The Update

Mobile Recruiting: Attracting Millennial and Gen Z Talent

A mobile recruiting strategy can be essential to attracting the next generation of talent. According to Pew Internet, 85 percent of Americans own a smartphone and 53 percent own a tablet. Meanwhile, 75 percent of the workforce is likely to be made up of Generation Y (millennials) in the next ten years, reports the Society for Human Resource Management. Although these candidates are heavy smartphone users and are more likely to apply for jobs on mobile devices, only 18 percent of companies in one survey had optimized their job posts for mobile. Filling open jobs and cultivating new leadership can depend on an effective mobile recruiting strategy.

Here are four tips to help position mobile recruiting as an important part of a talent acquisition plan.

Create a Seamless Mobile User Experience

Candidates appreciate a seamless user experience. Start by evaluating the current recruiting process. Where are the bottlenecks and gaps from a mobile perspective? Once each step of the process works across a range of mobile devices, focus on optimizing the mobile recruiting on a deeper level.

Use the Right Software to Manage the Application Process

One of the most frustrating aspects of the mobile recruiting process can be submitting an application. The typical application process requires candidates to fill out long forms, attach cover letters and resumes, and copy/paste URLs from their portfolios. Each of these tasks can be challenging on a mobile touch screen. Investing in the right applicant tracking and recruiting software can make the process of mobile optimization relatively painless, while improving the candidate experience.

Optimize Careers Pages for Mobile

Today's millennial and Generation Z talent want to stay informed in real-time. This generation of talent often wants to understand the company's bigger message and whether they're a cultural fit—before they apply. Think about whether careers pages take a deep dive into your business owner’s company culture. Are they using video, social media, and employee profiles to communicate with candidates in an engaging way?

Update the Sourcing Strategy for Mobile

Mobile job hunters are searching for opportunities on the go. It's important that job descriptions are optimized for mobile users. The sourcing strategy may also need an update. For example, are your business owners using social media recruiting on networks like Twitter or LinkedIn? Does their career site make it easy to share jobs on mobile devices? Are their recruiters active in the online communities where your target hires may be spending time, without being too intrusive?

Successful mobile recruiting is an essential part of attracting and building a millennial and Generation Z talent pipeline. Along with optimizing the practical aspects of the application process, it may also be critical to update the way the recruiting team communicates with candidates, develops the employment brand, and sources for positions. The right applicant tracking system can help make many of the back-end functions of mobile optimization appear seamless.

Presented by paychex.com, March 2022 Bankers Bulletin.