and overall time saved?

I saved four hours in August using almost 400 snippets. I’m sure I spent that extra time napping!

Hours saved using TextExpander in August 2017.

Wrap-up

Thanks to Maisha for that peek into the wide world of recruiting and how TextExpander helps her be a better recruiter.

You can find Maisha on Twitter @TalentGenie, on YouTube and find more of her thoughts on her blog at MaishaCannon.com.

If you have a story to tell, let us know. Keep up with our tips, and stories, on Twitter @TextExpander or on Facebook.