The Importance of Mobile in the Job Market
Nearly twenty years ago, the first mobile smartphone hit the market. The IBM Simon retailed for $899 in 1994 and was heralded as the peak of mobile innovation. It proudly touted features such as a calendar, clock, calculator, and limited email features. The phone had a battery life of roughly sixty minutes when it ran all of its processes.
Since then, mobile phones have evolved from being the result of great business to becoming the starting point for joining a great business. According to reports from Talent HQ Mobile Recruiting, 62 percent of job seekers are using mobile devices in their job searches.
Having a mobile presence was once a way to stand out in an industry. Now it has become a vital necessity if a company wants to compete in today’s scramble to grab top talent, especially those of the progressively tech-savvy Millennial Generation.
Forbes suggests five ways a company can take advantage of a mobile presence in recruiting:
- Invest in a great interface. Your career site must be designed to be mobile friendly from start to finish.
- Streamline the career application process. Mobile lends itself to action.
- Use social networks. Twitter can spread word of a great job like wildfire. LinkedIn, of course, is the ultimate mobile recruiting tool.
- Use the mobile tools. It’s all about engagement and personalization.
- Know mobile’s limits. Mobile is a priceless recruiting and referral tool, but to seal the deal you still need personal contact.
The importance of mobile is growing exponentially, and those not partaking in the trend will be left to scramble for the leftovers after mobile-invested companies have their fill of the talent feast. While companies have always valued getting the best employees they can, it has become increasingly more important that companies get the right employees as well. Cutting down on the costs of hiring a new employee and reducing employee turnover can be crucial to the economic and emotional longevity of a company.
Providing a mobile platform lets future employees easily research and apply to companies that match their career goals and interests. Furthermore, the mobile presence allows your company to have the best of both worlds: casting a wide net while also generating better qualified leads for applicants.
The typical company’s mobile presence has grown from trying to attract customers to now trying to attract employees. Having an easy-to-navigate mobile platform that blurs the lines of functionality and aesthetic appeal is vital to ensure that your business can not only generate business but also create a model for staying in business.
Does your company have an effective presence on mobile platforms? Do you think mobile is helping or hurting the recruitment process? Tell us in the comments below.
