Mobile Recruiting – now is the time!

Mobile Recruiting – now is the time!

Across the globe, the working world is characterised by its fast pace, mobility and digitisation. Like everyone else, job-seekers are almost constantly on the move and deal with as much as possible “on the go”. Using apps or browsers they can look for interesting positions anytime and everywhere and at very little cost – and apply for new positions. In Switzerland, for example, approximately half of all jobseekers look for a new job using a smartphone or a tablet . So users have high expectations about the quality of the jobs that appear in their search results.

“Mobile” has long been gaining ground in recruitment

Entry into today’s job market is mobile, no doubt about it. Job platforms like jobs.ch and jobup.ch, the leading platforms in Switzerland, are being accessed more frequently from mobile end devices, and job applications are also being submitted directly from a tablet or smartphone.

No wonder: More and more digital natives are entering the job market and need solutions that coincide with their user behaviour. They want faster and simpler application processes.

“Mobile” is more than a technical solution

Nowadays companies must court their potential employees, not the other way round. Unfortunately, consistently optimised online appearances for smartphones and tablets are rare, at least in Switzerland. According to a study, in 2015 34% of all Swiss job sites were optimised for mobile . There is potential, but technical implementation is not a simple matter. Because “mobile” also means “responsive”, and sometimes even “mobile first” in development. Therefore, a genuine rethink is needed in order to include mobile use at all points of the company’s contact with jobseekers.

Reliable results are essential

It is only natural that job portals must employ innovative approaches. The real challenge lies in showing the most customised, individually arranged search results possible all the time and via all channels. Users are accustomed to getting results that fit them personally. The advertising industry is of course a leader in this with their targeted ads. The job search must be able to offer a similar experience. Users do not want to waste time with incorrect or inappropriate search results. It is also particularly unfortunate if media discontinuity occurs, because not all elements in the search process are optimised for mobile use: Candidates leave because the competition is only a click away.

Consistent mobile recruiting needs relevant solutions – and innovative approaches

Apps for a successful job application abound, but newly designed applications dedicated exclusively for mobile use are still few and far between. JobCloud, the company that operates jobs.ch and jobup.ch, recently launched “Talentfly”, an app based on matching technology. Jobseekers swipe available positions that match their search profile: to the left if they do not like the job and to the right if they are interested. Talentfly is constantly learning and optimises the search criteria for available jobs. This way, the search results are also constantly better adapted to the user’s needs. Should a candidate show interest in a position, the respective company is informed. If the candidate’s profile corresponds to the company’s expectations, a “match” is made – the candidate is unlocked for the company and can be contacted.

Such playful solutions, aligned to the user’s experience with other online experiences, will of course gain in importance in the near future: mobile, best matched results, familiar handling.

Written by Renato Profico, CEO JobCloud

Renato will be speaking at the Job Board Summit on both Day 1 and 2, you can view his profile here