After climbing out of a 2007 to early 2010 recession, during which unemployment hovered at 10 percent, the recruitment industry is now a seller’s market, at roughly 4 percent unemployment. Luring the right candidates in the most cost-effective, efficient, and convenient method possible is crucial. An Applicant Tracking System that enables mobile applications may be the best tool to make this happen, primarily because the bulk of recruiters and employers are simply not offering mobile apply processes. In fact, only 10 percent of Fortune 500 business enable mobile applications. Recruiters who offer this are standouts for one simple reason – job seekers want it.
The key caveat, however, is that the mobile apply app work with the right applicant tracking system.
In a recent survey conducted for Indeed, 78 percent of the more than 3,000 job candidates said they would apply by way of a mobile app, if the process were simplified. In 2014, Jibe was told by 20 percent of its surveyed job seekers that they would refuse to apply for a job in which they could not apply by mobile. CareerBuilder also recently studied the application process from the candidates’ viewpoint, and found that 60 percent of the job seekers admitted leaving applications unfinished because of the cumbersome or lengthy ATS-driven application.
The key, then to recruiting via ATS mobile app, is twofold – the right app; and the right ATS. Let’s look at each.
Key Features for an ATS with strong candidate appeal:
- Easy integration with major e-mail providers, such as Outlook and Gmail.
- One or two-step Integration with social media, so candidates can apply via share of their LinkedIn profile, for example.
- Smart filtering system, that doesn’t reject excellent candidates because their resumes weren’t perfectly formatted, for example.
- Minimal number of questions, with no repetition, and no need for extensive key strokes
Key Features for a Mobile Apply app with strong candidate appeal:
- Text formatting that does not require zooming for visibility and response
- The fewer drop down menus the better
- Large, prominent call-to-action buttons
- Versatile resume upload options such as LinkedIn profile, Google Drive or Dropbox
The key to luring the right candidates for yours or your clients’ job openings is simplification. An ATS mobile app that makes it easy for job seekers to apply is crucial.