“I’ll come back to it later,” can be a go-to phrase people use before never going back to finish whatever they started. The idea of putting something off to finish it later works in cases when that thing is mandatory, but when we’re not forced to do something how often do we feel the need to go back and finish it? Job candidates view applications as something they should finish – unless there’s a reason for them not to. And in today’s world, technology – rather, the inability to use the technology they prefer to use such as mobile devices – is the reason candidates walk away from an application mid-process and never return.
The Mobility of Applications
As the job search becomes more centered on smartphone and tablet devices such as tablets and smartphones, candidates are looking for ways to not only find jobs on their devices but apply to these applications as well. Not unfathomable when you think about how tied to our devices we are, and how much candidates depend on them to find jobs, research companies, and even start a networking process.
But, there’s a downside to this expectation, and that comes with having to start an application on a smartphone only to be required to finish it later on a desktop. In a CareerBuilder study, CareerBuilder found that 90% of organizations believed that they weren’t missing out on applicants due to a lack of mobile-optimized applications. This, however, is far from the truth where 65% of applicants said they rarely return to an application after they try to apply via mobile, and only 29% sometimes return, totalling to 94% of potential missed applications.
Return to Sender
There’s a couple issues: first, organizations don’t recognize the importance of having a smooth application process. Second is the lack of mobile optimization in the application process itself.
The first is an internal effort: your organization needs to understand where candidates are looking for you, and looking to apply as well. Once there’s an understanding of how candidates are looking to apply, a solution can start being engineered.
And the solution should be addressing the issue of application optimization on a mobile platform. Now, the study indicates that candidate’s don’t return to the application if they attempt to start on mobile and have to move to desktop, but there are a lot of grey areas that you can shade in with your talent acquisition strategies to make sure they can get what they need across on a mobile application, and when they need to convert to a desktop it doesn’t feel like they’re stopping and starting.
The issue is interruption and difficulty, so the solution must be short and easy. Give the applicant a chance to fill out a few forms during the initial application, and have it be something optimized for mobile. When the time comes to fill out hiring assessments or participate in job simulations, have an email sent to the candidate explaining the next part of the process and why it must be completed on a desktop (ability to focus better, creates a more realistic environment simulation, etc.). The candidate will not only appreciate the communication being relayed to them, it gives them adequate time to prepare for the next part of the hiring process – with them entering it knowing their mobile device isn’t an option.
Creating an easy entryway into the application process for mobile applicants, and communicating with them that the next step might need to be done away from their mobile device, creates a situation where the candidate gets exactly what they want and you don’t miss out on top tier candidates who are relying on their mobile devices to find and quickly apply to jobs.
Topics: Contact Center Hiring