Why Your Careers Site Should Be Mobile Optimised

A careers site is an important aspect of your employer brand that often gives candidates their first impression of what it's like to work at your organisation. In our previous blog series, "What does your careers site say about you?", we explored how an engaging and well-designed careers website can enhance both the quality and quantity of applicants your job postings attract. However, with the growing trend of people using mobile devices for everyday activities, it's essential to consider whether your careers site is optimised for mobile users. According to Withe's statistics, about 70% of job applicants completed their applications on mobile devices in 2022. Let's delve into the reasons why optimising your careers site for mobile is crucial for attracting top talent.

Top reasons to optimise your careers site for mobile:

Improved candidate experience

Over the course of six years, from 2017 to 2022, the percentage of mobile applicants more than doubled, rising from 30.05% to 66.99% (Withe's statistics). This trend in candidate behaviour highlights a new priority for businesses and recruitment teams, and it’s ensuring a positive candidate experience across all platforms. It's crucial that users can easily navigate a careers site whether they are using desktops or mobile devices. 

Enhanced discoverability of your job listings

Google Search plays a crucial role in attracting candidates, who may be the perfect fit for your vacancies. Ensuring your careers site is well-optimised for SEO, can help you enhance awareness about your employer brand and attract more candidates. Google has previously revealed that mobile searches make up more than half of all searches on Google.com. According to Google, mobile-friendly websites, including careers sites, are also more likely to appear higher in search results, reaching more candidates searching for what you offer. Additionally, sites that aren’t mobile-friendly are five times more likely to experience high visitor drop-off rates due to poor user experience, which can cause suitable candidates to drop off due to frustrating mobile application processes.

Better impression of your employer brand

A good candidate experience can significantly enhance the perception of your employer brand, making your organisation more attractive to high-quality candidates. On the other hand, a poor candidate experience, regardless of the device used, can lead candidates to relate your brand with negative associations and a difficult application process, making them less likely to recommend you to their connections. Ensuring a seamless and engaging experience across all devices not only improves the perception of your employer brand but also demonstrates your commitment to providing a user-friendly and professional environment from the candidate’s very first interaction.

Fewer candidates will drop off from the application process

A well-optimised, mobile-friendly careers site significantly reduces the likelihood of candidates leaving during the application process. When candidates encounter a smooth, intuitive experience, they are more likely to complete their applications. In contrast, confusing navigation, slow load times, or difficult-to-fill forms can frustrate candidates and lead them to abandon the process. By ensuring that your site is accessible and easy to use across all devices, you can retain more candidates and increase the overall number of completed applications. This not only expands your talent pool but also improves the efficiency of your recruitment efforts.

Improved accessibility

A mobile-optimised careers site is essential for improving accessibility, ensuring that all candidates, including those with disabilities, can easily navigate and engage with your job postings. Mobile devices often serve as the primary means of accessing online content for many users, including those who rely on assistive technologies. Features such as responsive design, sufficient contrasts, and easy-to-read text enhance the usability of your careers site on mobile devices, accommodating a wider range of candidates. By prioritising mobile optimisation, you not only make your careers site more accessible to candidates with disabilities but also demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity. This approach broadens your reach to a diverse talent pool and also strengthens your employer brand as a forward-thinking and inclusive organisation.

Further reading

In today's digital landscape, ensuring that your careers site is mobile-optimised has become a necessity. To learn more about how your careers site affects candidate sourcing, depending on the size of your business and industry, download our free UK Candidate Attraction Report 2024, which can be downloaded here.

And if you wish to learn more about best practices to follow on your careers site, including industry examples of careers sites that don’t follow them, read the 2nd part of our blog ‘’What Does Your Careers Site Say About You?’’.