QR Codes in Recruitment

Aug 01 11 - 11:31AMAlex Charraudeau, Account Manager Technology

QR codes in recruitment marketing could be huge ... if only people knew what QR codes are.

A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response Code) is like a bar code that when photographed on a mobile device (using a QR reader) allows the user to access a web address, pick up a phone number or display text or images on your device. According to Mashable QR codes have had an increased up take of 1200% in the last 6 months. Here is a link to Wikipedia’s description for more information.

How are QR codes used in recruitment?

Recruiters are using QR codes in newspapers, on public transport and at trade fairs. They can link users to their website, their mobile recruitment website, to specific job details or to a company’s contact details. “Object hyperlinking” or “hard linking” as it is called breaks down the barriers between the real world and the digital world.

Here is an example I saw when in Manchester on their Metro system.

QR Codes in recruitment

Recently Jobserve has launched QR codes alongside each of their job vacancies. “By scanning the barcode candidates can quickly store the job for quick and easy recall later – far quicker than it would be to email the link. Many mobile phones will also enable navigation straight to the job from the QR code” says Les Powell, General Manager Product & Service Delivery.

Jobserve QR Codes in Recruitment

How is QR used outside of recruitment?

Here are a few other examples that I have picked up on my travels.

Linking a QR code to your Facebook page can help drive more Likes and fans to your page. This could be used equally as well with recruitment Facebook marketing. Pizza Express do this quite nicely.

Pizza Express QR Codes

This real estate agency has QR codes on all of the properties advertised in the window. This is a brilliant way to allow someone access to your information, bookmark content and keep you in mind if they are passing by. For recruitment agencies who post jobs in windows this would work equally as well.

QR Codes in Real Estate

Here is a video showing how QR codes have been used in the press:

With people switching between smart phones and PCs I’ve noticed an ever increasing number of websites displaying QR codes so that you can easily get content from the screen onto your device. Pretty handy if you want to refer back to something on-the-go of download contact details.

QR Codes in blogs

If you have seen any other good uses for QR codes – specifically related to recruitment please send them to me and I will be more than happy to post them up in a follow up blog.

TAGS: Innovation, Mobile Recruitment

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ARM_SamHill, 02 August 2011, 09:59 AM

I can't get my head around why Jobsite have a QR code on their website page.

I can see why there may be value in having a QR code in non digital media such as print to take a user online, but if the user is already online I really don't see the need for a QR code when a hyperlink will do.

Similar applies for jobserve.

I see QR codes as a clever way to get a user onto a website displaying further information about a product or service, but I question why they are being used on websites.

Alex, 02 August 2011, 09:44 AM

I agree - the use of QR codes on websites is not something I see as being a top priority. Benefits would be that you can get people to view specific content on a mobile device to bookmark it for future reference/access when on the go. That might work well if it was a latest blogs page or latest jobs for a specific sector.

I can see the value of having an "Email me this link" button in place of a QR code in many instances. Email is pretty reliable and some QR code readers take a while to load up which can be frustrating.

ARM_SamHill, 02 August 2011, 09:52 AM

I would defiantly agree!

An email me this link function/button would be a more efficient and adopted method of saving the information for mobile browsing.

That may be personal preference, but I would say email would be a preferred method by the majority of smart phone users.

Using a QR code in this way is a novelty IMHO :).

I think using a QR code in printed media ad's could be a nice touch to recruiters, especially in certain technical sectors.

Alex, 02 August 2011, 09:40 AM

Certainly the real place for QR codes is out there "hard linking" back to the net. Trade-fairs, office windows, business cards, leaflets and print media is where it belongs!

I could see it being used in trade press and in news papers in the job sections.

We are both in agreement about the preferred means on data transfer from PC to mobile - email works best!!

Stephen Turnock, 03 August 2011, 12:38 PM

Seen some great ideas for QR codes from a personal tattoo as a QR to your online profile, QR codes as part of brand/logo to an entire hotel in Dubai built into a QR code! We will see them on tax disks, number plates maybe and seen from satellite!

For Recruitment, some of your best candidates and ones not even looking for jobs, are sat on trains airports, bars, service stations - reading print, bill boards, signs etc., so another vehicle to connect, share and ultimately a placement. Not sure why they are on JobBoards however. Perhaps to make them look innovative! but I might be missing something. Perhaps Smartphone’s will keep a library of QR codes by category / Tag / location - | jobs | Restaurants | Hotels | and add to contacts perhaps, I don’t know..

Alex, 03 August 2011, 03:28 PM

"For Recruitment, some of your best candidates and ones not even looking for jobs, are sat on trains airports, bars, service stations - reading print, bill boards, signs etc."

I agree fully. That is where you can really target people.

Jonathan, 04 August 2011, 12:18 PM

I feel that having QR codes in recruitment is not really worth the time. I say this simply because I do not know anyone that would want to go out of their way to use it with the added fact that many phones requires you to download the app in the first place. As a recent graduate myself, I wouldn't use them simply as I can usually find the information out in many other ways.

Alex, 04 August 2011, 12:53 PM

Thanks Jonathan. I appreciate what you are saying, and as a recent graudate you are much better placed to comment on that market than I (feeling a little old just writing that!).

I'd have thought the opposite initially. Bands, clubs, artists, trendy pop-up boutiques all have been using QR codes to advertise themselves to recent grads and students alike. Lots of students and grads have smart phones (Offcom published a report saying that nearly half of all early teens have a smartphone http://bit.ly/oGzlMW)

I believe that QR codes can work well if someone has a real reason to use them. If you are giving them something unique that they can't access from elsewhere or if you are giving them something that they want or need then they probably will use them.

Glenn, 05 August 2011, 08:35 AM

I'm wondering how they track the response?

Alex, 05 August 2011, 08:07 AM

Hi Glenn, with regards to monitoring responses to QR codes there are several ways that you go about this.

Firstly if you are using a QR generator tool many of these have analytics (in the same way that bit.ly do). Here is one that you can use for free http://www.smartytags.com/create-a-code .

If the QR code is linking to your website you can set up tracking codes in the url and monitor this along with your other web stats using Google Analytics. I hope this helps!

Allan Stewart, 05 August 2011, 03:05 PM

Flip it client side and add QR codes to paper or word CV's that take you to your linkedin profile or a webpage or something. Could be cool.

Alex, 08 August 2011, 11:01 AM

Here is a new infographic released by Mashable :
http://mashable.com/2011/08/07/qr-codes-infographic-2/

Dan, 08 August 2011, 12:52 PM

I heard rumours of the iPhone 5 having a built-in reader; which itself I believe would have big implications and influence for the future of QR codes (in the west at least).

Steven, 25 August 2011, 01:47 PM

As an indication of the frankly loony pace at which the brand new is becoming the every day and then the laughably mundane, we used a blind QR code print advert campaign as a selection tool less than two years ago, reasoning that only individuals with real technical nouse would recognise what the pretty pattern was, let alone have the kind of hard core hardware that could decode it. These days I guess it's less a problem of recognition and more an issue, as you've rightly highlighted, of how and (more crucially than I can adequately express at this point size) when you make use of it.

DJ, 25 August 2011, 01:07 PM

Its like any visual call to action. QR codes are great, but need to be incorporated into the design. Where I see a great opportunity for QR codes is within the corporate sector, specifically those companies in retail, hospitality etc, where they often recruit from their customers.

Instore recruiting posters with clear calls to action focussed on QR codes allows the individual to link to the vacancy or a personalised landing page linked to the campaign. What needs to be considered is the user experience. Simply linking to a non-mobile optimised vacancy on an ATS won't create a good experience, or linking to a Flash site which won't work with an iPhone or iPad. Its about joined up recruitment marketing and not just doing something because its new and 'shiny'.

Stephen, 26 August 2011, 09:15 AM

QR codes allow media publishers to offer trackable response for inprint recruitment advertising.

We have recently been running a page of small classified recruitment adverts carrying QR codes in one of our larger local newspapers. The ads simply carry a job title, location, salary and the QR code and a Tiny URL. The QR code and Tiny URL link directly to the advertsier's online posting, where jobseekers are able to view the full job spec and then apply.

By running a full page of these small classified adverts with clear instructions in the header about the use of QR codes, we have been able to generate very high levels of response from the print adverts and demonstrate that there is still real value in being able to access local newspaper readers in the recruitment space.

Thomas Shaw, 26 August 2011, 09:44 AM

I've used QR codes in recruitment marketing for a number of years, but unfortunately unless you have a QR reader on your phone you are unable to scan, read and store the message. This straight away excludes a large % or potential readers/applicants.

http://www.recruitmentdirectory.com.au/Blog/are-your-job-ads-mobile-tagged-2d-barcodes-qr-code-and-microsoft-tag-a337.html

Another way around it is to do 2 way SMS via shortcode > URL then when opening the URL, geolocate the user and serve up relevant content that way.

Romak, 26 August 2011, 09:24 AM

Having just recently sold a few QR codes in the recruitment market I have all confidence that this is one area where I specifically feel that recruitment advertising may need, with people having trust in the local newspapers and how the on-line recruitment market has now boomed I, as well as customers who have recently purchased some from myself have felt extremely happy with the response and quality that this service has delivered.

Karim , 31 August 2011, 08:47 AM

Unfortunately QR is only for early adapters, so when they are your target audience Yes go for it!
Basicly QR is nothing more then a restyled barcode and you still need a reader to to get things started. I think I'll skip this one and wait for QR 3.0 ;) #QR @SRES