The Future is Mobile With mobile device usage growing at a rampant rate across the world, many industries are looking for ways to take their businesses mobile. According to the International Data Corp, more Americans will surf the Internet from their mobile devices than from their PC’s by 2015. They also predict that half of all Internet traffic to career sites will come from mobile devices. Mobile recruiting enables job seekers to search for employment, schedule interviews, e-mail, and even video-chat with potential employers, all from a hand-held device. Researchers agree that mobile recruiting will continue to grow in the years ahead as millenials are expected to compose 40% of the workforce by 2020.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

• As of 2009, well over 91% of the US population has a cellphone or handheld device.

• The average person looks at their phone about 150 times per day

• 60% of passive candidates have visited a company site from their mobile device to learn about careers

• Almost half of active candidates have applied to a job on their mobile device

• 62% of passive candidates view career opportunities in their inbox from their cell phone

The Benefits of Mobile Recruiting The benefits of mobile recruiting are speed, convenience, and on-the-go access so that job seekers can apply for employment wherever they are. As shown by the statistics above, mobile isn’t going anywhere. Mobile is a logical extension of the recruitment process and it only makes sense that we use all technology at our disposal- it is a fact of life and companies need to incorporate it into their overall recruitment strategy. People aren’t always at their computer anymore & mobile recruiting allows organizations to provide potential candidates information they want anytime, anywhere, across any device. It allows individuals to respond instantly rather than having to go home and log on to our websites. Mobile recruiting is a necessity to deliver high caliber talent faster. Not only does it allow you to push information out regarding job openings and events, it also allows you to pull people in, engage them, and expand your database of job seekers. And it’s not just active candidates. Studies show that a significant amount of passive candidates are also browsing your career sites and reading your e-mails from their mobile devices.

First Impressions Do Matter In hyper competitive job markets, standing out from the competition sends a signal that your company is at the cutting edge. Mobile recruitment is about how you connect, how you engage, and what experience you deliver. Perhaps it is time to evaluate your e-mail templates and ask yourself, “does this work on a small screen?” Look at your mobile site through the eyes of the viewer, what image does it portray and what experience are you delivering? After all, 57% of customers wouldn’t recommend business with poorly designed mobile sites. So what do potential candidates want to see on your mobile site? Studies have found the topics of most interest on mobile sites. They are listed, in order of interest, below: 1) Job openings 2) Company culture 3) Company history 4) Benefit information 5) Profiles of Company employees

Things to Consider How seamless is the process of applying for a job on your site? It should take less than one minute with few bugs or glitches. Think of convenience and keep it simple, offer only necessary information, avoid flashy graphics that will slow down your site, and make sure the directions are clear and the buttons are large. After you have looked at your website and e-mails from the eyes of a small screen, you then need to evaluate how you are currently engaging with candidates. Are you e-mailing them? Calling them? Sending them text messages? Video messages? In some areas of the U.S. text messages are used more frequently than phone calls. The primary benefit of mobile recruitment, along with fast and convenient access to talent, is that it offers another way to keep candidates engaged.  Mobile recruitment is merely an extension of your recruitment plan. It simply allows more mediums in which to contact your candidates. If you can’t get a hold of an individual by calling them- e-mail them. If no one is responding to your e-mails, try texting the candidate. Everyone has a preferred form of contact and mobile recruitment allows us to tap into all forms. Keep in mind that mobile recruitment goes both ways. Candidates realize that recruiters are “always on” so remember to be extremely responsive as immediate gratification is the norm, now more than ever.

Tools Available There are endless applications out there to help business streamline their mobile recruitment strategy. Some capabilities are listed below: 1) Video tools to allow candidates to interview from their mobile device 2) Calendar tools that allow you to send interview invites to the candidate and the hiring manager so that they appear on the mobile calendars of all parties involved 3) Maps tools that allow you to send candidates an address for their interview that they can easily plug into their maps apps on their mobile devices 4) Mobile web solutions that simply the application process for smart-phone users. These systems allow candidates to upload their resumes from Google Docs, Dropbox, their e-mail, etc.

A Mobile Conclusion If businesses hope to attract the best and the brightest talent, they must build their website for mobile optimization to adapt to the way that our candidates are now searching for jobs. As the audience becomes more dispersed, recruiters will have to pursue an increasing number of channels to reach them to ensure they have done their best to cover the entire marketplace. With the direction that recruitment is heading, if your mobile efforts aren’t in the works yet, you could find yourself at a serious disadvantage down the line.