Students and lecturers may be enjoying some much-deserved downtime after what’s been a difficult few months, but one thing that shouldn’t be getting time off is your college’s recruitment strategy.
It may be the summer holidays, but your recruitment efforts are as important as ever. If you want to hire top talent ahead of the new academic year, now’s the perfect chance to reach out to potential candidates.
The rise of mobile
It’s really no surprise that more and more candidates are searching and applying for jobs using their mobile devices. These days, using a phone or tablet to search for roles is far more convenient than switching on a laptop or desktop computer.
The clue is in the name. ‘Mobile’ grants candidates the freedom and flexibility to search for jobs whether they’re on the sofa, in bed, on the bus, or even at the pub whilst waiting for their friend to bring back the next round.
Glassdoor produced a comprehensive report on mobile job searching last year. While it analysed job-seekers across the pond in the US, no doubt the results would have been similar for candidates in the UK. The company found that almost six in ten (58%) people look for jobs using their phones, with mid-career workers (aged 34-44) most likely to search this way.
But the report also highlighted some issues. Among them was the difficulty of the mobile application experience – on average, mobile job-seekers successfully complete 53% fewer applications and take a whopping 80% longer on each application. Candidates chose mobile for its convenience, but then employers are falling at the final hurdle by providing a sub-par experience.
Time to get mobile!
If your recruitment strategy is geared towards mobile job-seekers, then you’ll provide a far better experience to candidates and inspire them to apply for roles at your college. It’s really simple – if you want to reduce drop-off rates and carry candidates through the whole recruitment process, then you need to get mobile!
Glassdoor says that reducing time to complete a mobile application increased mobile applications by 2.3%. Also, promoting a job opening as mobile-friendly can boost the number of applicants by 11.6%.
WARC research cited in another Glassdoor report shows almost three quarters (72.6%) of internet users will exclusively access the web through a smartphone in just five years from now. This makes a mobile recruitment strategy not just a nice-to-have, but essential.
Here are three things that will help you to provide the best mobile experience to people considering applying for roles at your college:
1. Mobile-optimised career site
You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression! Your careers page could be the first thing a candidate sees – if they have to zoom, pinch and scroll their way around the site, it’s not sending a great message!
The best careers sites are mobile-friendly, branded, load quickly and facilitate a seamless transition from your main website.
2. Succinct, optimised job ads
As well as keeping your job ads short and sweet, it’s important to make sure they’re optimised for mobile devices. Again, if a candidate has to pinch and scroll their way across the ad, don’t be surprised if your candidate drop-off rates are through the roof.
FEjobs optimises adverts as standard, unlike other job boards which sometimes charge for the privilege.
3. Digital application forms
Digital applications are a must these days. And, you’ve guessed it, they should be mobile optimised! Lengthy forms are a bugbear among applicants, so ask only the vital questions and consider adding fast-apply functionality to make the process as simple and stress-free as possible. Do this, and we guarantee your applications will soar!
Need help? Choose FEjobs!
We’ve got the knowledge and tools to help your college create and deliver a candidate-centric mobile recruitment strategy. Whether you simply want to advertise with us or use our leading recruitment software designed with the modern-day job-seeker in mind, find out more or get in touch!
Content originally published on Eteach.