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Mobile Recruiting and HR As an Alternative to Email 

Over the past six months, I’ve discussed ways to leverage mobile as a communication channel not only as a means of recruitment but also employee engagement.  In fact, I often encourage my audience during webinars, keynotes, and other discussions to test out mobile communication first using my blog’s mobile club  (Text ‘B4J’ to 55678).  Mobile communication is the new alternative to email and is a great way to reach a busy yet technology savvy audience in a non-obtrusive way.

There are essentially four types of mobile communication strategies:

• The Mobile Web.  These are pages and websites that are designed for the mobile internet user.  This means that mobile users can easily view your website, article, or career page using their mobile device.  And by mobile device I mean smartphones like iPhones, Blackberries, or Droid phones as well as tablets like the iPad.  Mobile devices can’t normally view flash videos making your flash heavy driven website useless to the mobile users.  Mobile websites offer a way for visitors to get access to important information like your contact information, address, and specific details without all the techno glitter and glam.

• There’s an App for that.  There are millions of apps or applications one can download for their mobile device.  Apps must serve a purpose and should not serve as a one dimensional tool with your blog’s RSS feeds.  Some of my recent favorites are FlipBoard (a content aggregator style app that combines your social network sites along with news outlets and articles by topic.  Users flip through the pages like a virtual book clicking on articles or stories for more information).  Another app is Thank You Note & Event Manager  makes cataloguing gifts you received during special events like the holidays, birthdays, and weddings easy.  Later I am reminded to send a thank you note to the gift giver without the hassel of searching for the gift tag or gift list to remember. )  Apps are specific to the device and for that reason can be segmented.  They can also be very expensive.

• Text Messaging.  Most everyone has a phone now days although not everyone’s phone is a smartphone.  SMS short for short messaging service sends text messages in 160 characters to devices via text.  Users opt in by subscribing to the messages.  Lists can be segmented by location, zip code, really any demographic.  It’s also very easy to receive instant feedback from users in real time.  I’m working with a client currently who has multiple locations and employees who do not all have email access.  SMS is a perfect option for them.  Quick texts can be sent to alert them to changes in schedule, shift openings, job announcements, or emergency situations.

• Mobile Social.   Twenty-three percent of Twitter users tweet via their mobile device while 40% of Facebook users post updates and share content via their mobile.  Having a presence on social media for relationships, communication, employment branding, and recruiting is just as important as your mobile and social audience is constantly on the go.  This means having conversations and building relationships with social media and not using it solely as a one-way communication channel to distribute job openings, press releases, and other announcements.

Mobile HR & Recruiting Greatest Innovation

With technologies like VPN, laptops, and cell phones the way in which we work is changing.  So should the way in which you communicate with both your employees as well as your candidate population.  Mobile, in my mind is the obvious answer to add to your recruiting and HR best practices strategies in the coming year.  Learn more about Mobile and other technologies by visiting our on demand webinars free of charge all worth HRCI recertification credits for your PHR, GPHR, and SPHR.