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.”