The average American mobile subscriber owns1.57 mobile devices, according to Wireless Intelligence, the research arm of the GSM Association (an association of mobile operators). That number is even higher in the rest of the world. A July 2012 report from The World Bank, asserts that three quarters of the world now has access to a mobile phone. In addition, ownership of multiple subscriptions is becoming increasingly common, suggesting that their number will soon exceed that of the human population.
These numbers tell us that the world is going mobile for all kinds of activities and information. It would be safe to say that 2013 is set to be the year that just about everything goes mobile, from shopping to job seeking. In fact, today’s material handling job seekers are already using the following job related functions on their smart phones:
· Search for jobs;
· Apply for jobs;
· Receive e-mail Job Alerts;
· Contact the recruitment team or hiring manager for more info;
· Search for career-related events;
· Read about recruitment process and tips for interviewing;
· Share content on social networks such as Twitter.
Savvy job seekers are also up on the latest job apps that allow them to discretely search for new positions, anytime and from anywhere. For example:
· Real-Time Jobs is an app from TwitterJobSearch and it streamlines the job search process, allowing users to quickly find and apply for positions posted to Twitter.
· Hidden Jobs app tracks close to 2 million unadvertised jobs from organizations that are growing and making headlines.
· LunchMeet is an app through LinkedIn that allows job seekers to network. Just search the location and timeslot of your availability and “LunchMeet” will hook up the job seeker with others in the same area who are also available for lunch.
To keep up and stay connected to this new generation of job seekers, businesses need to embrace the integral roles that mobile phones and other mobile platforms now play in acquiring talent. That said, have you checked your company website lately to see how it looks on phones and tablets? Unless it's been specially coded for mobile devices, it might not look that great. At the very least, it may require a lot of zooming and scrolling, a potential turnoff for job seekers. Realizing this ourselves, DRI acted quickly to make changes. Our website is now mobile-friendly.
In addition to a mobile-friendly website, I suggest that hiring managers and recruiters jump on the mobile app bandwagon. Here are just a few of the most popular and effective recruitment apps:
· HireVue: This iPhone app allows you to design interview questionnaires on the phone and then send them to candidates. Candidates can view the questions, video their answers at their own convenience and send them to you.
· Jobscience: This app is from Force.com and gives you applicant tracking capabilities on your mobile phone. Hiring managers and recruiters can invite candidates to submit their resumes digitally and the resumes will be instantly parsed to identify suitable candidates.
· Google Power Search: This app makes it easier for hiring managers and recruiters to search the web for candidates. This app presents a simple graphical interface which you can use to search the web for candidates, putting an end to those complicated boolean search strings.
The recruitment world is shifting for both job seekers and employers. The rising numbers of mobile subscribers and mobile devices bring new opportunities. Job seekers have more ways to find their dream job and hiring companies can reach the greatest number of relevant candidates and have a better chance to recruit them before their competition does. In addition, this all can be done faster than ever. To sum it up, go mobile or get left behind.
Dan Charney is managing partner with Direct Recruiters Inc., a Cleveland, Ohio-based search firm for companies associated with material handling systems.
