“Mobile Recruitment” – The Strategy you can't ignore

Did you know that 44 % of people go to sleep with their mobile phones next to their bed because they don’t want to miss any updates, calls or messages during the night? This is what the Pew Internet Project survey recently revealed and it doesn’t surprise me that companies want to take advantage of this obsession in various ways. Searching and finding great talent via mobile recruitment strategies is just one option.

The results of several surveys prove that companies can’t ignore anymore the fact that they have to think “mobile” when it comes to meeting their recruitment needs. 68 % of job seekers look for jobs by using their mobile devices (Glassdoor), 80 % of job seekers are using mobile technology in their job search (Jibe), 41 % of traffic comes from mobile devices (Career Builder) and the list goes on.

Creating a mobile-friendly version of your website means that it can be accessed on the go from devices such as smartphones, cell phones, tablets or iTouch. People don’t want to wait until they can access a computer, they want their information: quickly, at all times, from anywhere and from any device.

Companies need to know how they can apply a mobile recruitment strategy that fits into their overall one. Let’s not forget to mention the benefits for a company, such as receiving a higher number of applications, improving the company’s brand and reducing the jobseekers drop-off rates. A survey from CareerBuilder has shown that if a company doesn’t have a mobile-friendly website 65 % of their potential applicants will instantly leave the website and 40 % will have a negative impression about the company. And not just that: your company will also be automatically disqualified from 20 % of internet searches, no matter how great your SEO strategy originally was.

Here are some ideas on how you can easily implement an effective mobile recruitment strategy for your own company. What should potential hires be able to do using their mobile devices?

• To filter jobs by department and function. The company needs to keep short job descriptions and ensure that the search functionality is working properly.
• To easily find useful information about the organisation, culture and job vacancies. The company needs to offer a quick and smooth process to apply for corporate jobs with a software that works seamlessly. This should shorten the application process drastically. Things should not get complicated by directing candidates to another website in order to complete their application.
• To watch corporate videos. Yes, even on a small screen! A company should not miss out on this opportunity to provide jobseekers with visual insights into their organisation’s culture. No brochure would be able to convey the same message. People love watching videos!
• To upload their CV easily and quickly from any online storage location.
• To send themselves a reminder in email format if they prefer to submit or complete their application later on from their computer. The company should optimize their content for bookmarking and retargeting.
• To conduct video job interviews via Skype or Google Hangouts using their built-in camera. This would save both parties (candidate and HR Manager) money and time. Furthermore, it would increase the number of applicants dramatically, no matter where they reside.
• To be kept informed about the status of the application. It should be possible to track it. The company should confirm that they received the candidate’s application. There is nothing more annoying for a jobseeker as to being ignored.

Other important points that recruiters need to consider are as follows:

• Advertise job ads via social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin) since many internet users are logged in throughout the day via mobile device. Make sure there is a team of people who can answer candidates’ questions (no matter in what form they are coming in) and interacts with them on those networking sites.
• Consider passive candidates. Try to attract also those who are not actively looking for a job. You can do this by writing blog articles on a regular basis, update your social media websites, publish videos on YouTube (make sure they are also mobile-optimized) or creating SEO optimised websites.
• Consider the time. People check their mobile phones the most in the morning before heading to work or college, at lunchtime and in the evening hours. If you want to send out several information (eg. job alerts, information regarding upcoming job fairs or other career events, interview invitations etc.) do it possibly during those times between 6-9am, 12noon and 2pm and 5pm-10pm. This will help you to get responses in a reasonable time.
• Last but not least, mobile-optimise your email. Have a closer look as to how your emails look on a mobile device. Make sure the content is short, clean and simple. Subject lines should not be longer than 15 characters. The size of links or your ‘calls to action’ should be increased so that they can’t be overlooked.

There is no doubt about it: companies, regardless of their size, need to embrace mobile recruitment strategies if they want to find high-quality employees in a quick and effective way. Thus, offering an application process which is mobile-friendly, and having a website which is also mobile-optimised are the keys to success in finding the right talent. Also the Industry Head of Recruitment and Google UK, Emma Frazer, states that “Not using a mobile recruitment strategy could have a genuine ‘opportunity cost’ for the company involved.”