COVID-19 has made many interactions difficult. Getting people into an office for interviews and onboarding has been a challenge. And it has increased the number of people who want job applications to be easier and incorporate more technology. Recognizing these issues, SIMOS decided to go mobile, both on the road and online.
“Over 89% of candidates say that mobile technology is a required resource in assisting them with their job search,” said Quinton Skyles, vice president of operations at SIMOS. “In this ever-changing environment, we see a greater need to ease the interview and application process. As we move toward more mobile technology, including our recently rolled out Stafftrack mobile app, we are looking for more ways to go mobile and increase our candidate pools.”
Combining mobile technology with mobile recruiting made sense. It made it easier for people to learn about jobs and made it easier for them to apply. So the team introduced its new mobile recruitment van, affectionately known as Hires on Tires, in mid-August in Memphis.
The van travels around city to provide awareness of job openings and easy ways to apply for them. It clearly displays SIMOS’ jobs site, apply.simosjobs.com, and the local phone number. And when it parks in front of stores or events, the team sets up the second mobile part of the van — a table with information about job openings where interested applicants can scan a QR code to learn more about the jobs and apply instantly.
Since it started in mid-August, the van has visited four or five sites each week, including community sites, local stores and gas stations. They partnered with community centers and Memphis Athletic Ministries, which hosts a weekly food bank, to meet people where they are and talk to people waiting to get food from the food bank or meeting outside at the community center about job opportunities in the area.
“SIMOS recognized a need to take its recruiting efforts where people live and work,” said SIMOS Executive Director of Recruiting Teryna Scheile, who developed the idea for the van, along with Regional Recruiting Manager Leigh Ann Frazier. “In adding more applicant locations with this mobile recruiting unit, we are increasing our opportunities to reach a broader and better candidate base.”
Soon, the van will begin connecting with client sites to provide on-site recruiting, and the plan is to eventually expand it into other cities. But for now, the van is traveling the Memphis streets, offering both fliers, snacks and SIMOS water bottles as well as the opportunity to apply for jobs.
“We’ve had to go outside the box because so many of the traditional spots, like churches, employment centers and job fairs are not open because of COVID-19,” Frazier said. “The van is like a mobile billboard. People have flagged us down to ask questions and we’ve been able to talk to hundreds of people without having them come into the office. People appreciate that we’re in the community and that we’re making it easier to connect people and work.”
