TalentMinded

Mobile phones have come a long way. From the original Motorola DynaTAC 8000X released in the mid-80s to the sleek and sexy design of Apple’s iPhone, mobile devices have truly evolved and play a huge role in most users’ everyday lives. Those with access to the mobile web can order food, find a cab, chat with friends and even apply to jobs during their commute to work or while they wait at the doctor’s office. This also opens the door to mobile recruiting from the employer side.

With the rise of mobile technology, tech savvy leaders from all industries have begun to take notice of the potential that exists within the platform. At last year’s mRecruitingcamp, the first big mobile recruiting conference, an all-star lineup of the industry’s best HR, recruitment and digital strategy experts presented the latest stats, tips and tactics for creating and implementing a mobile recruiting strategy.

3 Mobile Recruiting Musts Straight from the Experts’ Mouths

If you’re considering going mobile with your recruitment efforts, build a solid foundation for your own mobile strategy by knowing your audience, joining the conversation and adding mobile to other channels you may already be using.

1. Know your audience. The ability to successfully attract and recruit top talent for your company is dependent upon your ability to understand your audience. This is true no matter the channels you use, but when it comes to mobile recruiting, extra attention must be given to job seeker behavior. According to Chuck Martin, CEO of The Mobile Future Institute and Director of the Center of Media Research at MediaPost, before you implement a mobile recruiting strategy, you must find out how your target talent is using it. Active job seekers may be using mobile job apps, while passive candidates may be using smartphones to simply search the mobile web.

Managing Director of Careerbuilder Mobile at Careerbuilder.com Eric Offner also emphasized that there are two Internets: the web and the mobile web. Mobile web and smartphone usage may be huge, but if members of your target audience have not yet adapted them, a strong focus on mobile may not be your primary recruitment method. Offner says talent acquisition leaders must know their audience and make job searching and applying easy for them.

2. Be engaging. Passive and active job seekers are drawn to brands and organizations that offer compelling content and engage in conversation. In fact, a majority of job seekers report connecting with companies because they want their career-related questions answered. But, problems arise when organizations use their social and professional platforms to simply post job openings. “Use mobile apps for engagement, not solicitation,” Chris Hoyt, Talent Engagement and Marketing Leader for PepsiCo, said. Instead of screaming about job opportunities, have conversations with your users about company culture, your employee value proposition and industry news. Engaging discussions attract users to your talent network and build relationships with candidates that will last for years to come.

3. Don’t eliminate other channels. Mobile recruiting is the now. However, completely eliminating other channels like social media, job boards and career sites will not produce the desired ROI. According to Louis Vong, Vice President of Digital Strategy for TMP Worldwide, mobile should not stand alone. A majority of your target audience may use the mobile web and mobile apps in their job search, but it is not a one size fits all strategy. The key is to understand how mobile can extend and enhance – not replace – other recruitment channels, said Michael Becker, North America Managing Director for the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA). An effective overall recruitment strategy involves understanding what works for your target talent and adjusting to their behaviors.

 

Photo credit: Kyle Bean