A new survey by eRecruitment specialist Konetic reveals that 80% of HR teams are using social media for sourcing and hiring new staff. However, this high percentage is offset by the fact that 78% also believe that using social media in this way is a major challenge.
The reason why is likely to be found in the fact that a relatively small number have appropriate careers-focused websites. Only 35% have a mobile-friendly website dedicated to jobs and careers – while just marginally more (37%) boast a mobile-friendly corporate site. Half of those surveyed had no future plans to implement such a site, yet some 64% said that they wanted to offer candidates a better mobile experience.
Of those that do have mobile-friendly sites, the majority use them for offering information about jobs (67%), with the same percentage sending out alerts to interested candidates as new jobs are posted. 42% enable applications via the mobile site but only 17% offer a way to make interview appointments via mobiles.
According to BBC News, three-quarters of British businesses believe a significant skills crisis will hit us within the next three years, with over two-thirds (68%) fearing that shortages of the right skills will put the brakes on the economic recovery. So it is also significant that 86% of those polled said that ‘finding new ways to attract the right candidates for current roles’ was their main concern.
“Increasingly digital natives expect to be contacted by text and via social media and to browse for jobs on their mobiles. Thankfully, cloud technology is making new applications that enable this more readily available and affordable,” says Paul Finch, managing director, Konetic.
“Yet, our survey shows a real mismatch between what HR departments need and want to do - and the ease with which they can do it, painting a picture of teams struggling to cope with new trends using outdated technology.
“It’s yet another example of how the devices people use at home are outpacing the technology used by businesses,” Finch concludes.