4 Ways Mobile Mends Flawed Interview Practices
Considering it takes an average of 24.5 working days to fill an open position, it’s no wonder hiring managers are turning to mobile to help streamline processes.
Here are some ways mobile technology is helping mend flawed interview strategies :
1. Social media is more available.
No longer do hiring managers need to rely on resumes and ATSs to screen candidates. Nearly everything a hiring manager wants to know might be found by scoping out a candidate’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. Check under the “about me” section for any links to personal blogs or websites. These things could be key in allowing you to get to know your candidate before even speaking with him or her.
Mobile devices have significantly increased the availability of social media. In fact, my company’s recent Mobile and Social Job Search survey found 53 percent of candidates check social media multiple times a day. Ninety-four percent of recruiters are using social media as a screening tool, too, and 42 percent have reconsidered a candidate based on what they find.
2. Mobile assessments are more efficient and in-demand.
A recent SHRM study found 91 percent of hiring managers plan to use skills or knowledge assessments as a pre-hiring strategy. Other types of assessments follow closely behind, measuring personality, problem solving, and job fit. These tests provide valuable insights into employee metrics that show the value of HR’s investments, 42 percent believe.
With great confidence in assessments, hiring managers are looking to mobile to streamline the process. Candidates no longer need to wait to get to a computer or come in-person to take the test: they can take it immediately from their phones.
This might be why more than 40 percent of HR professionals would condone the use of mobile devices for completing candidate assessment tests. The study also found 23 percent of applicants request to complete tests on mobile devices, and 26 percent of recruiters want access to candidate information on mobile. That’s up from only 9 percent in 2011.
3. No more long gaps in communication.
Before mobile, long gaps in communication between hiring managers and candidates caused many bumps in the road. For example, by the time you made contact with your top candidate again, he already accepted another job offer. Now, with constant access to email, text messages, and voicemail, we can receive and respond to communication quickly.
Whether it’s a tweet, email, or job board message, we have access to all communication coming our way instantly. In fact, our Mobile and Social Medical Job Search survey found 31 percent of candidates text with recruiters.
4. Facetime doesn’t need to be in-person.
In the past, it was the norm to block off several hours in a day to interview candidates in-person. Often, within the first 20 minutes, you’d realize a candidate wasn’t the right fit and you just wasted your time. The worst part is you waited all week to discover this. You planned ahead and moved other events around so your schedule could align with the candidate’s.
Now, to get to know a candidate in real-time, all you need is a smartphone and a quiet space to escape to for a few minutes. You can use video chat on mobile to learn virtually anything an in-person interview can teach you about a candidate. No more rearranging your schedule or going through the hassle of giving another ill-fitting candidate the grand office tour. Spend a few minutes chatting in real-time, and if you think the candidate might be a winner, invite them to the office or schedule a longer, more formal interview via video.
Mobile has helped solve some of HR’s most complicated hiring problems, allowing managers to learn about candidates in new ways more efficiently.
What are some other ways mobile mends flawed interview strategies?