WASHINGTON — Last week, Sgt. 1st Class Tatiana Johnson, an Army recruiter at the Waldorf Recruiting Center in Maryland, decided to try the new Go Recruit mobile application, specifically made for Army recruiters.
She grabbed her phone and walked across the street from her recruiting center to a movie theater to do some prospecting. After talking to a few interested people, she uploaded their information into the recruiting database in seconds just by using the app.
“It’s so much easier to get [contact information],” she said. “[The app] isn’t something we were asking for, but it’s something that we needed.”
Development for the mobile app and web browser version started in March. A team from the Army Software Factory worked with a team from the Army Analytics Group to create an application that gives recruiters access to information on the go.
The team’s design experienced numerous versions and countless recruiter feedback during the six-month process.
The final product is similar to what recruiters in the private sector use for applicant tracking. The application rolled out to recruiters Nov. 20 and is compatible with iOS and Android phones.
The software lets recruiters call, text, and email candidates without logging into the recruiting system. It also allows recruiters to scan drivers’ licenses, pulling in the associated information.
The height and weight data alerts recruiters to which candidates are within Army standards and which are options for the Future Soldier Preparatory Course.
These features eliminate the need for recruiters to head into the office to upload information from a computer.
“This app has reduced the time it takes to become proficient as a recruiter when it comes to prospecting,” Johnson said.
Reducing commuting time has allowed Johnson to double her face-to-face interactions with candidates. In her first week using the app, she’s had 40 meetings. This is something she said would’ve been impossible before.
Go Recruit mobile also reduces search time for recruiters. They can filter information in the database on targeted demographics depending on what they’re looking for.
It also reduces time when recruiters are making house calls. They can click on a candidate's address and have that come up in a corresponding GPS application.
Johnson said this streamlined process helped her recruiting station increase prospect numbers by around 150%.
“My commander is overwhelmed with the number of contacts we have now,” she said.
In just one week, Johnson said this tool dramatically changed how her station recruits on the go.
“This app is definitely amazing, and every recruiter should have it on their phone,” she said. “It’s a game changer.”
Army recruiters can only download the application on their government phones through the DOD Mobile Apps Gallery.
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