Job-hunting in bed: how smartphones are changing the recruitment landscape

A new study, commissioned by UK recruitment firm Sellick Partnership, has revealed the impact that the smartphone revolution has had on attitudes to job-hunting.

Where job seekers used to settle down with a cup of coffee and a clutch of search terms like ‘jobs in Manchester’ and ‘legal jobs in Newcastle’ (or, going back even further, the newspaper!), it seems they’re now more likely to be browsing the latest job alerts whilst brushing their teeth.

The study, which aimed to assess the ways in which job hunters’ search habits have changed since the mobile revolution, revealed that over 60 per cent of people agree that smartphones and tablets have significantly changed the way in which they search for a new role.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, respondents in the 18 to 24 age bracket were more likely to agree that mobile devices have revolutionised the way they search for jobs (66 per cent); however, the study suggested that 57 per cent of respondents aged between 45 and 54 also agreed, making it a much more prevalent opinion across a wide range of ages than many had assumed.

The study also suggested that many people are now happy to search for jobs in a broad range of locations. For example, 62 per cent of respondents said they often multi-task during their job search, watching TV, listening to music or even talking with friends. A further 47 per cent said that they regularly look for new jobs whilst on public transport.

Thanks to smartphones, respondents also revealed that they are now happy to search for jobs in places that would previously have been off-limits, such as the pub, in bed and even, whisper it, at their current job.
What does this mean for recruiters?

This is all great news for recruiters. We now have access to candidates 24 hours a day; in the pub, at home, at work, on public transport and even in bed. However, the onus is on us to capitalise on this access: too much, and we risk annoying job hunters; too little, and we’re missing out on a huge opportunity.

But before you start worrying about mobile advertising, you need to make sure that your firm is mobile-ready. This means investing in a responsive website (one that automatically detects the device and displays the website appropriately, making the mobile browsing experience much more user-friendly), a mobile site (a website specifically designed for mobile visitors), or an app (software that can be downloaded onto a candidate’s phone and fulfils a certain purpose, such as job alerts or CV advice).

The Sellick Partnership study indicates that smartphones are drastically affecting candidates’ behaviour online; to take full advantage, we must adapt.