The mobile revolution is well underway and showing no signs of stopping. People are using their mobile devices for more and more tasks that used to be reserved for a desktop computer. From online shopping and gaming, to social media and the job search process, new technology is enabling us to more easily complete these everyday activities on our smartphones.
Looking specifically at the job search process, 60% of all job searches in the United States are now happening on a mobile device, and 45% of job seekers search for jobs daily on their phones. It’s clear that mobile plays a huge role for job seekers looking for jobs, but can the same be said for hiring managers on the other side of the process?
We recently surveyed hiring professionals to learn more about how they hire, and we discovered something interesting. We asked hiring professionals what percentage of the time they spent engaging in hiring activities on a desktop or laptop device, on a mobile device, or on another type of device or medium (like pen and paper). It turns out that, on average, hiring professionals spend a whopping 85% of their time on a desktop/laptop. Mobile squeaks in at 11%, and the "other" category makes up just 4% of the time spent on hiring activities.
These results seem to contradict the mobile trends that are happening in a lot of other industries. But maybe it isn’t as surprising as it may seem. After all, the hiring process is fundamentally a process that happens at work. A hiring manager, recruiter, or HR professional is usually hiring on behalf of their company, and they’re usually doing it on the clock at work, in front of their desktop or laptop computer. Why take out your phone to do a task that you can more easily accomplish on your computer in front of you? In this context, hiring professionals may be defaulting to the convenience of their desktops to do most of their hiring tasks, and turning to their mobile devices when they happen to be on the move or out of the office.
But just because the hiring process is currently dominated by desktop doesn’t mean that these numbers won’t shift over time. As technology continues to improve, we may see more hiring time shifting to mobile devices as the tasks become easier to navigate on a smaller screen. And if more companies continue to embrace remote work, there might be even more reason for hiring professionals to turn to their mobile devices to accomplish key hiring activities. Until then, it seems that hiring remains squarely in the domain of the desktop computer.
Interested in seeing more key insights about hiring trends and beyond? Download the 2018 Pre-Employment Testing Benchmark Report.
