Case Study: Job Search Goes Mobile
Simply Hired Staff
There’s no denying that today the majority of web activity takes place via mobile. The majority of consumers currently own multiple devices and use them to browse everything from their morning news to shopping websites. This shift in the way we consume media and information means that those looking to reach individuals must adjust their outdated ways of thinking about interaction.
Skeptical as to whether this applies to your recruiting endeavors? Check out a few stats we’ve collected regarding smartphone and tablet use:
- In the U.S. there are 235 million smartphone users and that places us at only third place for global users per country.
- In 2017 63% of internet usage was via mobile and projections have that number reaching the two-thirds mark by the end of 2018
- The time spent on a website when browsing via a smartphone or mobile device versus a desktop PC is now nearly equal, bucking the trend that smartphone users stay and read for a shorter time than their PC counterparts.
Now that we’ve got you convinced, it’s time to talk about what these numbers mean when applied to a real-world recruiting example. At Simply Hired, we see comparable trends in how users search, review and apply for open positions.
Take for example a real user’s recent experience – let’s call her Sally – a nurse practitioner in Utah interested in landing a new gig. Over the course of four months, we examined her usage of the site and the stats are incredibly useful for anyone looking to crunch the numbers on mobile applicant usage.
- She clicked on 178 jobs over 120 days, checking in an average of every other day.
- On a particularly active day, she clicked on a total of 28 jobs.
- She tended to visit early in the morning or late in the evening.
- More than half of the time she came to us through her custom Simply Hired email alerts.
- Only 30 percent of her visits came from a laptop or desktop PC. About half of those visits were the result of a search on Google for “nurse practitioner Utah.”
- 10 percent of her visits came from a tablet. About half of those visits were the result of a search on Google.
- 60 percent of her visits came from a smartphone, and those visits came from her email alerts.
What are some of the things we can conclude from our analysis of Sally’s job search?
- The above suggests that employers looking for top talent currently working in the space should be aware that their applicants will be searching during their free time before and after work or school. Simply Hired’s email alerts are already timed to optimize on this fact arriving early in the AM.
- The fact that most of Sally’s interaction on both desktop and smartphone came from clicking through alerts suggests that it pays to be included at the top of the list. Simply Hired can help promote your open positions, ensuring you’ll be seen among the first and most relevant listings delivered directly to candidates’ inboxes and fully accessible via smartphone or desktop.
- Smartphone and mobile device usage is here to stay. Listings should be optimized for viewing snippets on a smaller screen. In addition, all websites should be fully accessible for mobile users to ensure a frustrating landing page doesn’t thwart the applicant’s interest.
Hopefully, these mobile use statistics were helpful in seeing how trends in data digestion can impact your recruitment process. Check this space often as we continue our exploration of trends in the hiring marketplace and provide updates with how Simply Hired is working to ensure we’re the best possible partner in the employment game.
Article Updated from the Original on August 11, 2018
