The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes to the way society and the economy operate, including the widespread introduction of remote work and remote teaming, and the provision of remote public services. Remote service delivery has taken many forms and is made accessible via different technological methods, such as online via computers and tablets or mobile via cell phones, particularly smartphones. Information, resources, and services delivered via mobile devices have steadily increased during the pandemic, as research shows that 97% of Americans own some sort of mobile device. From this research, it can be seen that connecting with customers through mobile devices, otherwise known as mobile engagement, could be a reliable and accessible way for service providers to deliver their services as well as for customers to connect with the vital information, resources, and services they may need.

A new Medium blog post by Liana Volpe and Amanda Bombino examines the topic of mobile engagement and provides practical suggestions for how the public workforce system can use this strategy to connect with customers. Incorporating mobile engagement strategies could be done to get people back to work sooner and more efficiently, making use of the public workforce system’s offerings and simply sharing them in a more accessible manner. As there are varying degrees of comfort with receiving job search services in person, mobile engagement strategies for reaching customers could be relevant in the months ahead as the pandemic continues.

Liana Volpe is a Research Project Coordinator and Amanda Bombino is a research intern at the Heldrich Center.