Why Mobile Apps Should Be Used During the Hiring Process

Why Mobile Apps Should Be Used During the Hiring Process Technology is in a constant state of flux and changing the way we live, our decision making and also playing a huge role in the way business’s function. Businesses that want to stay competitive must ride the crest of technology or face the prospect of redundancy. The great thing about technology is it plays no favorites. There is a tech solution available for just about any and every business process you can think of; yes, this includes ‘hiring’ as well. A look back in time: There was a time when job advertisements were published in newspapers and candidates would send in their resumes to the postal address mentioned in the advert; the recruiters would give them a call back if their qualifications and experience fit the job profile. Enter the World Wide Web:  It facilitated the rise of ‘digital recruitment’, something that is still commonly used today; jobs are posted on job sites or job boards. Candidates can apply through these sites or send in their resumes to the email ID of the recruiter. Enter Social Media:  The recruitment process underwent a dramatic change with the arrival of social media and its rapid adoption by users. It has given an added impetus to the process of recruitment, making it very easy for recruiters to get in touch with qualified candidates. Social professional networks are becoming the top source of recruitment. Enter Mobile Technology:  Before hiring managers could get used to social recruitment, the world of recruitment has received another massive transformative boost in the form of mobile technology. The use of mobile apps is all set to revolutionize the practice of recruitment. What we are staring at is a ‘Mobile App Recruitment’ revolution. Recruiting agencies and companies that have kept pace with the latest developments in technology and adopted what suits their needs and requirements best, are way ahead in reaching out to potential qualified candidates as compared to their competitors. But, as is the case with any technology, there are always doubts in the mind of users about the potential deliverables of a particular tech solution. Questions like ‘why should I use it’, ‘what if I use it wrong’, ‘what if it involves a steep learning curve’ etc. act as barriers to seamless adoption. These doubts persist even in the case of mobile apps and many recruitment professionals are skeptical of using them. Let’s take a look at the reasons stopping them from leveraging mobility to improve their recruitment process and why these reasons need to go into the nearest trash can: 1) Apps are complex: Hiring managers are not in favor of using recruiting apps as they presume these apps are difficult to understand and use. But, nothing can be farther from the truth. There are many recruiting apps (for e.g. LinkedIn) that offer a fantastic UI and UX, which guarantees users can navigate app functionality with relative ease. These apps are so designed that even non-tech savvy recruiters can use them easily. 2) Apps are a waste of money: No, they aren’t. You don’t have to dig deep inside your pockets to buy an app and what’s more, the right app can deliver solid value for money. It can help get your hands on the right candidate quickly, before your competitors. A large number of individuals who want to join the workforce are searching for opportunities on their mobile phones. The use of a mobile app helps you keep up with this mobile generation, otherwise you run the risk of being ignored by them. However, if you still think you don’t want to spend money on an app, there are many free recruiting apps available on the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. Even for the paid apps, mobile application vendors usually offer free trial for a few days, where you can use specific app features; this helps you decide whether spending money on the app makes sense or not. 3) Apps are time-consuming: On the contrary, apps can save your precious time! Today’s hiring managers are increasingly strapped for time. They have a truckload of responsibilities on their plate like posting jobs, scheduling interviews, organizing career fairs and much more! They can save a lot of time by downloading an app on their smartphone. They can not only use this app on the go but also use it to engage with target candidates in a more immediate manner. There are certain apps that even let you post openings on your company website, your social media channels and job boards simultaneously; this saves valuable time that can be spent elsewhere in other recruitment activities. 4) Apps keep sending notifications: Receiving a gazillion notifications a day can definitely be annoying for recruiters. But then most apps provide easy options for people to turn these notifications off. They even offer the option of selecting the kind of notifications you would like to receive on your smartphone or tablet. So, rather than annoying, push notifications can actually prove to be highly beneficial as you will receive well-timed relevant messages. For instance, think of a situation where you are about to schedule an interview with a candidate when you receive a push-notification saying a worthier candidate has shown interest in your job opening. This is just one of the benefits offered by recruitment apps and is far more relevant and timely, than an email that is read 2 hours after short listing the candidates. 5) Apps are buggy: No software or app is 100% bug free, but this should not be an excuse offered by hiring managers for not using it. A good quality app can crash for freeze, but only in rare instances. Reputed app vendors take great care to ensure that an app is fast and doesn’t drain your battery. Moreover, they come up with upgraded versions from time to time and ensure that bugs have been resolved in the new version of the app. If you are still not convinced, a mobile app needs to be an integral tool of your mobile app marketing strategy, take a look at a few more benefits that might change your mind: Communicate in Real-time â€" Leverage push notifications to push your jobs to the candidates’ inbox (app inbox). It is an extremely effective means of instantly communicating open positions to job seekers. Convenience â€" Recruitment apps come with diverse features like applicant tracking, interview scheduling, web-enabled candidate search etc. These features provide different benefits to recruiters, thereby making the whole process of recruitment easy and convenient. Work Offline You are also able to access and collect your data whilst offline. Certain recruitment apps automatically synchronize data in the background and store it on the device, so that recruiters can access data in the app without connectivity. Collaboration â€" There may be times when multiple team members are handling the recruitment process. For instance, a hiring manager may not have any idea of the skills to look for when hiring a web developer and would be required to keep the project manager in the loop. By using the right recruitment mobile app, they can collaborate easily and effortlessly find the ideal candidate for the position. The wrap: As you can see, a mobile app has the ability to play a mission critical role in the hiring process. You will have to embrace this technology sooner, rather than later. So why wait? It will be a good idea to start using this technology, immediately. There are great benefits to be had if you start using a mobile app to shore up your recruitment efforts. Author Bio:  Vivek Patel is the content marketer at MoveoApps, an android app development company. He writes about mobile applications, technology and analyzes current technology market scenarios and loves to share his ideas on the web. You can follow him on Twitter @vivekrpatel.

5 Little Books With Big Messages You Dont Want To Miss

5 Little Books With Big Messages You Dont Want To Miss I like to read.  Its always been a source of ideas, inspiration, and encouragement for me.  But as Ive grown older, a busy life and the constraints of time have come into play.  With so many demands on my time, I shy away from tomes that run upwards of 400 pages.  Thats why I was delighted to have not just one or two but five delicious reads come my way that are like a well-portioned, healthy meal. All coming in at around 200 pages or less, theres something for everyone.  But my guess is that youll want to read them all. Heres five deceptively little books with big messages you dont want to miss. Phobia Relief by Kalliope Barlis Got a fear of flying, or snakes, or clowns?  In this international best seller, Kalliiope helps you tackle them without years of therapy.  Based on neuro-linguistic programming, the book is a concise training program that shows you the step-by-step process to change the way you respond to thoughts about things youve always attached fear emotions to.  Read this one, practice its lessons, and rid yourself of the fears youve been struggling with for so long. Find Your Awesome by Judy Clement Wall Remember that favorite teacher who could so easily make you smile even on the crummiest of days?  Judy is one of those people. Find Your Awesome is melt-your-heart, authentically wonderful. To one extent or another, we are all guilty of showing more kindness and love to others than to ourselves. Heres a 30 day challenge to change that.  But the real magic is that your actions actually ADD to the worlds reservoir of love. This little book wont end up on your bookshelf itll end up in your purse as a go-to resource to remind you how awesome you, the people around you, and life really are. Surviving the Dick Clique by Holly Caplan You dont have to be a genius to recognize the challenges that women face in male-dominated professions.  And the theories you learned in college classes often dont work as well in the real world.  Enter Surviving the Dick Clique.  This book is based on Hollys two decades of dealing with the men in her chosen occupation.  She shares her experiences and provides a practical how-to-survive guide thats perfect for all women who find themselves surrounded at work with . . . well, Dicks!  If you instantly put a mans face on the title upon hearing it, this ones definitely for you. The Influence Effect Authored by four New York Times Bestseller authors, this books subtitle is The New Path To Power For Women Leaders.  And thats exactly what the authors lay out for you.  With deviously effective tools like Scaffolding, Influence Loops, and Scenario Thinking, your path forward and up will become well-lit.  And the four female authors walk their talk, as evidenced in their Red Suit Vision, which targets having women  making up at least 30 percent of all top-level corporate leadership positions in the United States by 2025.  Due out November 6, put this one on your must-have list. Your No Fear Career by Robin Fisher Roffer More than anything else, fear holds all of us back.  So often it becomes the impenetrable wall between us and our dreams.  When those fears run interference with your career, what do you do?  In Robins words, you have to ask yourself Is what Im obsessing about really important? Robin shows you how to see the challenges behind the fears as gifts that can be used to fuel your path forward. Shell push you to let go of judgments, especially of yourself, that keep you stuck in that quagmire of mediocrity.  If youre ready to transform your fear into power, this book could be the start of something really good. Turn Off The Television And Read! Yeah, all the new Fall shows are beckoning.  But in the time it takes to take in a couple of those, you can instead feed your mind.  And maybe change your life.  Id call that a great investment return.

Sell Your Value Gain Respect - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Sell Your Value Gain Respect - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Are you obtaining your worth in fees and services provided? In order to reach your ultimate vision, it is necessary to know where your strengths and weaknesses reside.    The painful piece is to focus on strengthening those weak areas.   And it may require further education in terms of self-study or hiring someone to mentor you. We all have weak areas that affect business, so the only embarrassment would be to not take the time to improve upon the more important ones.   It is these that will make or break your business. Significance When you do strive to improve upon what is lacking, you will find greater all around strength.   As this occurs, confidence builds.   The new you will be better heard in all of your communication including audio, verbal and visual.   Speaking with confidence, and not arrogance, tends to have others seeing you as the expert or leader in your field. This is when unexpected inquiries come your way along with new opportunities. Given the importance of speaking with confidence, should you be timid in this regard, seriously consider taking a public speaking course.   Sticking with improvement in this regard will make an enormous difference. Lead Once you are in the lead, research what others in your position are commanding in fees.     Putting a price on your value is difficult, and that’s why the research is a great place to begin.   Also speak to colleagues and friends about their knowledge of what others command in fees and salary. Again, maintain confidence and remain above average in all regards.     You don’t necessarily have to ask for top dollar, but you do want to put yourself in a higher category than average when it comes to remuneration.   Distinguishing yourself from being “average” goes miles to build your personal brand. Circle back Remind yourself of your previous weaknesses that were turned into strengths, your inherent talent, and the achievements you made over the years of which you are most proud.   No one else is quite the same.   Consider how to present the 360-degree perspective of everything you have to offer.     Re-bundle all of this into a mission statement, tagline, and adjust the communication style for all future platforms. Sell but don’t sell As contradictory as this may sound, knowing your worth and not using hardcore sales tactics sells best. The reason is a more relaxed style allows you to lead discussions of inquiry as to what the your prospective clientele is seeking.   Delve deeply into problems and ask how they perceive the solution(s).   Multiple possibilities lead to larger and more frequent sales. Driving the open discussion is a more fruitful way to come to a negotiated agreement most of the time.   Using this model, you are perceived as easy to work with. At worst case, you know your value and are well prepared to find better-matched clients.   This is key for building relationships and sales. Knowing your value will help you target the right audience and find the Smooth Sale.