Think mobile job search is only an issue for large companies? If so, your small business may be missing out on connecting with valuable talent. Modern candidates consider smartphones vital to a job hunt. If you fail to provide a convenient, positive experience when prospective employees attempt to gain information and apply for a position, they’ll likely pass you over.
Results from a recent Glassdoor survey drive the trend home. Nine in 10 job seekers report they’re likely to use a mobile device during their job search in the next 12 months. Furthermore, 45 percent of job seekers say they use their mobile devices specifically to search for jobs at least once a day.
While searching for jobs tops the list of career-related activities job seekers are likely to do on their mobile devices, other tasks also have a role. Rounding out the top five are:
- Saving job listings to apply to from a computer later.
- Getting real-time alerts about job openings.
- Visiting a company’s career site.
- Reading company reviews from employees.
To evaluate how your small business fares on mobile devices, put yourself in a job seeker’s shoes. Get out your smartphone and tablet and actually look at what appears when you try to apply for a position with your company. If you experience frustration or confusion, so will others. As you critique and develop any subsequent plans for improvement, keep the following in mind:
“Viewable” is not good enough. Just because something looks great on a desktop does not mean it will cut the mustard on a mobile device. Smartphone-using job seekers quickly tire of squinting, zooming, stretching, scrolling, and trying to tap itty-bitty links. Your career site needs to be optimized (made to fit the device) so that navigation becomes a non-issue. Think of it as both an investment in attracting qualified candidates and in your brand. CareerBuilder research reports that 2 in 5 candidates say their perception of a company is negatively impacted if a company career site is not mobile optimized.
Applying needs to be easy. Strike while the iron is hot! If job seekers can’t easily apply to your jobs via their mobile devices, you run the risk of losing them – whether they forget to return to your site from a desktop or get distracted by other opportunities. In fact, 1 out of 10 job seekers in CareerBuilder’s 2016 Candidate Behavior Study said a company completely drops out of consideration if they can’t apply via a mobile device. Want your small business to leave a large impression? Forgo resumes at the initial stage and let candidates apply using a social networking profile alone.
Mobile reaches Millennials. Finally, remember that while mobile recruiting may be relatively new to many small business owners, a large portion of your applicant pool considers it commonplace. Millennials already turn to their devices for everything from banking to ordering takeout, so using a smartphone to find and land a job seems logical. Interact with them where they like to be or run the risk of being off their radar completely.
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