Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have increased user power in ways we couldn’t have imagined a few years ago. Weighing an average of 120 grams, these sleek devices allow users to order take-out, schedule appointments, purchase a new outfit for the weekend, book last-minute flights, even search and apply for jobs! Mobile job application is definitely a game changer for hiring managers, especially since the economy has shifted power to the job seeker, and the candidate pool for top talent and high potentials is growing more and more competitive.
“With the survey results indicating that 47 percent of employers also intend to raise starting salaries, [Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder] predicts hiring will become even more competitive.” Job seekers have more resources than ever because of the Internet to do thorough research on employers that they are interested in—before they even apply. If your organization doesn’t have a strong presence on these resource channels, it is unlikely that you will appear on a candidate’s reconnaissance radar. Your website and career site may look great from your desktop, but how easy is it to navigate from a mobile device or tablet? Industry experts have advised organizations to reduce the number of clicks on mobile-optimized sites to prevent job seekers from leaving their page and abandoning the application process.
CareerBuilder’s mid-year job forecast revealed that 49 percent of the surveyed employers anticipate recruiting additional permanent, full-time staff by the end of the year. This is great news for the (three out of four) full-time employed workers who are actively seeking new job opportunities. According to CareerBuilder, there are four phases of a candidate’s job search:
Phase 1: Orientation
“This phase consists of a candidate's self-evaluation and evaluation of the market. During this phase, candidates will update their resumes; search for jobs on major search engines including Google, Bing, Yahoo; network with colleagues, family and friends; and visit job boards to assess the market.”
Phase 2: Consideration
“During this phase, the job search moves from solitary practice to an interactive social experience. Candidates tap into their social networks to get a more transparent look at the companies they are considering. At this point candidates will visit companies' career sites; network with colleagues, family and friends; and check out companies' social media presence.”
Phase 3: Action
“In this phase, candidates are actively applying to jobs. During this phase, candidates will conduct in-depth research on your organization and form opinions based on the application experience, which will influence their decision to apply in the future or recommend this company to others.”
Phase 4: Engagement
“In this last phase, candidates are interacting with employers, interviewing, and considering job offers. This is where your earlier employment brand efforts pay off.”
It is not enough that we have identified where today’s job seekers conduct their job search, we must also know how they got there. Mark Iadone at Hubspot.com reports that, “almost one third of the visitors that reach a site via search are coming from some sort of mobile device, whether it be a phone or a tablet.” In his article, Iadone discusses the importance of a mobile strategy for your hiring and recruiting processes, and also shares why your organization needs to be able to serve job seekers from a mobile device or tablet.
Three ways to optimize your mobile presence to better attract high potentials and job seekers.
- Take advantage of social media.
Use company events as an opportunity to take pictures of co-workers, with consent, to give prospects a glimpse into your company’s culture. Share information about your products or services, upcoming events, and tout employee recognition.
- Provide valuable content.
Professional networking websites like LinkedIn make it easy for employers to connect with job seekers. Post content that pertains to your company, like case studies, press releases, employee testimonials, interview tips, and most importantly job opportunities. Recruiting high potentials from sites like LinkedIn allows hiring managers to gauge and estimate the validity of a candidate’s experience.
- Consider a mobile app.
According to Iadone, many organizations have invested in this platform to complement their published content, build stronger brand awareness, and improve user accessibility for applying and inquiring about open positions. Companies maximize the app-specific features to alert users using “push notifications” about new content and job listings. Although apps are not the right technical investment for every company, I wouldn’t be surprised if more companies began using apps specifically for “convenient” hiring and application purposes.
How do you recruit high potentials through mobile devices? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
