The two ‘Ms’ — metrics and mobile technology — proved to be key areas of debate for recruiters at a major US recruitment conference held 28-30 March in San Diego, California, US. DeeDee Doke reports from ERE Expo

ERE Expo Spring 2012 drew nearly 900 attendees from 14 countries, including the UK. Virginia Begg, a global resourcing strategy consultant from the UK, told Recruiter about the significant emphasis placed on discussion of metrics. 

“The measurement and analysis of both recruitment activities and the performance of the recruiting function have become more important as the result of three things: tighter budgets in a tough economy, the need to give business leaders greater visibility and transparency of recruiting efforts, and the need to build a business case supported by hard data to gain cross-functional buy-in for recruiting initiatives such as building Facebook pages, mobile apps and EVPs [employee value propositions],” Begg said. 

She went on to say: “These require support, input and, in some cases, approval from colleagues, and recruiting may not be on their priority list.”

However, UK attendees also found greater appetite within the US recruitment community for incorporating technology innovations into their programmes. Cris Bradshaw, commercial director for UK mobile app development firm All The Top Bananas, told Recruiter: “The guys in the US see the need for mobile and where it’s going more than the people in the UK and are snapping it up a lot faster.” His colleague, sales manager Kris Clare, added: “People are saying ‘this is on my to-do list’. They’re in the right frame of mind right now.”

UK social media strategist Matt Alder of MetaShift also attended. He told Recruiter: “I find people over here [the US] a lot less cynical and more open to experimentation. Many have integrated all social media into what they do.”

But not all North Americans attending the conference were convinced of the need to put mobile to work now. Said Paul Hamilton, director, talent acquisition strategies and operations, BMO Financial Group: “I’m not sure we need to go mobile.” He told the Expo’s closing session that it might not be a “compelling” need for every organisation.

“What is your business asking for?” he asked.