How Location Data Drives Better Candidate Recruitment

Recent research has found that 70 percent of employers use social media to screen candidates before making a hiring decision. However, social activity alone does not provide a thoroughly accurate representation of a candidate. Companies that are serious about using data and insights as recruitment resources need to look toward various types of behavioral data for a deeper understanding of any individual. Specifically, location insights can provide a wealth of valuable information about a candidate.

Unlike behavioral data – which is generated by a person's engagement with a company, their online behavior, their actions on social media, and so on – location data is collected using geofencing technology that captures a person's movements within a designated area. Location data fills in the gaps around a person's everyday movements. Combined with other data sources, location data makes for a powerful recruiting tool. Used properly, data from geofencing can effectively capture the attention of prospects who might otherwise ignore a company's contact attempts.

There are several benefits to using geofencing to target prospective hires. The tool is incredibly cost-effective given how targeted and specific a geofence can be. For companies and organizations running lean and relying on small (or nonexistent) recruiting teams, location data ensures hiring managers get the most bang for their buck while reaching the highest-quality candidates possible.

How and Why Geofencing Is Useful

Employers can utilize geofences to locate devices of prospective candidates and gather data on venue visits, brand affinity, and demographics. Having insight into where prospective candidates go on a daily basis, what their education levels are, and what their personalities are like enables a company to better target its messaging to places where qualified candidates are most likely to pay attention.

For instance, if an ideal candidate needs to be physically fit in order to meet certain job requirements, an organization could target potential candidates who frequent gyms or other fitness-related venues.

Military recruitment can also be boosted through geofencing. This capability enables real-time awareness of potential candidates as they are entering, leaving, or within proximity of military services recruitment centers. Taking it a step further, recruiters can also be made aware of when recruits are visiting alternative occupational locations or even competitive service centers and plan their targeting accordingly.

Accurate location technology is vital to effectively targeting prospective job candidates when they are most inclined to engage and respond. This type of solution is useful for identifying candidate behaviors at specific venues or groups of venues, providing further insight into how they spend their time.

In addition to being aware of when people are at specific locations, it is possible to gather specific insights into the lifestyles and brand affinities of candidates. Gathering this type of information results in a deeper understanding of candidates as people and allows companies to develop messaging that connects with them on a personal level.

Geofencing is a valuable resource for targeting and gaining a better understanding of high-quality job candidates. Understanding where and how to best attract a candidate's attention will result in a higher likelihood of engagement, transforming candidates from prospects to visible applicants.

David Bairstow is vice president of product at Skyhook.