Want to reach the most job seekers of all? You’ve got to have a mobile career site. Offering the best experience on one device, particularly a desktop, and then merely making it accessible via mobile does you and your candidates a disservice. Switch that mindset, and you’ll find more people where they spend the most time.
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Here are 4 ways that a mobile career site works for the applicants that you want to attract.
#1: Apps Aren’t a Big Deal After All
Thinking about a mobile app for your recruiting efforts? You’ll probably reach some job seekers, but maybe not as many as you think.
It wasn’t too long ago when apps were the be-all, end-all of the mobile experience. There’s an app for practically everything. But how many of them are being used? Not many.
About 80 percent of all apps in an app store are never downloaded at all. Of the 20 percent that are, most – 95 percent – are discarded within a month. Instead of worrying too much about an app, think more about optimizing your site for mobile users. That’s where it’s at.
#2: Users Get the Same Responsive Experience
Mobile-ready is different from viewing an un-optimized site on a mobile device. If it’s mobile-ready, the user gets an experience that’s what it should be. If it’s not, users will likely be frustrated.
Mobile optimization means users won’t miss graphics, and text won’t spill off the device screen. Without it, formatting can go awry. In some cases, users might not have access to every function.
Offering the same experience for all users means you’re less likely to lose a potential candidate. If you want your site to look like it was created for viewing on the smaller device, go with mobile-ready. It’s better than an app.
#3: Mobile-Ready Sites Follow Usage Trends
Job seekers love their phones. So much so, they check them about 43 times every day. If you don’t have mobile, you’re missing a lot of opportunities. If you do, be sure job seekers can follow through with an application. Twenty-seven percent of them would appreciate that.
More job seekers discard desktop searches all the time. The number of people who do search on a desktop has barely shown any change since early 2015. Conversely, mobile use has experienced a near consistent, sharp increase every year since 2011.
Where desktop is trailing, mobile is leading. To reach the best and most active job seekers, follow the mobile trends.
#4: Applicants Can Search Whenever, Wherever
The places where job seekers look for work using a mobile device would probably surprise you. That probably accounts for why desktop use isn’t gaining any ground. It’s hard to carry a computer with you to a restaurant, but 16 percent of job seekers want that ability using mobile.
About 27 percent look for jobs just before sleep or first thing upon waking, and 16 percent use the time while waiting for public transportation. And while it might not be the best practice, 13 percent use mobile to look for another job while working the one that they’ve got.
Mobile devices are handy and require minimal effort to check. Adding mobile to your recruiting repertoire means job seekers can find your job posting on their own terms.
Mobile-ready is another step toward multi-platform, and that’s the ultimate goal for the foreseeable future. It takes a mobile-first, responsive web design approach, which is where the industry is headed.
Instead of focusing on the desktop, work in opposite. That way, every user gets the best possible experience whether they’re waiting for a train, having breakfast or taking a coffee break at the job that they’re hoping to replace.