Why is Every Candidate Expecting Mobile Access to Jobs?

…ideas from Jeffery Giesener – SourceMob.com – CEO

More than 70 percent of active job seekers are using mobile phones to find jobs, according to Simply Hired’s Mobile 2013 Outlook Study.

Why is everyone ditching the PC for the phone? The reasons are simple. Unhappy employees often can’t search for jobs while at work due to firewalls and IT tracking of their browser history. Therefore, they use their private mobile phones to browse job boards and career sites.

Mobile-responsive career sites tend to be much easier than job boards to navigate. Fewer ads, less clutter and a simplified interface make them user-friendly. When mobile career sites are also integrated with applicant tracking systems, applying via your smartphone is easier than ever. In fact, three out of ten job seekers have applied for a job directly from their mobile device.

In addition, most mobile phone owners are always near or using their device. They are busy connecting with friends, browsing sports scores, checking the weather, reading news or books, etc. Since all these activities are done on their phones or tablets, it is safe to assume that they have or will use the device for job hunting and applying.

Almost 87 percent of job seekers said they would use their phone to search for jobs. About 55 percent said they like to receive alerts via text message, while 45 percent would use their phone to track a job application. For employers, that’s a BIG invitation.

While employers continue to scratch their heads about mobile initiatives, job seekers are telling them, “This is what I want!” The report indicates that 72 percent of job seekers want to get career opportunities on their mobile device and almost 85 percent of job seekers think that every company should have a mobile-friendly site – not just the “big” companies.

If companies want to keep their workforce freshly stocked with the best talent, they will need to make sure that millennials (20-somethings) get a seat at the table. According to the Morgan Stanley report, by 2018, this generation will make up 50 percent of the workforce. Millennials are heavy social media users and are trending towards using small portable devices – such as tablets and smartphones – to satisfy technological needs.

In stark contrast to the demand of candidates to use mobile is the supply side of mobile. Only 7 percent of employers have a mobile version of their career site and a mere 3 percent have a mobile job app, SimplyHired reports.

The takeaway from this report is that you should have developed mobile-optimized sites yesterday. If you have not already started, you need to plan for it. Once you have developed a mobile-optimized site, allowing candidates to find jobs, apply, track their application, and share jobs on social and mobile is also essential, all while providing a consistent brand message.

For more tips and ideas, give me a call at 612-349-2740 or email me at jeff@sourcemob.com

Best

Jeffery

Jeffery Giesener

CEO/Founder

SourceMob.com

jeff@sourcemob.com

612-349-2740

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jefferyjeffgiesener

 

 

Adapted from post by Vanessa Bostwick