In 2013, 18% of respondents to LinkedIn’s annual survey on global recruiting trends said their job listings were optimized for mobile. By 2015, that number had grown to 30%, a respectable increase. Unfortunately, that still leaves 70% who haven’t joined the mobile hiring process revolution. Most hiring managers say they believe in the potential of mobile recruiting, so what is holding so many recruiters back? At a time when everyone and their mother seems to own one or more mobile device, why is it that less than 5% of Fortune 500 companies are utilizing mobile technology to find employees?
The Desire for Mobile
The current low percentage of recruiters using mobile doesn’t mean it isn’t catching on. Mobile technology has forced its way into the world of recruitment, and there’s no turning it back. Savvy recruiters will be best served by understanding this and knowing exactly how mobile will be forever tied in to the hiring process.
Today’s job candidates want the option of searching and applying for jobs with their mobile devices, especially their smartphones. In fact, of the candidates who own smartphones,
about 80% of them would apply for a job using it, citing convenience as the main reason. For hiring managers, that means creating a career page that is responsive, not a text-heavy one that’s difficult to read. Candidates should, at a minimum, be able to easily learn more about a firm’s brand, as well as browse its current job openings.
Don’t Get Left Behind
Staying competitive has always been the name of the business game. Those companies who drag their feet on adapting current recruitment practices to embrace mobile stand to lose—big. Qualified, plugged-in candidates, especially in the IT fields, want to be part of an organization that is innovative and dedicated to the changing global landscape. The companies that grasp the inevitable mobile recruitment future now stand the best chance of winning the candidate competition.
Nearly 50% of talent acquisition organizations don’t see mobile options as a top priority. As a result, they’re losing out on a huge pool of talented, creative and techno-savvy candidates, exactly the people they say they want to hire. If you’re
looking to attract and hire up-and-coming industry professionals, you have to meet them on their stomping grounds—and that means mobile.
Mobile’s Built-in Limits
Yes, mobile rules, especially during the initial phases of recruitment and candidate filtering. It does, however, have its limits. To seal the deal, you’ll still need personal contact with potential hires. Once you’ve used mobile technology to help filter candidates, you’ll want to pick up the phone and have some human-to-human interaction.
In the end, going mobile really isn’t about what you stand to lose, but everything you’ll gain. In the coming years, the use of mobile in hiring will continue to grow, offering your company a greater number of opportunities for finding ideal job candidates. So why not start now in exploiting it for your own recruiting and referral process?