Mobile phones have become the most pervasive technology in the world.
So says Angelique Robbertse, product and marketing manager of Job Mail, who notes that, today, four billion people in the world own mobile phones - while only 3.5 billion own toothbrushes - and 91% of these people keep their phones within arm's reach 24/7.
This makes the mobile phone one of the most powerful tools any business can use, including a growing number of recruitment agencies, she says.
"About 15 years ago, as PCs became popular, we started seeing more and more recruiters turn to digital platforms, such as online job portals, to market their vacancies to candidates," says Robbertse.
"The Internet made it so much easier to receive CVs and find candidates. However, there are five times as many mobile phones in the world as PCs. If you really want to tap into a veritable gold mine of candidates, you have to make use of both online and m-recruitment, promoting positions and receiving applications via a mobile platform."
According to Robbertse, mobile applications has meant that candidates can create or upload their CVs, browse and apply for jobs, and receive communication from interested employers, wherever they go. "It appeals to the always-on generation who might not own personal computers, but never let their phones out of their sight," she says.
"Gone are the days of trekking to and fro to an Internet cafe or faxing printed CVs. Within a matter of minutes, in just two steps, a candidate can create their professional application and start job-hunting."
The mobile community is extremely active, which allows for quick responses to posted vacancies. "As candidates carry their phones with them all day, they tend to keep an eye on Job Mail," says Robbertse.
She notes that, since candidates can apply via their phones, they don't have to wait until they get home to send off an application."
This volume of applications does not, however, mean that the quality of candidates is diminished. "Desperation will still drive candidates to apply for jobs they might not qualify for, but the same standards of screening and filtering found online applies to mobile recruitment on Job Mail," says Robbertse.
The trend towards mobile recruitment is further supported by social media integration. "Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites remain the most popular mobile apps in the SA market, which is why we have not only invested heavily in building a strong social media community that recruiters can benefit from, but have also added social media buttons to the platform, allowing candidates to share jobs or their own profiles, giving further insight into the type of person you may be hiring," says Robbertse.
"We also draw numerous candidates via Junk Mail exchange and our Mxit app."
There can be no doubt that the mobile Internet is changing numerous industries - and recruitment is no exception. Recruitment agencies have to access the mobile candidate pool to keep their edge - and mobile job portals make it virtually effortless to do so, concludes Robbertse.
Share