Like: Mobile Recruitment

It is therefore surprising that mobile recruitment has not yet caught on, even though the electronic application process is now commonplace in almost all companies. Employers do use social media platforms to place their job advertisements and actively engage in employer branding, but a mobile revolution is still a long way off. In Switzerland, around 2.5 million people surf the internet on mobile devices. It is undisputed that these user numbers will continue to rise in the future.

Initial approaches can usually be seen in the form of QR codes that redirect to a website with the job advertisement. Some apps also exist, but these offer hardly any added value, just a link to the company's website. Employers such as Pepsico, Sodexo, Autodesk and Deutsche Telekom offer more than these rather unsatisfactory solutions. They have all launched their own app for potential employees and, in addition to job advertisements, some also offer interactive options. Unfortunately, it is not yet possible for everyone to apply for a job directly via the app, but there are great efforts to integrate this.

At Deutsche Telekom, you can link to your personal Xing profile and send an application from a mobile device in a relatively short time. For companies, having their own recruitment app is clearly also a sign of innovation and has a corresponding impact on employer branding. In the battle for "top talent" in particular, an app can reach young graduates with an affinity for technology. Intel uses a mobile solution internally for the recruitment process. To make the whole process more efficient, HR employees are out and about at trade fairs and conferences with an iPad and enter all data directly into the mobile device together with the applicants. This avoids the usual paperwork, candidates receive a response 25 times faster and Intel saves over 500 working hours a year. A mobile app, which applicants can use to enter their details themselves, is currently being developed.

In Switzerland, Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich, together with Prospective, was one of the first companies in Switzerland to venture into mobile recruiting. You can apply directly for an advertised position via a mobile-optimized page. In addition to personal details and three reasons for applying, you can also enter your LinkedIn and Xing profile and apply for a job in a relatively uncomplicated way.

But the Dutch advertising agency Muse goes even further. They have applicants take an assessment to see whether they are really suitable for the job. The app used is the widely used and well-known "Drawsome". The structure is very playful; the aim is to draw a picture for each word that appears on the screen. The agency then looks at the drawings and offers the internship to the most creative person.

Mobile recruiting will certainly gain in importance in the future. However, in order to be equally useful for employees and employers, it still needs a few optimizations. The ability to apply directly from a mobile device will be essential for success. The entire process must be possible from a device and be user-friendly. It is essential for companies that the recruitment process works seamlessly with all systems and devices, as this is the only way to increase efficiency. Muse sets a good example and shows what is still possible in the area of interaction. Assessments that are integrated into the application process and can be carried out directly from a mobile device have the potential to become an integral part of the recruitment process.

At the moment, the idea of sending an application via a smartphone still seems a little strange. But just a few years ago, it was unthinkable to send a formal application to an employer via email. Today, most HR departments prefer electronic applications. So it will be interesting to see how mobile recruitment develops.