Mobile is not the next future trend; it is the present. The sooner employers and recruiters realize this, the more competitive they will be in their search for top candidates.

Mobile Stats Everyone Should Know

• • 91% of employees use a smartphone for work
  • 21% of searches performed on Google are through mobile devices
  • Mobile web users will grow by 16.6% per year between 2010 and 2015 (IDC)
  • 91% of all U.S. citizens have their mobile device within reach 24/7, replacing wristwatches and alarm clocks. (Fiddlefly)

Mobile enables employers to reach the millions of job seekers who use mobile devices to search for jobs, research companies and connect with referrals.

However, 90% of Fortune 500 companies don’t optimize their career sites for mobile usage. This is an opportunity lost due to slow adoption of companies, and the ones who have successfully adapted to mobile have a major competitive advantage. When it comes to mobile, one thing is clear; if you do not adapt, you will get left behind.

Mobile Recruiting: 3 Reasons Why You Need Mobile

• • Continuous Engagement: Mobile has opened up tons of opportunities for recruiters to connect and interact with candidates on a daily basis. 83% of job seekers stated that they would use their mobile phone or tablet to search for a job. Of those, 47% would use it to actually apply for a job, and 55% would use it to set up alerts on their mobile device. Since 91% of smartphone users always have their phone within reach 24/7, recruiters will have a higher and more efficient response rate to their recruiting efforts.
  • Employer Branding: A recent report from Comscore shows that consumers spend less time browsing social on their computers and more accessing social networks from their smartphones. When you pull in the stats from iPads and tablets, the numbers only increase. Mobile enhances social recruitment, since a majority of social networking activities are done through mobile. A mobile-optimized career site/recruitment campaign paired with social recruiting activity will successfully target candidates and enhance engagement.
  • Enhanced Targeting: Geolocation technology allows recruiters to target job seekers according to their exact location. Recruiters can update candidates with real time job opportunities and career events in their area. Using geotargeting applications like FourSquare and Facebook Places are tools that can help to promote a company’s presence at job fairs and recruitment events – further enhancing your employer brand.

3 Elements to Mobile Recruiting Strategy Success

1. Understand your candidates: In order to successfully recruit candidates, you have to be able to understand them, their behaviors, and their needs. Before you execute a mobile recruiting strategy, you must find out how your target talent is using it. Active job seekers may be setting up mobile job alerts and downloading job search mobile applications, while passive candidates may be simply searching the mobile web and casually using social networking applications.

2. Engage: Candidates are drawn to brands and organizations that offer compelling content and engage in conversation. Position your company as a resource for job seekers; job seekers tend to engage with companies that have content that helps them with their job search and career-related questions. Social recruiting can also include having conversations with your users about company culture and industry news. Engaging discussions will build and foster long term relationships with candidates.

3. Integrate other recruitment channels: Like any other recruitment strategy, mobile is not a one size fits all solution. Completely eliminating other channels like job boards and career sites will not produce the desired results. It is important for agencies to understand how mobile can enhance – not replace – other recruitment channels.

For example, you can incorporate captivating videos about your company. Video is an effective engagement tool that will not only enhance your employer brand, but it will also increase your website’s SEO. They also can be watched directly from a smartphone or tablet. An effective overall recruitment strategy involves understanding what works for your target audience and tailoring your recruiting efforts accordingly.

Mobile provides recruiters the opportunity to connect and engage with candidates at any time, any place, and still provide them with the most personal experience. Mobile is how candidates are connecting with brands, friends, family, and peers constantly. How will you use mobile to connect with them?

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Megan Curth is the Marketing Coordinator of Automated Business Designs, Inc., software developer of Ultra-Staff staffing software for the staffing and direct hire industry. Ultra-Staff is a staffing software business solution with components for front office, back office and the web. Megan’s email address is megan.curth@abd.net or for more information on Ultra-Staff go to www.abd.net