Talent On the Go: Developing A Strategy for Mobile Recruiting Success

With mobile recruiting picking up steam, we wanted to dig a little bit deeper into mobile recruiting trends with our resident expert on all things mobile, Vasu Nagalingam.

Take a read through to hear more from Vasu on mobile recruiting, a sneak peek into what went into developing our recently launched iPad application and candid thoughts on mobile job seeking as an impetus for evolving recruiting efforts today.

Q: What market trends are you seeing right now with regards to iPad/tablet computing app usage and adoption both in general and as they relate to job search & hiring?

We’ve all seen the astronomical appeal that Apple products tend to have. The iPad, since it was first introduced on the market, only took 28 days to reach 1m in sales. In comparison, the iPhone took nearly 3 times as long. As if that isn’t proof enough, tablets – not just the iPad but tablets from other makers – were all the rage at this years’ Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

AT&T recently noted that they’ve added two million non-phone wireless device connections to their network. In Q4 alone.

These are all Internet-connected devices. This just goes to show that the adoption rate of portable devices is moving way beyond that ‘early adopter’ phase and into the mainstream.

So the question becomes – what exactly are these tablets being used for?

For one – to connect to the Internet. Morgan Stanley issued a study this past November predicting that Smartphones will eclipse PC shipments within just two years. This falls very much in line with consumers increasing desire to adopt portable devices in place of laptops and desktops to connect to the Internet.

In fact, at Monster.com, we’ve seen mobile traffic double in the past year, and that number continues to rise.

Q: How do mobile apps tie into larger shifts in job search strategy?

Let’s look at it this way – a comparison, if you will:

• Mobile devices are personal. Job searching is personal.
• Mobile is for everyone. Job searching is for everyone.

So essentially, there is a very close correlation between mobile device usage and the need to search and apply to jobs on the go. So, that natural convergence makes our mobile apps a great fit for seekers.

More proof:  Most job seekers are actively using our site during business hours, irrespective of whether it’s a down economy or not. For these users, being able to use a mobile app attached to their personal device versus a company-owned computer is a real benefit for more discrete job searching. Mobile fits this need perfectly.

Q: What do employers need to do differently to reach top talent via mobile than other online recruitment methods?  Where do things like iPad apps fit into the context of an integrated hiring strategy?

Mobile is personal, immediate and always-on. In order for mobile recruiting to be effective, employers’ recruitment processes should also respect the core tenets of a mobile user – personal, immediate and always-on.  Mobile recruiting requires the immediate gratification factor that comes with this territory.

That has not traditionally been the case with recruiting.

For example – as a seeker, you find a job that seems spot-on. It fits your background perfectly. You really, really want a shot at the job. So you apply. And then the waiting game begins.

The resume from the job apply goes into that ‘black hole’ that seekers absolutely dread- no communication from the employer after applying for their ideal job. Even a few days would seem like a very long time for a seeker.

If you are recruiting for that mobile savvy candidate, this ‘black hole’ experience is not acceptable. A high touch relationship approach is required to keep this user personally engaged. That’s where mobile recruiting from an employer perspective can be challenging. To target these savvy candidates, you must align your business processes to give that immediate gratification to seekers.

But beyond that instant gratification factor, employers can do other things to adapt to the mobile seeker mentality. Employers need to understand that mobile as a channel, while rich, does not match the richness that a desktop can offer. To that end, employers should enable their engagement channels, such as websites and e-mails -  for mobile.

The easier you make it for seekers to consume job postings on their mobile devices, the more candidates – and qualified candidates – employers will attract.

At the end of the day, that’s their goal – and it’s our job to help them get there.

Q: Let’s get into the development of the app itself. Why did you include certain features over others? How did you came up with the blueprint for the iPad app to begin with?

To make sure we developed the app to be useful for the user, we conducted user research to hear straight from users what features and functionality they wanted in a mobile app. A key finding from that research was the need for a singular, integrated account. Second to that, the obvious must-haves included having not only the ability to search for and view job postings but to be able to apply for jobs directly from the iPad app.

Once we got the main functionality down, the user experience was the priority. Given the iPad’s increased screen real estate, we created visuals that were inviting – with the appearance of sitting at the table, with coffee in hand, perusing job listings. We tested multiple visuals with seekers to find ones that resonated the most.

We also tested the text on the app– and learned that we needed to be succinct with our content. Users in our test group ranked job postings as more important than any other content. For the purposes of the iPad app, users are looking for that short burst engagement function, which are primarily around finding the newest job that matches their need. So that’s where we focused the app.

Q: Any lessons learned after building this app versus previously apps you’ve developed?

It is important to know how our users are using the app, and to identify friction points. The one thing we made sure to do with the iPad app was to include full blown tracking of usage within the app itself. This will help us to understand usage patterns over time, and more importantly, where the app fails to meet user needs.

This will directly inform how we approach future revisions to the app, revisions which are already in the works as we speak. We’re constantly looking to meet (and exceed) user need when building, designing and refining apps.  If we can do so based on their specific usage patterns, all the better.

Click here to download the Monster iPad Application for Your Job Search

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