[attach id="209544" size="medium"][/attach]

Recruitment processes have come a long way and rarely involve managers sifting through handwritten CVs anymore. Thanks to web-based software, it is easier to keep communication going between employers and candidates.

Konnekt.com attracted more than 9,000 visits from a variety of mobile devices- Josef Said

Quick Response codes are second-generation barcodes that allow candidates quick and direct access to websites using only a smartphone. Konnekt Search and Selection was among the first recruiters in the Maltese Islands to use QR Codes.

Our first published QR Code appeared in a vacancy advert in The Times’ Classified section more than a year ago and has seen a fourfold increase in mobile traffic at www.konnekt.com.

The Konnekt team is obsessed with the implementation of the latest technology and soon got to work to exploit all the potential of QR Codes to improve our processes even further.

Some people might not know QR codes by name. They are the one-inch square-shaped symbols that resemble a maze in advertisements. They are found everywhere and can store important data such as videos, pictures, and websites.

MI5, the US Army, and Pepsi have adopted them for several reasons, like saving space and reducing advertising costs. The real benefit of QR codes is the connection they provide between the real world and the digital world.

Despite being discounted by some as a fad, there is no alternative to QR codes in this respect. From our experience, using QR codes in recruitment has enabled us to capitalise on the investment channeled to advertising by converting a prospective job seeker into an applicant.

Despite the recession, good talent is still hard to come by and, as a result, the easier it is for an applicant to apply the better the chances of employers. Mobile devices are becoming the next platform choice for recruiting. A closer look at our data clearly indicates that Apple dominates mobile device accessibility. But since launch, we have seen the gap between Apple and Android narrow significantly.

QR codes are also useful to track data effectively. By adding ?s=qrcode to the back of the link one could identify sources and usage rates important in improving the brand, and understanding the habits of candidates gaining access to a site using QR codes.

In the first eight months of this year, konnekt.com attracted more than 9,000 visits from a variety of mobile devices. Today job seekers accessing our site from their mobile devices account for nearly 10 per cent of all visits, up from two per cent in 2011. These statistics are a clear sign that QR codes are doing a good job and are becoming more popular. We are also witnessing QR codes in candidate CVs to reference artwork or portfolios.

There are limitations to this new technology. Not everyone possesses a smartphone – and not everyone is familiar with QR codes. However, as early adopters of this new technology, we have been encouraged by the response.

Some have argued that recruiters may be reluctant to use such technology. At Konnekt, we can’t fault it much so far.

Mr Said is managing director of Konnekt.