TalentMinded

TalentMinded is attending mRecruitingcamp in San Francisco this weekend and event founder Michael Marlatt offered to share how mobile media helps employers attract today’s connected talent. Enjoy his post!

Mobile Changing the Face of Talent Attraction & Engagement

Mobile is everywhere. It is by far the most widely used technology on the planet. And with over 5.2 billion mobile phone subscriptions worldwide, it has become the preferred – and often primary – means of communication, content delivery, downloads and consumption.

Cast a glance at any restaurant, coffee shop or airport and it’s easy to see the influence mobile connectivity plays within our society. It has evolved from a pure voice medium to something much more powerful. Our cultural, social and business necessities have fueled our need to be hyper-connected, and the mobile device is at the epicenter of this transformation.

Times have changed and so should our recruitment strategies. Today’s professionals have evolved and are on-the-go. We have become a society obsessed with staying connected, both while we work and while we play. A 2010 Mobile Workforce study from iPass revealed that over 94% of those surveyed reported staying connected either always or occasionally during vacation. In addition, iPass also discovered that over 96% of mobile employees carried two or more mobile devices, with almost 50% carrying three or more. Society’s addictiveness to mobile technology, pervasiveness and sheer dominance gives it a pivotal position as a talent attraction and engagement channel for the next generation.

According to the CTIA, there were over 302 million U.S. wireless subscriber connections as of December 2010. With U.S. wireless penetration now over 96%, employers have a unique opportunity to leverage this vastly untapped recruitment channel. For job seekers, the mobile device serves as an ideal channel for remaining discreet while actively – or passively – exploring the latest career opportunities. Whether a job seeker joins an SMS campaign, views a position on a mobile career site or responds to a position through a job app, the convenience of exploring new jobs anytime, anywhere offers an advantage.

Mobile is the communication channel employers have been very slow to adopt. However, forward-thinking corporations are finally beginning to recognize that they must innovate in order to effectively compete for the best possible talent. Extensive research from organizations such as Nielsen, iPass, Comscore, Pew Internet, etc., all point to the pervasiveness of mobile. There is no doubt that mobile has the greatest worldwide reach of all mass mediums. It is time we move beyond the question of whether mobile recruiting makes sense. As employers, our focus should turn to how we can create meaningful content that attracts and engages our target audiences.

Mobile as a standalone solution is not the answer. However, by integrating mobile as part of our overall digital recruitment strategy, we are setting the stage for engaging the new workforce in the way they want to be reached.

 

This post also appears on Michael’s blog. View it here