The rise of mobile technology for recruitment
Smartphone and mobile tablet technology has grown exponentially over the previous five years both in terms of technology and usage. It’s highly likely that you’re currently reading this article on your phone or tablet but if you aren’t, you’ve probably used your phone or tablet recently to check your email or browse the web.
With the rapid uptake in mobile usage, how then can you best harness this technology for your recruitment process? This article will offer a glimpse at some of the more eye opening statistics relating to mobile usage in the past and forecast for the future as well as statistical information regarding mobile usage for recruitment in Australia. It will also offer solutions to mobile optimisation that are cost effective ensuring that you aren’t inadvertently cutting a large portion of your potential talent pool.
The changing digital landscape
How quickly is the digital environment changing? According to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index, global mobile data traffic has more than doubled four years in row – the amount of mobile data traffic in 2011 was eight times the size of the entire internet in 2000. Smartphone usage tripled in 2011 and the number of mobile tablets in the market nearly tripled as well with 34 million units using nearly a 500MB every month. This year, Cisco has forecasted that over 100 million mobile users will surpass 1 gigabyte of traffic per month and the number of mobile connected devices will exceed the world’s population.
Of course you’re probably thinking, “these statistics are concerned with general mobile usage and recruitment must only occupy a small percentage of mobile usage”, but that isn’t the case. According to data recently collected by Seek, job seeker behaviour is changing at an equally rapid pace. Currently 30% of visits to the Seek website are via mobile device which is up 230% over the last 12 months and is projected to increase two percentage points per month over the next two years. Mobile browsing behaviour mimics traditional desktop or laptop browsing and “browsing job vacancies” is one the top five activities for mobile device users. Applicants aren’t just browsing job listings either, they are completing the entire application process (as long as the advertisements are mobile optimised).
How can Employment Office help your business adapt to mobile technology?
There are problems with mobile candidate applications if you aren’t properly equipped to manage the process. One of the most common problems associated with mobile applications is that your advertisements aren’t mobile optimised and therefore are difficult to read or even inaccessible to candidates browsing via mobile devices. Another major problem that can arise is that the traditional method of application requires a resume and covering letter which aren’t available on a mobile device.
One way in which you could address these problems is through Employment Office’s mobile optimised application process. With a dedicated team of recruitment advertising specialists, Employment Office is at the forefront of mobile recruitment process in Australia. The EO team will write and deploy your advertising ensuring that it has been optimised for mobile viewing. Additionally, EO will create a mobile optimised online application form for your business that incorporates a series of screening questions created in consultation with you. By requiring candidates to answer the questions that you need to know, you can bypass the resume and cover letter completely or move it to a later stage in your recruitment process.
Of course, Employment Office can also assist you with customised Recruitment Apps developed for Android and IOS as well as QR Code placement for print advertising which can eliminate the human error of writing down URLs or phone numbers. If you’re interested in a mobile app solution and would like to see an example, you can search Apple’s App Store for “City of Newcastle Careers” and download the free app Employment Office created to connect on-the-go job seekers with Newcastle City Council’s careers portal.
Mobile optimisation for recruitment doesn’t have to be a time consuming or expensive process. Employment Office can build your branded online application form and deploy your advertising, all optimised for mobile browsing, for just $995 plus discounted advertising!
