Smartphones, Tablets Play Expanding Role in Job Searches

By Nathan Eddy

Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are rapidly changing the way people job hunt. Glassdoor’s survey revealed 89 percent of job seekers plan to use their mobile device during employment hunts in the next 12 months. That’s up 7 percentage points from 82 percent less than one year ago.

In the next 12 months, 75 percent of job seekers are likely to search for jobs through their mobile devices, up from 72 percent in August 2013, but just 44 percent are likely to apply to jobs with their mobile devices. This suggests that while search capabilities are improving quickly, job seekers are still not comfortable making the all-important step of sending their information and resume through a mobile device.

The three top career-related activities job seekers report they’re likely to do on their mobile device is search for jobs (51 percent), save job listings so they can apply from a computer later (44 percent) and get real-time alerts about job openings (44 percent), Glassdoor finds.

“Employers that prioritize making it easier for prospective talent to apply to their job listings via mobile will have a clear advantage when it comes to winning the war on talent,” Aylward noted in the survey report. The report also noted 40 percent of Glassdoor’s own Web traffic comes from mobile devices, and the company has redesigned its mobile app to be optimized for iOS 7 and Android KitKat OSes.

Nearly half (48 percent) of those surveyed said they think mobile devices will be the most common way people search for jobs in two years or less, and one in five (20 percent) already believe mobile devices are the most common way people search for jobs.

“Mobile job search is here to stay, and we know that means being able to find relevant jobs in addition to being able to research companies, salaries and more directly from a mobile device,” Aylward said. The survey found 45 percent of job seekers report using their mobile device to search for jobs at least once a day, up from 43 percent in August 2013

As the survey results indicated, nearly half (49 percent) of respondents said they believe it is difficult to apply to jobs through their mobile device. In addition, one in four (25 percent) said they would be deterred from applying to a job if the company’s careers site or job listings were not mobile-optimized.

The top three barriers for job seekers who want to apply for a job through their mobile device are as follows: the indication that it’s easier from a desktop (69 percent of respondents), the fact that many company career sites and applications aren’t mobile optimized (38 percent), and users afraid they are more likely to make a mistake when filling out or submitting a mobile application (37 percent).

The survey found that 59 percent of respondents believe they have a better chance of being considered for a job if they apply as soon as the job is posted online. Other common mobile job search behavior includes reading reviews from employees at companies the user wants to learn about (37 percent) and researching salaries at those companies (34 percent).

More than half (59 percent) said it is important to be able to save a job from their mobile devices and later apply to the job on their desktops. Other popular activities include reading career advice and tips (30 percent) and visiting a company’s social media feeds (29 percent). Just 19 percent of survey respondents said they apply for a job using a mobile device.