Spotlight for Recruiting and Employment Professionals, March 30, 2011 

By now, you’ve probably noticed quick response (QR) codes, those squares that contain what looks like pixilated Rorschach tests that are popping up everywhere, from magazine ads to cereal boxes. They’re also starting to appear on college recruiting materials.  

QR codes are essentially barcodes that contain encoded text, URLs, or other data that can be read by camera phones and other mobile devices that have a QR reader application. For example, a user can snap a picture with her camera phone of a QR code in a magazine ad and be taken to the advertising company’s web site. For Ernst & Young, the use of QR codes is part of a larger plan for the company’s college recruiting program to increase its mobile offerings.  

“Based on all of the data we received, the trends we’re seeing, and the feedback from our own interns, it’s undeniable that people are spending more time on their mobile devices,” explains Dan Black, director of Americas campus recruiting. “The newer devices are capable of doing more and different things, so people are logging onto their laptops less and less.” 

This realization dovetailed with finding a way to draw in people interested in Ernst & Young.  

“That’s where the QR codes come in,” Black explains. “It’s an interesting and appealing way for people interested in us to access information quickly.” 

For example, Ernst & Young’s launch of using QR codes in the first week of February was tied to a weeks-long quiz on the firm’s mobile site. Participants must navigate through the mobile site to find answers to questions; the questions change on a weekly basis. The person who answers the most questions correctly in the shortest amount of time wins a prize. At the same time, players are familiarizing themselves with Ernst & Young’s mobile site. 

Ernst & Young uses QR codes on the marketing materials it brings to campus. At this early stage, Black and his team don’t have enough data to gauge the effectiveness of the codes. However, they plan on expanding their use, especially for targeting specific information or events.  

Since generating a QR code can be as easy as typing the URL an organization wants to send people to into one of the number of free QR code generators online, the process is surprisingly quick and low cost.  

“Jump in,” Black advises his counterparts in college recruiting. “It’s a way to bring in students who may have a beginning interest in your company and reach a lot of people in an organic way. Plus, students will appreciate the easy access to your information and be impressed that you’re using this technology.”

How is your organization using QR codes in its college recruiting program? Let us know by contacting Kevin Gray.