Do you remember driving without a cell phone back in the day?  What were we thinking?  What did we do if we were the unfortunate recipients of a flat tire on the highway at 11PM?

We survived.  We walked.  We stuck our thumbs high in the air (not recommended).  That’s what we did back then.  These days, our mobile devices are pretty much our everything and they can do just about everything.

While mobile is critical for every business and function, it’s currently not the most convenient solution for every problem.  Yes, the laptop/desktop has it’s place in the world, when it comes to recruiting and interviewing.

We wanted to take a look at what mobile can and can’t do in regards to your recruiting strategies.  We are certainly believers of mobile recruiting, but both mobile and desktop devices have their place.

WHAT MOBILE CAN DO

• Job Searching: Candidates can take job searching on the go by viewing positions easily on their mobile device and then applying or saving until they get to a computer
• Social Media: Mobile allows for communication through social media at any time and anywhere.  This means candidates can learn and communicate with companies with the device in their pockets in an informal setting.
• Recruitment Communication: Employers can use text messages and alerts for reminders, updates, etc. which can have a better response rate than email
• View Video Interviews: Employers can view, rate, and share video interviews while on the go.
• Employee Referrals:  While this intersects with social media, mobile allows for on the go sharing of current openings through social networks, email blasts, and text messages.

WHAT MOBILE CAN’T DO

• Replace in-person: There’s just something about a handshake that is so important when it comes to beginning and closing an interview.
• Be as Reliable as a Computer: It’s fairly common to forget to charge up a mobile device or be somewhere that has a weak signal.  This is clearly not ideal for mobile recruiting, however, that may change.
• Seamless Interaction with ATS:  With many candidates reporting a negative experience with an ATS on their computers, it gets even stickier when interacting on a mobile device.

Given how fast our world is changing, our thoughts on what mobile can’t do may change over the course of a few months or a few years.  However, right now we need to give our recruiting love to both mobile and desktop devices.

originally posted on Async Interview's Blog