Just thinking now about mobile recruiting? You could be well behind the competition on your recruiting curve. So, hoping that you haven’t missed the call on this, here’s why it’s important and how you can make it work for your business success. What it’s all about LinkedIn puts the problem front and center. Job networking is its reason to exist. Of the people who are actively looking for jobs:

• 72% check out your business website.
• 64% browse jobs at social and professional websites.
• 45% apply for a job online.
• 43% submit their resume for a job application.

But, even substantial numbers of people who are not actively looking for a job will use mobile tech to browse for better opportunities. At the same time, if you ask recruiting leaders how they are using mobile tech to recruit, 13% say they have already invested in the technology, a significant disconnect from the job hunters’ view. When asked what candidates want to see on your business’s career webpage, they told LinkedIn:

• 94% want current job openings.
• 72% want a description of company culture.
• 61% want a company history.
• 56% want benefits info.
• 45% want profile of employees.

While your managers want hands and bodies to fill their job openings, these numbers tell you what the talent really wants. So, what’s it all about? Unless you are aggressively recruiting via mobile channels, you are not reaching the talent you need to compete. What you need to do

• Optimize your website so that it presents what job seekers want to see. They are not looking for job descriptions or policies and procedures. Talent wants visual engagement and user-friendly navigation suitable for mobile devices.

The look and language must make recruits want to work there. But, the site must rank high and fast on various browsers. Keep it simple and friendly, and talent will come back to the site repeatedly.

• Develop apps for mobile. They must load quickly and safely. Copy and visuals must adapt to screens without requiring scrolling or zooming. And, if it shows on smartphones, it must fit all mobile devices, browsers, systems, and platforms.

As Entrepreneur claims, “these apps help candidates and employers find one other. With the market for corporate recruiting software topping $1.5 billion, and with 65 percent of applicants looking for jobs on mobile devices, the future looks bright for these apps.”

• Text talent to reach and keep contact with interested job hunters. SMS texting lets you build, strengthen, and sustain relationships with talented prospects. The people you want to reach text more frequently than they breathe, so it’s the most direct connection you can exploit.

With an applicant tracking system like that included in ClayHR’s HCM system, you can”

• Hire internally based on best match of skill set, availability, and hiring needs.
• Publish positions externally on website and social media and integrate with other job boards.
• Collect and process submitted resumes.
• Nurture candidates who are not ready to act yet.

Texting gets you responses faster and plays to your market’s interests and skill set. There are software options and templates that make this texting easier, but Forbes warns, “Mobile is a priceless recruiting and referral tool, but to seal the deal you need personal contact. HR is about filtering and attracting top people, so once mobile has connected your enterprise with talent, pick up the phone and make human-to-human contact.”

• Maximize your presence on social media. Few things spread the word on a good job than Twitter. Facebook lists millions of job openings on its Social Job Partnership. LinkedIn presents a marketplace where seekers meet open jobs.

It takes some strategy and dedicated HR personnel, but the social media talent mine it too rich to ignore.

• Social media is revealing. Users reveal their interests, passions, and goals. They talk about what works for them and what does not.
• Innovation and creativity show on social media in ways that resumes don’t reveal.
• Social media comments add dimension to candidates. It’s a first and often best source of a cultural fit for your workplace.
• Poor fits and unqualified candidates will eliminate themselves with inappropriate social comments, negative attitudes, and moody rants.

Still, social media may be your fastest route to spreading the word on quality job openings and your interest in available and promising talent.

• Channel employee interest. Current employees remain a great source for locating talent that would fit the culture. So, you’d be smart to encourage them to share what they like about the business on social media.

Encourage them to talk about their insurance benefits, leave policies, feedback opportunities, and the other employee needs that shape and solidify your brand. While you are at it, you can use social media to spread company news, employee recognition, and company cultural events.

• Align with compliance issues. Mobile recruiters must be trained to sync with compliance agencies. Their language in all communications must comply with EEO, Affirmative Action, ADA, and other positions.

The recruiters’ copy, texts, and live conversations must be standardized and confirmed as consistent with regulatory authorities and business goals. For example, you cannot make a claim to the company’s diversity if your recruiting messages do not comply. Talent seeks talent The best recruiting efforts present a multi-faceted image of a company where people want to work. If you are seeking talent, you must present a branded corporate culture that respects talent. They want a culture that has a place and future for what they offer. And, they want the process to be swift, easy, and engaging. If you are behind the curve on recruiting with mobile technology, listen to your employees and applicants. Then, you can design it for the world they come from.