Job seekers using their phones in line at the expo (mJob sign is on the left).
I was in Detroit on Tuesday representing mJob, Cheezhead’s mobile recruiting solution, at the Good Morning America Jobs Expo. The Expo was held in downtown Detroit at the Cobo Convention Center. According to local news sources, more than 5,000 people showed up for their chance to connect with employers from the local area and around the country.
Among the employers exhibiting at the event was mJob client Stryker, a medical device company based in Kalamazoo. Prior to the show, mJob had set up a text message short code that would allow job seekers to send a text and receive information about Stryker job openings right on their handset. Smart phone users could click a link that directed them to Stryker’s mobile-optimized job site (also an mJob creation). Those with more basic phones could reply to the text with their email address and receive further information that way. I was at the show to make sure everything ran smoothly and to help Stryker get the word out about their mobile capabilities.
We spread the word in two ways: First, I placed signs in key locations that informed attendees that Stryker was hiring, and that they could send a text to get more information. Second, Stryker recruiters gave out handouts at the booth which referenced the mobile option, as well as other ways to connect (standard website, etc.).
Job seekers were lined up outside the door to the convention hall well before the official starting time of 6am. Once open, attendees were admitted at a measured pace, which caused the line to persist throughout the course of the expo. That line presented a great opportunity for a mobile marketer: Lots of people with time on their hands and, in many cases, phones in their pockets. To reach that audience, I placed signs in highly visible locations along the route of the line.
We could definitely see the results of our efforts at the Stryker booth. Laurie Byrne, Director of Staffing and Talent Sourcing for Stryker said, “Letting people know about the text messaging capability really helped expand our presence at the show and seemed to drive a lot of people over to the booth.” Several other Stryker recruiters at the event mentioned that people who came to the booth were talking about the text messaging capability. Attendees said they were impressed that Stryker had that capability and said it seemed “high tech”. As far as we know, no one else at the expo provided similar options.
On the day of the show, Stryker received nearly 150 text messages requesting more information. Depending on how many texters followed up with a visit to the booth, that could represent a sizable amount of extra resumes beyond those received in person. In addition, more texts have been arriving today as people follow up on the handouts they received or tell their friends. All in all, it seems that mobile recruiting can really make a difference at a job fair.
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May 21st, 2009 at 2:32 pm
This is a superb example of a quality employer looking forward to the power of one-to-one communication with its candidates.
Did Stryker consider a text message blast to targeted candidates in Detroit prior to the event to encourage them to come out and engage with those more passive candidates. We’ve seen a number of employers use our text messaging tool to drive traffic to the information events and I really like that use of the tool.