As mobile devices continue their reign as the most accessible tech, job seekers are using them more and more often to land their next big opportunity. According to 2018 Pew Research, 77 percent of Americans owned a smartphone in 2018 (95 percent of us have a cell phone), but more shocking is how saturated in smartphones the younger generations are:

  • 94 percent of people between 18-29 own a smartphone – and 100 percent (100 percent!) have a cellphone. 
  • 89 percent of people between 39-49 own a smartphone. 

If your job posts and applications aren’t mobile-friendly, you’re creating a major hoop to jump through for your candidates. 

Mobile-Optimization Benefit: More Candidates See Your Openings 

As recruiters, we’re seeing the impact of mass career exits upfront: Baby Boomers are headed out of the workforce; Millennials and Gen Xers are moving up the career ladders; and Gen Z (born after 1996) is moving in. These younger candidates are the ones who fill your ranks, and mobile is how you’ll reach them: 

  • 86 percent of job seekers in the first 10 years of their careers use social media to job search (Inc.).
  • 80 percent of time spent on social platforms happens on mobile (Social Pilot), and 79 percent of all job seekers use social media in their job search (Inc.)
  • Glassdoor reports that of all job hunters to its site, more than half come from a mobile device.

Between the overall saturation of mobile tech and Americans’ habits of spending loads of time on mobile-based social media, being mobile-optimized isn’t an upgrade to your system any more – it’s a necessity. 

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Mobile-Optimization Benefit: You’ll Get More Candidates

Obviously, if more people see your postings, you’re likely to see an increase in applicants. But exposure isn’t everything – applicant tracking systems make their mobile accessibility with a human touch: 

  • Mobile-friendly social recruiting: When you use social media optimally, your jobs will be seen by passive job seekers (ideal in a tight job market where job seekers are low). Passive candidates are among the  highest quality of new hires  – SHRM says they are the top reason organizations love using social media for recruitment. 
  • Mobile-friendly application: Great mobile-friendly postings  will have short and easy applications to complete – fewer hoops to jump through make it user-friendly. Fifty-five percent of job seekers say a long application contributes to a negative candidate experience (Software Advice).

Mobile-Optimization Benefit: You’re Creating a Positive Company Brand 

According to Gallup, 36 percent of job seekers say the brand of a company is very important when evaluating a potential job, so it can easily become a tie-breaker in this job market. If your job postings and application process are old-fashioned, you should evaluate how your technology is impacting your employer brand and if you’re giving off a good first impression.

With smart, mobile-friendly applicant tracking and recruitment tools, you’re setting a good tone for potential employees, especially the newcomers: Gen Z. These tech-natives are famously influenced by reputations – one way to clear their filter is by having a great reputation, which starts with easy-to-use tech platforms for recruiting. 

“Gen Z is famously influenced by reputations – one way to clear their filter is by having a great reputation, which starts with easy-to-use tech platforms for recruiting.” 

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