Quick! Where is your cell phone?
Did you even have to think about your answer? Probably not, because chances are good, your phone is within reach. In fact, it’s likely you’ve checked it in the last half hour, regardless of whether it’s rung or beeped or vibrated. Candidates are no different; most of them are just as attached to their phones as you are – which is why more and more medical sales recruiters are interested in developing a mobile recruiting strategy.
By now, most medical sales recruiters have seen the statistics on mobile usage and are starting to understand the implications for their businesses. There are over 300 million mobile users in the US, and half of US adults own smartphones. If predictions are right, in the next few years, people will use mobile devices to access the web more frequently than they use computers. Based on these numbers, it’s fair to assume recruiters who aren’t using mobile will soon find they have a gaping hole in their overall medical sales recruiting strategy.
Why do I need a mobile strategy?
Acknowledging the need for a mobile medical sales recruiting strategy (and getting buy-in from management) is the first step. If the above stats aren’t enough to accomplish this, market research consultancy, Potentialpark, recently surveyed 30,000 jobseekers on their mobile job search preferences, and the results are persuasive. According to the data, 19% of job seekers said they currently use their mobile devices for career-related activities and 50% said they could imagine doing so. The ability to search for jobs and receive job alerts on their mobile devices were the two most popular requests, but broadcasting job information is just the first step in a mobile recruiting strategy. Job seekers will eventually expect to be able to apply for jobs using their mobile and even track the status of applications. Medical sales recruiters will carry their entire candidate database in their pocket so they can search resumes and email or text candidates – all from their mobile devices.
How are other recruiting professionals using mobile?
No question, the most effective medical sales recruiters are finding ways to use mobile in the recruiting process, but how are they doing it? According to a Job Board Doctor survey, 63% of recruiting professionals have incorporated mobile into some aspect of their recruiting strategy. Two-thirds of respondents said they communicate with individual candidates via text (also called SMS), and 40% report having a mobile version of their career site. Other less common tactics include:
- Mass texting job alerts (24%)
- QR codes in recruitment ads (19%)
- Sending mass texts for employer branding and/or about corporate events (18%)
- Mobile apps for career sites (18%)
- Mobile video (13%)
- Receiving applications via text (9%)
Next: How do I create a mobile recruiting strategy?
