Take your time to build your message
When we talk about recruitment through mobile devices, people tend to talk about the technology: mobile-friendly sites and different apps. It is less common to hear anyone mentioning how and where job-seekers use their mobile devices, the channels through which they can be reached and what kind of messages work in these channels. It’s worth thinking about whether the best time to reach applicants would be during the commute in the morning through news sites, or at lunchtime through social media. Is the target group best reached using a short and sweet tweet, a video clip on YouTube, an image on Facebook or a personal email from an employer?
The content of the message is more significant when it comes to mobile devices. When recruiting people, the aim of the message is usually to direct applicants to a page that offers additional information about the job. There are only few seconds to attract interest, and what works on a computer does not work on a mobile device. Successful recruitment now requires marketing and sales skills. What would appeal to applicants and draw them in? How do you write a personal message that stands out? Should you talk about the job or take a softer approach? What questions should you emphasise when the number of characters is limited, and what about hashtags? Repetition is needed, just like in any other type of advertising.
Share it on social media to reach the right target group
You can create various taglines for Twitter and Facebook, and it’s easy to schedule posting them. What’s most important is to motivate your staff to share your messages, in order to make them spread quickly and to the right kind of target groups. Hopefully you will inspire as many potential applicants as possible to click on your message.
In the best case scenario, the link will open up a compact and informative job ad in a mobile-friendly format. It is a good idea to add links to further information, as this is what the interested applicant will be looking for.
You should also check your recruitment pages to see if they display in the way they were originally published or if they show your current recruitment efforts, demonstrate your company culture and give voice to your employees. This raises the question of how to make it easy to apply for the job using a mobile device. Can people apply by sending in a CV or should they fill in a complicated application form, which may not even work on a mobile device?
Interviews through video
When you have found suitable applicants, it may be a challenge to schedule interviews. This is the reason why many recruitment processes are postponed until autumn. Technology helps here: the first round of the interviews can easily be done via video. You can record the questions beforehand, and the interviewees can answer them whenever and wherever it is convenient for them. All it takes is an internet connection and a device to conduct the interview. And best of all: the interview tools have mobile-friendly versions. Recruiting during the summer means that you can get on with your business more quickly in the autumn.
Wishing you all a lovely summer and successful recruiting,
Marja Pylkkänen,
Managing Director, Alma Career Oy