OK before I go on about recruitment, firstly let me just quickly outline exactly what augmented reality (AR) is if you don’t know already, given it sounds like something out of Star Trek.
AR is a way to use technology to enhance your view of the physical world. It may for example involve using an application such as Layer (downloadable on your android or iphone hand set) 
to superimpose computer generated imagery (such as text or a photo) in live-video streams. For instance, when using the camera on your phone and you point it at a restaurant, up pops an info box providing details of the restaurant and a link to related info such as possible reviews, a menu, a map, a contact number etc.
The video below illustrates how Layar works:
You can use AR to find nearby restaurants, bars, people tweeting, people looking to date, go on treasure hunts, explore a new City, cash machine, practically anything. So can you use it to recruit, or let potential candidates know about your jobs?
I’ve played around with a few AR apps, and they can be fun even if you do look a bit strange standing around waving your phone.
So how is AR currently being used for recruitment?
Well from a candidate point of view, CW Jobs, in conjunction with David Wood (the co-founder of Symbian), put together the world’s first augmented reality CV last year. It’s a novel idea, although probably a little sophisticated and expensive to go mainstream.
So what about employers and suppliers? Layar itself has a number of applications or ‘content layers’ that enable you to search for jobs around you. MightBe.Me available in Sweden (Stockholm only) feeds in jobs from a couple of job search sites and allows you to see jobs superimposed on their office locations as you walk around. Career Builder in the US also has a content layer that allows you to search for jobs around you. Capgemini has a content layer for its global office locations under the employment section within the Layar platform, although it does not seem to display any locations, or jobs for that matter.
Company Spot in the Netherlands is a different AR application and I find this one a little more engaging. Rather
than just pointing your phone and seeing jobs around you, you can also see more in-depth company information such as the number of employees, as well as industry and salary information, etc. You also have the option to click through to a full company profile (created by the employer, hosted on the Company Spot site), view company videos, and potentially contact the recruiter of the job you are seeing.
I think that at the moment, although a lot of this is quite innovative, there are quicker and easier ways to look for jobs. People are increasingly using applications that bring information to them, and as far as geo-location goes, I would much rather set up my job search criteria once, and then receive some kind of push notification on my phone when I was within a certain radius of a matching opportunity. But hey that’s just me.
The most innovative use of AR as a recruitment tool I’ve read about so far has been that of the US Air Force Command Centre Alpha AR marketing tour initiative.
The Command Centre Alpha Hangar - Source: http://www.af.mil
Prospective candidates are initially asked to complete a survey to guage their enthusiasm for joining the service. They are then handed a tablet computer and a wristband containing a radio tag. Participants then walk around a kind of exhibition/hangar area where the walls and ceiling are lined with screens displaying images and live video fields.
Image Source: www.af.mil
By pointing the tablet computer at specific points the live video is ‘augmented’ with 3D graphics and images. The participants are able to witness a number of different scenarios/experiences including a full-size F-16 Thunderbird display, and a search & rescue mission involving a sky diver from the ceiling! (there’s about 20 different scenarios/experiences).
Although not so practical from a technological or financial perspective for most companies (not sure what the US Air Force’s recruitment budget is but it’s probably larger than the GDP of a small country) I think it’s a really engaging example of the use of AR in the wider recruitment process, that goes beyond the obvious ‘point and see job’ approach of most applications.
If you have any ideas on how AR could be used in any aspect of the recruitment process I would like to hear them.
Tags: Augmented Reality, Augmented reality and recruitment, In-House Recruiting, innovative recruitment, Layar, Mightbe.me, Mobile Recruiting, Mobile Recruitment, recruiting, Recruiting in Holland, Recruiting in the Netherlands, Recruitment, Recruitment Netherlands, US Air force recruitment, Vonq
Very interesting post. I followed the “augmented CV” concept with interest but definitely felt it was of mostly novelty value at the moment. However as has been shown time and time again – whatever makes you stand out from the rest of the crowd in the job hunt is WELL worth taking a look at. Will it become mainstream? Doubtful.
Some of the ideas discussed here though, of exploring your surroundings with a company overview definitely have strong legs. Frequently as I wander round our surroundings here in Shoreditch, near the “Silicon Roundabout”, and also when I wander round the Soho area, I marvel at the number of small exciting startups and well-honed market leaders that abound in these areas. However how “findable” are these companies for the average talented jobseeker? Not very to be honest. The main way for a more passive candidate comes through getting engaged in networking events, or real-life (non virtual!) meetups.
The vision discussed here of an easy way of displaying fantastic RELEVANT opportunities mapped to you (without all the active job hunt hassle!) to be explored by a simple wander around an area you love (both Shoreditch and Soho for me!) would be a great step forwards.
Good post!
PS. Unless I’m going blind – this blog seems to be badly missing some social media share tools!!
Thanks for your comments Gareth. That would be the dream, relevant jobs mapped and displayed for you, without the hassle of search! A lot of the technologies seem to exist separately, just a matter of time before they all come together in a simple application I imagine. Share tools enabled (not sure how I disabled them) thanks for pointing that out.
Jean-Paul,
Thanks for this excellent post, best summary on AR & recruitment I’ve yet seen.
I saw the David Woods CV last year – a show stopping CV for sure, but yes, completely impractical for any but the most technical/creative job seekers. It was meant to be a demo of the tech, so CWjobs / Symbian can escape criticism on the point, but it illustrates a barrier that will be beyond an overwhelming majority of job seekers.
As for how employers can use AR, it’s hard to look beyond the obvious; pushing out vacancies from the physical location of where the jobs are going to be based, and hoping for the serendipity of passing foot traffic firing up their Layar apps…..not high percentage stuff.
However,(following on from Gareth’s point) it could definitely work in places like Shoreditch, or in any place that has a high density of a certain type of employer (Canary Wharf, City, any business retail park). In these cases, it might actually be more efficient for a job seeker to go in-person and use AR in the area they want to work than searching online, or dealing with a high volume of geo tagged alerts. It’s a wonderful vision, and a possibility, but I have a feeling it may never happen, especially as geography & physical proximity becomes less and less important to the future of work. What point in saying ‘we work here’, when the person with the phone probably works freelance and where ever he chooses anyway?
Great post, and thanks again
Best wishes
Hung
Very interesting post about Augmented Reality, a technology that really excites me (I thought I was the only one!).
I am currently discussing ways in which it can be incorporated into an employer’s recruitment toolset with a couple of really creative AR developers based in Manchester.
I see its potential from a marketing perspective, more than anything, but if they can convince me of its value in recruitment, and for Hiring-Hub.com in particular, then I’m in.
Top work Jean-Paul.
Simon
Hi Simon, would be interested to hear in the future how you incorporate AR into the employers recruitment tool set, keep me posted!
Hi Hung, glad you liked the post. I’m now tempted to hire an intern and send them out to specific locations in an attempt to find a job using nothing but AR apps, and see how long it takes….it would make an interesting experiment!
I’ll do it. For beer. And crisps