How To Keep Your Application Process Mobile Friendly

Mobile phones are no longer just a ‘telephony device’ used for communicating with your friends and family. It has transformed into a robust channel that helps in accomplishing a wide array of tasks in a multitude of domains. This includes something as conservative and traditional as the hiring domain.

Businesses across the globe are switching to mobile-friendly application processes because it helps them reach the ‘unreachable.’ Not everyone who has applied to your company has a working laptop or a consistent broadband connection 24X7. But all of them will have a smartphone with them throughout the day. And that’s why it makes total sense to make your application process mobile-friendly.

But the bigger question is ‘how.’ In this article, we bring you 6 ways to keep your application process mobile-friendly.

#1 Keep the application process short

As an employer, this tip might come as a surprise. It might even make you a little nervous. After all, you might wonder – ‘How will I know everything about a candidate and make an informed hiring decision if the application process is short.’ The trick is to ask the right set of questions that will clear all your doubts for an initial assessment. You can always ask more during later calls. Cloud telephony platforms like FreJun log and record all your calls with candidates. You can use this information to make the right decision without making the application process too long.

Also, when you do not keep your application process short, it might impact your chances of attracting top talent. No one likes to spend hours on an application. According to a survey, more than 73% of job seekers tend to not complete their application process if it takes more than 12 minutes.

Also, read: Streamline Your Recruitment Process With These 7 Tips

#2 Allow applicants to upload their resumes from the cloud

‘Hiring and ‘resumes’ are often considered to be ‘inseparable twins.’ One cannot live without the other. As an employer, resumes are the first thing you see about a candidate. It is a key document to decide whether the candidate is a good fit or not. However, a document as important as a resume can also become a reason for incomplete applications.

This is because most people complete their applications on their mobile, and they might not have a digital copy of their resume stored on it. That’s why you need to give them an option to upload their resumes via cloud platforms like Dropbox or Google Drive. There’s a good chance that they have a copy of their updated resumes on these drives, and can instantly upload it. This ensures that there are no unwanted interruptions in their application process.

#3 Communicate with candidates via text

A study has shown that the open rate of text messages(98%) is way more than emails(20%). There are two reasons for this –

• Texts tend to be more personal than emails. Historically, text messages have been considered a way to communicate with your loved ones. This automatically makes people warm up to text messages more than official emails.
• Text messages will be delivered no matter what. For instance, an SMS will be delivered to the candidates irrespective of whether their phone is ‘smart’ or not. Hence its good to invest in a text messaging services provider as a business.

So make sure to open a two-way communication channel with your candidates through text messaging.

#4 Promote your application process as mobile-first

In a survey, it was found that the companies promoting their job opening as mobile-friendly saw an 11.6% increase in job applications. A company that has made an effort to make its application process mobile-friendly will be an employee-centric company. Job seekers will not only love to be a part of such a company but will also be loyal, making them great hires.

It’s becoming incredibly challenging to find qualified applicants. Employers have to do everything to make sure they land the right candidate. Having a mobile-friendly application process and advertising them is one of the easier ways to draw talent.  Who knows, it might even give you an edge over your competition who is yet to enter the race of mobile-friendly application processes.

#5 Leverage an ATS for quick screening

Many ATSs can parse a resume, capture key information from it, and populate it in the corresponding fields of an application form when the candidate uploads the resume. This shortens the time required to complete the application form as most of the fields are already filled.

However, it is important to choose the right ATS tool as many of them tend to map the details to the wrong fields. Instead of making the application process simpler, it becomes an unwanted chore as the candidates have to remove the pre-filled information and then enter their details manually.

Also, read: Remote Work & Recruitment: An ATS Story

#6 Keep your talent pool warm

Segregate previously rejected candidates or candidates who were not a good fit for that role into talent pools. A talent pool contains all the important details about the candidate, such as potential roles they could fill, their skills, personal details, etc. When you put job seekers into these talent pools, you don’t have to start the recruiting process from scratch next time an opening comes up. Just search this talent pool for qualified candidates and contact them directly for an interview.

It is easier to keep them engaged by sending them company updates and open roles to keep your company top of mind.

Conclusion

By making your application process mobile-friendly, job seekers are more likely to convert into your applicants. And when the pool of applicants widens for a job opening, you automatically ensure that you have access to top talent in an increasingly competitive job ecosystem.

A business analyst turned writer who loves to paint away his free time. A staunch follower of the 'Workcation' concept, he loves to combine the art of writing with the enigma of traveling.