How to embrace mobile recruitment

There are more people using smartphones in the UK than ever before. This means jobseekers have the ability to search for roles from anywhere on different devices. Charities looking to recruit new staff may want to consider using mobile recruitment to tap into this opportunity and find skilled candidates.

 

Here, we explore how to incorporate a mobile strategy into your recruitment process and the benefits of being mobile friendly when hiring new team members.

 

 

Why mobile recruitment is important

 

A mobile recruitment strategy means using mobile technology (smartphones, tablets, and apps) to engage and connect with potential job applicants at every stage of the recruitment process.

 

A survey carried out by Undercover Recruiter shows that almost nine in 10 (80%) candidates think mobile devices are a critical part of job hunting. But only around two in five (39%) career websites are optimised for mobile and just over a third (36%) of job postings are mobile optimised.

 

There are a lot of benefits to having a mobile recruitment strategy for both an organisation and a potential candidate. For charities, you can reach a broader audience who don’t have access to desktop computers or more traditional recruitment methods.

 

Mobile recruitment also allows for faster response times as candidates can respond on the go. This can help to reduce the time it takes to recruit people into roles. You can also engage candidates through mobile with interactive videos and instant notifications.

 

For jobseekers, mobile recruitment provides more flexibility to search, apply and communicate with prospective employers wherever you are. It also offers an enhanced experience as the interface on a mobile will be user-friendly.

 

Below we share some key considerations to think about when putting together a mobile recruitment strategy.

 

 

Optimise your website for mobile

 

Make sure your website is designed for people to access from their mobile devices. This means having a clean design, with easy-to-read text and clear navigation buttons. You want candidates to be able to easily navigate the website and look at different job opportunities without feeling frustrated by a challenging user experience. Likewise, if your website isn’t visually appealing for different screen sizes, it will put people off.

 

It’s important that application forms are mobile friendly too. This means making sure applicants can input their information easily on whatever device they are using. If you want people to upload their CVs, make sure it’s easy to do this from a mobile device.

 

You don’t want people to have to switch to a computer or laptop because you may lose people in the process.

 

 

Communicate with candidates through text message

 

When developing your mobile strategy, think about how you will communicate with candidates. Text messaging is one option. It has a lot of benefits, including:

• Being instant – You can reach candidates quickly through text
• A high open rate – People are more likely to open text messages than an email
• An increased response rate – People generally respond faster to text message than other forms of communication

If you decide to use text message, be concise and clear as people are likely to skim read. Make sure you address candidates by their names and send text messages during working hours.

 

 

Use established job platforms

 

As well as using your own organisation’s website to advertise jobs, it’s worth exploring job search platforms that will have their own mobile recruitment strategies. For example, platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed.

 

 

Use social media to promote job opportunities

 

Make sure your charity is active on social media and shares engaging content. Use it to promote job vacancies and talk about the culture of the charity. You could post videos of staff talking about what it’s like to work for the organisation.

 

Running a social media campaign is a great way to increase the diversity of the people applying for your charity’s jobs. You can reach people from different backgrounds and demographics by tailoring content to specific groups.

 

 

Monitor your mobile recruitment strategy

 

Track your recruitment metrics so you can monitor the effectiveness of your mobile strategy. You should look at key data including application completion rates. This will help you to identify how you can improve your recruitment process.

 

You may also want to analyse click-through rates and bounce rates on your job listings for people using mobile phones. This will help you to track people’s behaviour and make improvements, so people can better access and engage with job opportunities on their mobiles.