It’s no secret that mobile technology is dramatically impacting the enterprise. Mobility promises increased efficiency and productivity, higher employee satisfaction, less paperwork and according to some studies, higher revenues. However, these benefits are not free or automatic. Mobile adoption in the enterprise requires an investment of time, effort, money and perhaps most importantly – people.

The Need for Mobile Skills

Jim Somers, Chief Marketing Officer, Antenna Software New research by, said, “demand for individuals with mobile skillsets is rising across the board in the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK).” His company recently conducted a study that included responses from human resource managers at 600 companies and 50 industries. According to Somers, the demand for workers with mobile skills was not isolated to any specific vertical; the need for employees skilled with mobile technology was present in virtually every business sector. Research by Wanted Analytics from September shows similar trends. There was an 89 percent year over year  increase in the number of online job postings between 2011 and 2012.

mobile job postings

The research by Antenna Software also revealed that businesses in UK and US are struggling to find workers with mobile technology skills. Researchers found that 74 percent of companies have unfilled mobile positions. In addition,

• 51 percent recently created mobile-specific roles
• 20 percent plan to create 1-2 new mobile roles in the next twelve months
• Approximately 5 percent intend to create 5-10 new mobile roles in the next twelve months

Unfortunately, employers can’t find people to fill many of these positions, and it doesn’t appear that the situation will improve anytime soon. Researchers expect demand for workers with mobile skills to accelerate for the next 12 months. Scores of unemployed workers are seeking employment in the information technology (IT) sector, but according to 93 percent of respondents, a large volume of applicants had difficulty finding the right people.

What types of skills do these companies want? The majority of companies in the US and UK that need mobile workers want mobile development and mobile management skills. The study revealed that 20 percent of businesses are recruiting mobile app developers and mobile content creators, while 23 percent are looking for individuals with mobile device management (MDM) expertise. Somers added that hiring needs in the US and UK were similar, but US companies tended to offer higher salaries. In addition, around 30 percent of those in the study, are adding a mobile strategist, chief mobile officer or head of mobile role to define strategy and lead mobile initiatives across the enterprise.

Finding the Right Mobile Workers

Finding the right employee is never easy, but it can be even more challenging in an environment where applicants are in high demand. Somers advises companies to,

“Think carefully about the skill sets and roles you need for your mobile initiatives, with an eye toward the immediate problems you need to address today, as well as those you foresee in the future. And while building an internal team can help across many of the stages of mobility, sometimes partnering to achieve success for the more complex aspects of mobile initiatives will be more efficient from a time and cost perspective.”

In addition to Somers’ suggestions, organizations trying to fill mobile positions should:

1. Identify must have and optional skills. Most IT leaders would love to find the perfect employee, but seeking perfection can result in a position being open for months or forever. Critically analyze job requirements and if a skill is not absolutely essential for an employee to be successful in a role, then list it as a “nice to have.” If the optional skills are important, but not quite required, consider requiring applicants to have some portion of the skills in the optional list (e.g. any two of ten nice to have skills).
2. Consider training current employees or moving existing employees to new roles. Hiring new employees can be expensive. In some cases, it could be less expensive and time consuming to move employees to new roles. The opportunity for training and career advancement can also  be a great way to boost employee morale and loyalty.
3. Take advantage of contract to hire clauses. These “try before you buy” clauses can help you avoid hiring candidates that interviews well, but don’t fit or perform in your environment.
4. Consider implementing pre-employment screening to identify candidates with the right technical skills. Screenings can be written tests, hands on scenarios or even questions by a panel of existing employees.
5. Avoid getting into bidding wars. Candidates that choose positions based on the highest bidder exclusively may not be loyal long term. You don’t want to win an employee that leaves as soon as another firm promises a reserved parking spot

As the need for mobile workers continues to grow, finding employees that can lead, implement and manage mobile initiatives will become more challenging. Although there are many additional factors that contribute to hiring the right candidates,  these tips may help you avoid a frustrating and costly mistake.