Tag: mobile apps

This new recruitment technique has been gamified to help to reduce the risk of unconscious bias.

Unilever has announced a new mobile gaming strategy it has launched as a part of its new hire selection process. They have added this new technique in order to promote diversity while speeding up the process as a whole and reducing the cost of hiring.

This giant consumer goods company is launching the process in the UK following success in other countries.

Unilever has already implemented similar mobile gaming strategy programs in the United States and Asia. They have proven to be successful for hiring new staff in those regions. The British and Dutch company is now expanding the program to save money and time while limiting the risk of unconscious bias when new staff is hired. Considering the fact that last year saw applications from 250,000 graduates around the world, this is an important step. The strategy brings mobile games together with video interviews.

Unilever says this mobile gaming strategy for hiring represents the first fully digitized recruitment process.

That said, other companies have used mobile gamification to help the process. For instance, Vodafone, L’Oréal UK and Ireland, Microsoft, and Ernst & Young. Those brands each use the Debut mobile app as a part of their hiring process.

In Unilever’s case, new applicants complete an online application form. Those who do so successfully then receive an application to play a number of games for a maximum of twenty minutes. Those with the best results are selected to receive a video interview. The applicants who are preferred during that phase move on to the final stage. In that stage, they take a virtual tour of the Unilever offices and experience a virtual collaboration. This provides them with an idea of how it feels to work within one of the company’s real environments.

The mobile gaming strategy for hiring was, in part, a response to data such as that produced by University College London and the Monster employment website. That research indicated that nearly half of all firms use video interviews as a component of their selection process. Moreover 7 percent no longer conduct face-to-face interviews. This occurs, despite the fact that it could promote appearance-based discrimination.

The giant retail chain is testing the new smartphone based program following the release of its Cartwheel app.

The Cartwheel app first debuted three years ago and now Target mobile rewards appear to be the next step. In the company’s ongoing effort to promote a better m-commerce experience, a pilot program is underway in locations in four cities.

The Minneapolis based retailer is testing the new mobile commerce feature in four stores.

There will be 126 stores with the new Cartwheel Perks Target mobile rewards program. This is the largest update the company’s mobile app has ever experienced. If it proves to be successful, it may experience a nationwide rollout. The current version of the mobile app makes it possible for customers to find product deals on their smartphones. Then, when they reach the checkout counter, they can apply the savings and pay less for their purchases.

There have already been 27 million people who have signed up for the mobile commerce app and its benefits. There are discounts available for up to 700 Target products with this application. Since it was first introduced, Cartwheel has generated a total saving of about $600 million for Target customer purchases.

Now the retailer is testing to see if the Target mobile rewards program can be equally successful.

The pilot for the mobile shopping rewards program is running at the stores located in Houston, San Diego, Denver and St. Louis. The feature is available to customers who update their mobile app to the latest version of Cartwheel. The program makes it possible for customers to collect rewards that can be redeemed for merchandise. Reward merchandise ranges from $10 to $20 in value. They can include free laundry detergent, sunglasses, athletic apparel and other items.

Customers use Cartwheel Perks to collect 10 points each time they spend a dollar at Target. Exceptions include gift cards and CVS pharmacy purchases. The first redemption level is at 5,000 points, at which time they can select from among 25 possible reward items.

A spokesperson for the company, Eddie Baeb, explained that “We’ll continue to test it and see how guests respond.” He explained that the Target mobile rewards program may one day extend to other stores and possibly to online purchases, too.