Mobile recruiting was introduced in 2007 and as it continues to rapidly evolve, job seeker behaviors are changing quickly too. It might surprise most recruiting leaders that 90 percent of job seekers now utilize mobile devices when looking for a new opportunity. What shouldn’t be surprising is that the experience during your company’s hiring process can determine whether a candidate pursues the opportunity further and ultimately accepts a job offer.
Leveraging the benefits of mobile technology can help you avoid massive drop-off rates and increase candidate conversion rates. Here are seven tips to help you succeed in mobile recruiting:
- Optimize your careers site. More than half of Fortune 500 companies have a mobile careers site but it must be mobile enabled to be effective. First impressions count. To enhance the candidate experience make sure your site loads quickly and allow a seamless transition from your main website, with a branded careers page that matches your overall web theme. Whichever route visitors take to your careers site, whether through social media, job boards or an online search, they must be directed to mobile-optimized pages.
- Mobile-enabled job application. Only 18 percent of recruiting leaders say that they have optimized their job postings for mobile devices. Talent is on the move. Keep it simple with a ‘one-click’ apply option and make sure all links are easy to follow with a functional search facility, concise job descriptions and the option to apply using a LinkedIn profile without the need for cover letters or resumes. A shorter process will prevent frustrated talent from abandoning their application.
- Automated text messages. Automated messages are an instant and effective way of leveraging the benefits of mobile technology by acknowledging applications, updating candidates on their progress and scheduling interviews. Add a personal touch by sending reminders to candidates on the day of their interview and confirming the time and names of the hiring panel. Candidates will speak favorably of their experience with your company even if they aren’t offered the job.
- Provide relevant mobile optimized content. Prospective employees want to read more about your company than a list of available jobs but less than 40 percent of companies offer career-related content on their mobile site. Provide relevant updates on developments and careers within your company to grab the attention of talent and target the concerns of your prospective hires addressing areas such as culture, leadership and career development opportunities.
- Create talent networks. Create and nurture talent networks by sending automated updates to candidates who have opted in to learn more about career events and job openings with your company. Engagement must be consistent and all enquiries met with a prompt response. The next time a hiring need arises, you have a ready-made talent pipeline to tap into.
- Attract millennials. Millennials expect your career site to be fully functional and optimized for mobile. With 75 percent of the workforce predicted to consist of Generation Y within ten years, the time to optimize your hiring process is now. The businesses that succeed in attracting the talent of the future will be those that provide an innovative candidate experience. Mobile technology is the key to that.
- Use mobile for hiring teams. Successful hiring requires collaboration. Mobile recruiting technology empowers hiring teams by enabling them to review and rate candidates, share feedback and make referrals on the go. Forward thinking employers leverage the benefits of hiring apps to stay on top of their hiring activity and stay ahead in the search for talent.
Mobile recruiting isn’t going away; in fact it should be an increasingly more integral part of your talent attraction and acquisition strategies. How quickly you can respond to the changing needs and job seeker behaviors will determine how far you progress in your quest for hiring success.
