With more than a quarter of workers deprived of internet access at work, recruiters are urged to target mobile users as part of their online recruitment strategy if they are to ensure they reach the widest possible audience.

Research commissioned by mobile provider T-Mobile, and carried out by YouGov, found that 26% of employees are cut off from the internet at work and nearly half (48%) use their mobile phone to access the internet during working hours. It found that 23% of employees were banned from accessing social networking websites and 15% even resort to hiding in the toilet to access the internet on their phones.

Commenting on the research, Rob Brouwer, CEO of Monster UK and Ireland, which has recently extended its services to the mobile market, says: "The UK has more mobile phones than people, which makes the handheld device a very accessible way for people to search for jobs online," he said, describing the uptake in the mobile internet as a major step forward in the evolution of the recruitment industry.

"It will further decrease the time spent for employers searching for candidates and jobseekers looking for work."

Meriel Johnson, European sales director at mobile marketing company TXT4, which specialises in the recruitment sector, said recruiters must embrace the mobile market and ensure they have a much higher mobile presence "than they currently do".

"To reach this wide audience, recruiters need to develop mobile internet sites that are configured especially for browsing from the mobile phone," she explained. "They can also use SMS as a response mechanism on their advertising. This allows candidates to send a quick text message to request an application form or even ask for a recruitment agent to call them back to discuss the role." (See also Vodafone story.)

www.t-mobile.com

www.txt4.com

http://mobile.monster.co.uk