85 times a day. That’s how often we check our phone, or at least the average person does. It’s the first thing we do when we open our eyes in the morning and the last thing before we close them at night. All this device-staring adds up; we spend about five hours a day on our phones, which equals a third of the time we are awake! Staggering numbers indeed and this goes to show that our cellphones have become an extension of ourselves in everything we do.
It shouldn’t be a surprise then, that Mobile Recruiting is top mention on most of the ‘biggest trends in HR’ lists. But despite the fact that it’s trending topic, a lot of HR folks still don’t really know how to optimize their recruitment strategy for mobile yet.
And no wonder, Mobile Recruiting is an activity that balances somewhere between Recruitment, IT Development and Marketing. Luckily, we have people from all those disciplines on board here at Harver. So with a little help of our colleagues, we’ll show you what to focus on when ‘mobilising’ your recruitment strategy.
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In perspective
Before we elaborate on all the technical mumbo jumbo that comes with the subject, it’s good to put things in perspective. The rise of Mobile Recruiting happened mainly because of the presence of two amplifying variables: Innovation & Millenials.
Innovation of course in the field of mobile technology. And we all know Millenials as the new tech savy generation that is soon to fill up every workspot in the office.
These two variables put together resulted in an entire generation of people ordering food, booking a hotel and getting an Uber via mobile channels. Job hunting lately became a big one too, and it probably won’t be long before we’ll see it in the top three.
The Statistics
So it is safe to say that Mobile Recruiting is a thing, and it’s here to stay. A quick look at some statistics validate this. A vast majority of 90% uses mobile appliances to look for new job opportunities. Combine this with the fact that in the UK for instance, over 96% of 16-24 year olds connect to the internet on-the-go, and the importance of mobile recruiting is undeniable; it’s the way forward in engaging with a new, predominantly millennial, market.
So mobile recruiting it is. As with any other strategy though, a mobile recruiting strategy works best when it’s optimised. We’ve listed 5 points you should focus on.
1. Mobile Proof Your Website
Do the pages load quickly? Is your content optimised for a small screen? Do you have a mobile version of your website that is compatible across all devices? These are a few of the questions you need to ask yourself. Keep in mind that mobile searching is about simplicity. If users need to wait for images to load, they might leave straight away and never come back. The opposite of course is also true, if your website is super mobile friendly, users are more likely to come back.
Another thing to keep in mind here is the way Google treats mobile friendly websites. The company changed its ranking algorithm in April 2015, rewarding those websites that are optimised for mobile. An update has been rolled out by Google in May this year in order to “help our users find even more pages that are relevant and mobile-friendly.” In other words, websites that fail to comply will suffer in search rankings.
2. Adapt Your Job Descriptions
Explain clearly why someone should apply and make sure you include an obvious call to action. Mobile users often leave a page if they have to read a lot of text, so remember to keep it short and simple. Like this paragraph!
3. Use Your Data!
Data can give you so much valuable information. Before you start to develop your mobile recruitment strategy, check where the traffic to your website is being generated. How much of it comes in via mobile and what percentage goes through desktop? What is the conversion rate? Analysing your data helps you to better understand mobile users and hence optimise your mobile master plan. Make it a part of your routine to thoroughly check your facts & figures on a regular basis and adapt your plan accordingly.
In order to do so, you need to set up a strategy that is measurable in the first place. A few of the things you want to gather data on: the growth in mobile traffic, the number of applicants compared to visitors, and the percentage of people that started the application procedure but didn’t finish it.
4. Keep It Simple
Mobile users want things to be convenient and efficient. Your application process included. Make sure applicants receive a confirmation once they’ve sent out their application and eliminate extra steps such as overly long questionnaires. If despite the decreasing value of the CV you still want applicants to send you one, offer them the smoothest possible way of uploading documents. A good alternative could be to ask them for a short video instead.
5. Try Something New
Social media such as LinkedIn, a proper App and a perfectly optimised mobile website, the possibilities you have for your mobile recruitment strategy are plenty. But it doesn’t end there. Have you ever thought of Whatsapp for example, as a tool for applicants to send out applications? Or Snapchat (let’s go a little bit crazy) as a way for candidates to send you a short video in which they tell you why they are the best person for the job? The beauty of all the new technology out there is that you can try different things and decide what’s best for your organisation. It’s just as important to test a new platform or a funky tool every once in a while as it is to continuously analyse your data. Both means are key in developing your optimal mobile recruitment plan.
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