US Job Seekers Demand the Ability to Apply for Jobs from Mobile Devices

Today, the world’s leading job site, Indeed, released global research examining job search behavior in the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Globally, 62% of job seekers are using mobile devices for their job search. 55% of jobseekers cite ‘convenience’ as the core driver for mobile job search, while 66% of individuals would apply for a job on a mobile device if the process was simplified.

Mobile appliers

The average American consumer now owns an average of four digital devices. This hyper-connectivity is breeding a new type of consumer, accustomed to access to information at any time, from anywhere. In turn this shift in consumer behavior has driven innovation across a range of industries, including travel, retail and financial services, and is now disrupting the recruitment industry, forcing employers to adopt new approach to hiring.

The top reasons given by American respondents as to why they use mobile devices to search or apply for jobs were:

1. The process is quicker (40%)
2. Can search on-the-go (40%)
3. Easier (34%)

“This research presents a new picture of the modern job seeker. One in which the majority of employees are job seekers and are mobile, constantly informing themselves of the job market during their daily lives. This presents both an opportunity and a challenge to HR departments. Mobile job search is putting opportunities into the hands of job seekers and is changing how they apply for new positions,” said Kevin Walker, Employer Insights Director at Indeed.

The barriers to submission

Despite evident familiarity with mobile devices to search for jobs, it seems that there is still a degree of skepticism regarding the reliability of mobile tools in the application process. Nearly half of job seekers in the U.S. highlighted small screens (53%), difficulty tailoring resumes to apply for different jobs (38%) and issues with attaching multiple documents (28%) as key barriers to applying on mobile devices today. Job seekers in the U.S. are open to embracing mobile job applications if these barriers can be overcome, with 78% claiming they would happily apply for a job via mobile if these problems were addressed.

“Job seekers want to search for roles how, when, and where they like. The right place at the right time is increasingly wherever the job seeker happens to be at any given time. Employers need to understand that the best talent will no longer wait to apply later – they will simply move on to another opportunity,” said Kevin Walker.

The Mobility Mismatch

The data highlights a growing mobility mismatch between today’s candidates and employers. Despite 65% of U.S. respondents wanting to apply for jobs directly via their mobile device, only 10% of Fortune 500 businesses are currently able to meet this demand by offering a mobile-friendly apply process.

“This year, more than 50% of worldwide traffic to Indeed came from a mobile device, and it’s clear that the time for mobile-friendly apply process is now. Indeed’s own research has found that employers who accept mobile applications receive twice as many quality applicants than those offering solely desktop options,” said Kevin Walker.

Walker added: “To attract top talent in a competitive labor market, employers should look to attract savvy mobile job seekers by removing the mobile barriers and ensuring they have the tools in place to make applying for a job as easy and reliable as possible.”

About Indeed

More people find jobs on Indeed than anywhere else. Indeed is the #1 job site in the world and allows job seekers to search millions of jobs on the web or mobile in over 50 countries and 28 languages. More than 140 million people each month search for jobs, post resumes, and research companies on Indeed, and Indeed is the #1 source of external hires for thousands of companies (sources: SilkRoad & iCIMS). For more information, visit indeed.com.

For Indeed media and press inquiries, please contact: pr@indeed.com