By now, smartphones and tablets have become so mainstream that people feel lost without them. Mobile devices have taken up a role in everyone’s lives to the point that people do almost anything with them - make dinner reservations, check Facebook, opt into text offers from favorite fast food places and complete a word puzzle. Nearly every aspect of people's lives has been mobile optimized. Why should recruitment and hiring be any different? It’s time to start taking advantage of this life changing technology and make it work for a construction company. With the labor shortage in the construction industry, mobile compatible recruiting and hiring processes could be just what contractors need to stand out among the competition.

Mobile recruiting benefits the entire workforce, from hiring managers to jobseekers, by streamlining the process for everyone involved. It allows candidates to apply on the go. This is great because jobseekers who find jobs via their mobile device but have to apply via desktop are much likelier to forget about the job. On the candidate side, mobile compatibility in recruiting creates a great first impression and makes it much easier for them to go through the application and provide quality answers like they would on a desktop. 

Mobile Makes It Easy

Mobile compatibility should be a priority for both sides of the hiring process. Make sure that hiring managers are also able to complete their tasks on a mobile platform as well, giving them the same advantages as their candidates. By allowing them to sort and disposition applicants on the go, employers have the power to shorten the time to hire, saving significant time and money. This is crucial, especially during the busy season when construction companies are looking to hire quickly. Look for an applicant tracking system that is mobile-compatible on both sides of the process to ensure the most seamless move from ad posting to hire as possible. 

Make sure the website is completely mobile-optimized. It shouldn’t just be accessible, it should also be easy to use. Since this can take time, talk to recent hires and see which pages they went to during their job search—and which page ultimately enticed them to apply for their position. Is there a trend among employees? Optimize the most frequently viewed pages first and continue on with the rest of the site. Have several employees test the site on different mobile devices (iPhone, Samsung, tablet, etc.) to make sure the website looks good and fully functions on all of the devices. 

The Smarter Job Ad

Make sure that the mobile version of the application functions just as well as the one on the desktop and that it’s not too long to complete on a mobile device. Have someone on the team go through the application on a mobile device and check for functionality and length. If it seems too long, it probably is, so really ensure that the questions being asked on the application are absolutely necessary and aren’t redundant. Get down to the essence of what is important to know about the candidate and go from there. It’s also important to note that the application on both mobile and desktop should be exactly the same to prevent anyone from being unfairly dispositioned, which will keep the company compliant with OFCCP regulations.

Mobile recruiting opens up a whole world of social communication as well. By using social media platforms to build relationships with prospective applicants, companies can quickly distribute jobs to responsive audiences. This is a great opportunity to highlight the company culture, technological advancements and even list open positions. All three of these will make a company unique to applicants. The trick here is to start socially recruiting only after all other elements of the application process are mobile compatible because the majority of American social media users are accessing the platforms on a mobile device. They will be much more likely to complete an application from their mobile device if it looks possible and is easy to use.

Still Not Convinced?

A shorter time to hire with mobile recruiting saves a company significant money because candidates won’t wait to apply for jobs they like. It’s likely there will be a deeper applicant pool, which means more candidates and reduced costs associated with turnover. In the candidate-driven job market, this is an advantage, as the average construction job seeker can apply for multiple positions and field multiple offers at once. This savings in hiring costs could very well pay for the ATS the company should use to make the hiring process mobile compatible. 

Mobile hiring and recruiting is the way of the future, so be sure to make the investment in the best mobile recruiting technology for a positive applicant experience for future employees.