More than 70% of people use mobile devices to search for jobs. And while smartphone use can be a touchy issue with some potential downsides, there’s no denying the value that this wave of technology has brought into our lives for connecting us with friends, family and the workplace.
So, what does this mean for organizations seeking new talent? The reality is, today’s top-tier recruiters are leveraging mobile, and especially text-based solutions, to reach the in-demand candidates faster than the competition. Let’s take a look at why that matters and how it can get you in front of the right candidates at the right time.
Mobile Is Personal
If you’re like most people, your phone is within three feet of you right now (you might even be reading this article on your device). That’s because we have come to rely on this incredible piece of technology for everything from staying connected to finding the right place for a quick coffee stop. And there’s no slowing down in terms of what we’re doing with our phones.
Research from early 2016 shows that 90% of Facebook’s daily users access it via mobile device. This is one of many sites that people frequent for sharing, exploring, and staying connected. The important point is that this is not an occasional visit – it’s a daily habit that has become ingrained in users over time.
What about texting? This activity is also an integral part of our daily lives – U.S. smartphone owners aged 18 to 24 send 2,022 texts per month on average, or 67 texts on a daily basis. This is an easy way to stay up to date with what’s going on with friends and family as well as to covertly converse during those never-ending conference calls and staff meetings.
But why? In this era of always-on communication, why do people spend so much time sending and receiving text messages? The answer is the one-on-one, conversational nature of the medium. We might be too busy to stop and chat with all of our friends face to face, but we can keep four or five separate conversations going via text at any one time. This is especially relevant for the younger generation, as this group craves a more direct, personal interaction with a real person. Anyone that has recruited someone from the Millennial generation knows this to be true.
But the true test of something’s value is best determined by what you would give up to keep it. Over half (53%) of 16-22 year olds said they would rather give up their sense of smell than give up their technology. This is a powerful reminder of just how much we depend on these tools to enhance our lives on a daily basis.
Mobile Drives Career Choice
Surprisingly or not, the mobile world has become completely intertwined with how we work and play–and this includes how we search for our careers. According to one piece of research, approximately 40% of Millennial job seekers expect to be able to apply for a job on a tablet or smartphone.
Another study points out some interesting statistics about how people use technology to enable a smarter, more efficient job search:
- 74% of people search for jobs on a mobile device
- 61% of users finding jobs on a smartphone will wait to apply via a computer–the rest apply immediately
- While computers are more common for job applications, mobile devices are commonly used for searching and tracking job alerts
It’s more critical than ever to have a mobile strategy when it comes to finding the right candidates. This includes a plan to reach job seekers and passive candidates wherever they might be.
Beat the competition by reaching sought-after candidates first.
Find out more about Text2Hire text messaging campaigns.
What This Means for Today’s Employers
Recruiters need mobile solutions to get the job done. When you look at the data, it just makes sense that we need to be approaching people on the devices that they use most often. Companies can send emails and target candidates, but using text messages to reach them is a relatively new medium.
Texting is a powerful way to connect with people, and it has an incredible track record. Texts get a whopping 97% open rate (versus just 20% for emails). Think about the amount of time and effort your recruiting team puts into creating, targeting and sending emails. Now imagine that 80% of that is not going to be rewarded with interest from a candidate. I know that open rates don’t equal applies or hires directly, but it’s a fact that people are more responsive to text messages than any other medium in use today.
Some recruiters already use texting to connect with candidates, but the challenge of doing it manually is that you can’t scale and you might annoy candidates that haven’t given you permission to message them. While enterprise texting solutions for recruiting are fairly new, they have a definite value for companies trying to find the right talent quickly. Nexxt’s Text2Hire product is an example of a system that does it right. Not only can it scale and allow recruiters to send hundreds of texts messages in minutes, it also offers protection by only targeting people that are open to text-based communications.
Text2Hire instantly connects you with targeted, opt-in candidates.
Find out more and get a free quote.
Think about it. Text messages create a sense of urgency and immediacy that email and job ads never will. And the simplicity of the medium means creating a text campaign is relatively easy. The three steps to a successful campaign include:
- Identifying quality candidates – note that these are high-value individuals that are more likely to respond to a personal invitation
- Reaching out with a personalized message designed to elicit a response, such as a question
- Preparing to follow up with candidates in a timely manner, capitalizing on the speed of the interaction
Bottom line: recruiting is more challenging today than ever. Even candidates looking for work are incredibly busy with family and social responsibilities, and that doesn’t even take into account those passive job seekers that might not even be interested in a job yet. Text recruiting allows companies to cut through the noise and reach people where they’re most likely to engage. This powerful, personal connection is one that candidates crave. In addition, recruiters can leverage this new method for faster hiring and lower cost, a win-win scenario for all involved.
Ready to start a conversation?
Learn more about this growing recruitment tactic and gain tips on how to get started with this whitepaper, which you can download here.
About the Author: Ben Eubanks is the Principal Analyst at Lighthouse Research, a research and advisory services firm helping to identify trends and leading practices in talent, learning, and HR. He blends his background in corporate HR and recruiting with targeted research to create actionable insights for companies across the globe. You can learn more about Lighthouse or connect with him on Twitter.
Nexxt is a recruitment media company that uses today’s most effective marketing tactics to reach the full spectrum of talent – from active to passive, and everything in between. Learn more about hiring with Nexxt.