May 2013

Selecting a Mobile RecRuiting Solution:the Recruiter’s “Must Have accessory”

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intRoDuction

Your mobile career site is the ultimate job search accessory: it will capture your candidates’ attention (and their job applications) without getting snagged on unwieldy design or impossibly tiny forms. the user interface is simple enough to appeal to all tastes, and it will go with your applicant tracking system to boot.

From the looks of it, mobile is a trend that will endure far longer than bell bottoms or shoulder pads--so how can you get your hands (and your jobs) on this recruiting “little black dress?”

It starts with the fairly obvious question: what’s the difference between a desktop and a mobile site? (and if you’ve used a computer at all since about 1990, this may seem fairly intuitive to you--just stick with us. We have a point.)

traditionally, websites were optimized for browsers like internet explorer, google chrome, or Safari. Since computer screens are usually wider than they are tall, these widescreen desktop sites have room for columns. any forms on the site can be filled out from the comfort of the computer’s keyboard, and buttons can be accessed with the click of a mouse.

now, picture a cell phone or tablet, and think about the last time you browsed the web from those tiny, four-to-nine-inch screens. there is usually plenty of pinching and zooming involved. often, buttons won’t “click” and pages don’t scroll properly. And don’t get us started on the typo-rich experience of filling out forms with our thumbs!

now, picture a cell phone or tablet, and think about the last time you browsed the web from those tiny, four-to-nine-inch screens. there is usually plenty of pinching and zooming involved. often, buttons won’t “click” and pages don’t scroll properly. And don’t get us started on the typo-rich experience of filling out forms with our thumbs!

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So here’s the deal: your candidates feel the same way when they access your corporate career site from their mobile devices--and with 1 in 5 people already searching for jobs on mobile1 and mobile job search doubling each year,2 they will access your career site from their mobile devices.

The problem arises when your candidates find your jobs while on the go. Sometimes they will take the time to return to the job application when they’re back on their desktop or laptop computers, but that premise operates on the assumption that a) your candidates regularly access a non-mobile device and B) your candidates will remember to come back and finish the application process later.

now is the time to stop making assumptions, because the mobile revolution is already here: in just a few short years, laptop sales are projected to shrink to less than 30% of the mobile computer market3 so the number of candidates who see your jobs on a traditional computer should shrink in tandem. and if you’ve ever seen a link in your mobile Facebook or twitter feed that you promised yourself to open and read when you got back to your desk, only to completely forget ever having seen it, you’re not alone. Your candidates need a way to apply for your jobs right now no matter where they are or what device they’re holding.

So how can you reduce drop-off and increase conversion of candidates into applicants on mobile devices? let’s take a look at the four commandments of a good mobile recruiting solution:

1. Build a mobile-friendly career site

2. Integrate your existing applicant tracking system

3. Decrease obstacles to application

4. Start social profiling (& get connected with Facebook)

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© 2013 Work4 labs, inc.all rights reserved.

Selecting a MoBile RecRuiting Solution: tHe RecRuiteR’S ”MuSt HaVe acceSSoRY”

Build a Mobile Friendly career Site

integrate Your existing applicant tracking System

Decrease obstacles to applications

Start Social Profiling (& Stay Connected with Facebook)

Becoming a Mobile trendsetter

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BuilD a MoBile-FRienDlY caReeR Site

as we mentioned earlier, the mobile browsing experience is somewhat different from what you’ll find on a desktop. A mobile website has a few key components that differentiate it from a regular desktop website:

them with hard-to-read text, tiny and unclickable buttons, an unwieldy design that is hard to scroll through or impossible to search, and lists and forms that are difficult to navigate, then there’s a very good chance that they’ll give up before they give you any of their application information. in other words, going mobile is essential for keeping your candidates on the site and even more essential for getting them to fill out a job application.

You have a few options when deciding how to make your careers viewable and searchable from mobile browsers:

1. You can build a standalone app

2. You can use a “responsive” website theme

3. You can auto-detect and redirect candidates to a standalone mobile site

Building an app may seem like an attractive idea, but it’s probably more cost- and time- prohibitive than you’ll want, and it may even create unnecessary obstacles for your candidates. a standalone app can take weeks or months to develop and build (whether you create it internally or have it developed elsewhere), and candidates will not be able to access your jobs unless they choose to download the app to their devices.

Why bother with mobile-optimization? Well, when it comes to catching and and keeping candidates, you want them to stay on your site long enough to search and apply for your jobs. if you frustrate

1. Fits to a small screen2. Prominent search bar3. Big, easy-to-press buttons4. clean design 5. up-and-down scrolling only6. easy-to-navigate lists and forms

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BuilD a MoBile-FRienDlY caReeR Site

a responsive website theme is a template that automatically detects when your candidate is viewing your career site from a desktop/laptop or mobile device; however, it, too, may not adequately serve your needs. First, if you have an established corporate career site that isn’t already responsive, you will have to redesign and recode the entire website (not recommended). Second, if you do have a “responsive” corporate career site, you will still need a solution for syncing your atS with your list of jobs or else your candidates are left with no way to apply. third, if you don’t have a corporate career site and/or are using a Facebook Brand Page, you still need a website on which candidates can view, search, and apply for your jobs.

the best option is to create a separate mobile career site that syncs with your atS to capture mobile candidates on the go. a separate site would ideally be connected to your main corporate or social career site, so that when candidates arrive via tablet or smartphone, they are automatically redirected to the mobile viewer. A separate mobile site gives you the benefit of a clean, easy-to-navigate design, the convenience of an automatic redirect, and the flexibility of integrating with your existing technology.

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integRate YouR exiSting aPPlicant tRacking SYSteM

Your applicant tracking system is the blessing and the curse of your social and mobile recruiting experience. it’s an integral part of your existing talent management system, but it’s a technology that has very rarely been optimized for the social and mobile recruiting revolution. Many applicant tracking systems cannot be used on mobile devices, much less easily accessed. But even if your atS is not mobile ready, you don’t need to put the brakes on your mobile recruiting strategy: you can bridge the gap between your systems with the right solution.

The first thing you’ll need is a way for your candidates to apply. a simple button that redirects candidates to a mobile form is a good first step. Once the candidates fill out the form, the information should sync with your atS. this may seem like an easy task, but many applicant tracking systems do not have the technology in place to support a simple sync. if you want to capture mobile applications, your mobile recruiting solution should contain the technology to push candidate data into your system from that form. this way you can allow your talent to register for your talent pool without actually having to visit your main corporate career site on a desktop.

if you don’t have an atS, this form can simply serve as your candidates’ application; however,

if you do have an atS, you can at least make it easy for candidates to begin the job application process. even if you require more detail than a mobile form can or should offer, you have a way to follow up for more. once you have candidates’ contact information, you can send emails reminding them to complete any additional forms directly on your desktop career site when it’s convenient for them to do so.

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DecReaSe oBStacleS to aPPlication

Speaking of convenience, there are few things more frustrating than attempting to fill out forms on tiny, touch-sensitive keyboards. a long application process, even if it’s mobile-optimized, is still not candidate-friendly, and it can be a large predictor of early drop off.

Your candidates are busy people and are often overwhelmed by an overload of messages and media as they multitask on the go. interactions grow increasingly more fleeting (think in Twitter terms: 140 characters or less) and time becomes a more precious resource. the less work your potential candidates have to do in order to start the application process and get back to their lives, the more likely they will be to actually take the time to apply.

There are many benefits to decreasing the obstacles to application through something like a short-apply process.You’ll be able to capture the most relevant information from your candidates and then add them to your talent pool or email list, consider the information they provide to be a direct application, use their profile to retarget them on Facebook with ads, or get in touch with them to remind them to finish filling out an application on your corporate career site.

no matter how you use the information, the important part is giving your potential candidates a reason to take the time to type it in. the less maneuvering through tiny, complex forms, the greater the chance they’ll stick around to provide you with the information you need.

therefore, you need a solution that establishes a “short-apply” process so candidates can register for your atS with only a few important pieces of relevant information. (Full name and email is a good start--and if you can grab some “why i’m here” data, such as job interest or preferred industry or skill set, then you’re off and running!)

Which Would You Choose?

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StaRt Social PRoFiling (& STAY connecteD WitH FaceBook)

as we’ve suggested, time is precious and keeping candidates engaged with your jobs on their mobile devices can often feel like an uphill battle. even with a short-apply form that asks for the minimum amount of typing, mobile consumers have been conditioned to be skeptical of the amount of energy they invest in anything short of a 1-click apply button. Your candidates might be willing to text their friends for hours on end, but they’re less-than eager to type in complicated educational histories (“i knew i shouldn’t have taken that semester abroad!”) at the risk of clumsy thumbs and autocorrect.

Facebook can save the day in two ways:

1. an in-channel apply experience (i.e. users who find you while browsing the mobile Facebook app can return to Facebook when they’re done applying) allowing users to get back to the app and on with their lives.

2. an option to pre-populate the application form by importing any information candidates already have in their social profiles so they don’t have to do any extra typing (bonus points if you let them edit the info).

if your potential candidates click on an ad or a job while in the Facebook app on a mobile

device, they expect to be able to go back to flicking through their Newsfeeds as soon as they’re done applying. give them a seamless experience with a mobile redirect that picks them up and deposits them in the same spot. they’ll appreciate you for respecting their time and their browsing behavior--and there’s a much better chance they’ll take the time to complete that application if they don’t have to worry about losing their place in the stream of updates from their friends.

and if you have an option to pre-populate the mobile application with basic social profile information, you’re doing an extra service to both them and you. By giving applicants the option to import any data they already have on their Facebook profile, you cut down on the amount of time applicants must spend hunting and pecking (even on a short-apply form). and candidates won’t have to worry about sending you private information: a good “connect with Facebook” option assures candidates that the form only culls the pertinent stuff, while also giving the user the option to edit anything they don’t want to share. This will reduce your drop off rate and help you increase the number of quality applications you receive.

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BecoMe a MoBile tRenDSetteR

now that you’ve got the big picture, it’s time to put the pieces of the ensemble together and pick a mobile solution that will best fit your recruiting needs. (considering the fact that more than 90% of Fortune 500 companies have yet to mobile-optimize their career sites, this is one trend of which you’ll have no trouble getting ahead.4)

and you’ll want to get ahead of this trend now because “more people are expected to use mobile devices than Pcs to access the internet” by the end of this year.5 and when those people (i.e. your potential candidates) land on your page, more than 50% will be less likely to engage with you unless the site is mobile--even more important, 48% of people actually feel like companies don’t care about their business (which, in our case, includes their time spent looking at your jobs) when sites aren’t compatible with smartphones or tablets.6

You don’t want to alienate your potential candidates by giving off the air of “not caring about their business.” People become candidates for companies they care about. People want to be part of a company that cares about them. and you need people to become candidates. that’s why a mobile solution should be a priority for your social recruiting strategy.

not every mobile solution is prêt-à-porter, one-size-fits-all, which is why you should carefully measure your own needs against advertised solutions. From deciding how you want your candidates to search to how you want to capture candidate information, you’re driving the mobile candidate’s application experience.

To recap, in our estimation, a form-fitting mobile recruiting solution should:

Be universally compatible with all mobile devices so candidates can reach you anywhere

Be a website and not an app so candidates have no “must-download-to-search” barriers

import jobs from your atS so you can keep your candidates and recruiters in sync

contain simple forms and a clean user interface so candidates can easily apply

keep your applications in-channel so candidates can quickly apply and go back to social networking

Auto-fill profile data from social networks so candidates will be more likely to fill our your forms

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BecoMe a MoBile tRenDSetteR

At their core, the best fitting, all-purpose mobile solutions allow candidates to view, search, save, and apply for jobs--once you’ve got the basics, then no matter how you accessorize (employer branding embellishments, anyone?) your recruiting strategy will be on the fast track to fashionable!

contact us to “try on” Work4’s Mobile Recruiting Solutions or call us at +1 (877) 509-0403.

For more information about Mobile Recruiting Solutions, download our Mobile Recuiting Solutions datasheet.

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SouRceS

1. http://mobilerecruitmentconference.com/2012/10/08/1-in-5-recruitment-searches-are-now-mobile/

2. http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/19/5-mobile-myths-that-could-mortally-wound-your-recruiting-efforts/

3. http://www.extremetech.com/computing/145094-tablets-to-overtake-laptops-in-worldwide-sales-in-2013

4. http://www.recruitingblogs.com/forum/topics/94-of-the-fortune-500-companies-do-not-have-a-mobile-optimized

5. http://community.demandforced3.com/t5/the-Demandforce-Blog/infographic-get-Moving-Why-You-re-already-losing-if-Your-Site-is/ba-p/8814

6. http://community.demandforced3.com/t5/the-Demandforce-Blog/infographic-get-Moving-Why-You-re-already-losing-if-Your-Site-is/ba-p/8814

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aBoutWoRk4™

Work4 powers social recruiting by making everyone a recruiter and everyone a candidate.

We help thousands of companies, including many of the Fortune 500, find, engage, and hire top talent with our all-in-one recruiting solution for Facebook. Work4 allows employers to reach candidates through a Facebook career Site and on mobile devices, take advantage social networks to drive employee referrals, and target Facebook’s 1 billion users with intelligent recruiting ads. Work4 brings cost-effective, efficient sourcing and hiring to the world’s top companies by leveraging the reach and scope of the world’s largest and most powerful social network. established in 2010 and backed by top tier investors such as Matrix Partners and Yuri Milner, Work4 has offices in San Francisco and Paris.

Read: enJoYeD tHiS? Want to leaRn MoRe aBout MoBile RecRuiting?

Datasheet: Mobile Recruiting Solutions