A little over a year ago, we wrote about Mobilegeddon and the possible consequences upon the recruitment industry. Mobilegeddon was the nickname attributed to the Google algorithm update of April 2015. In this update, Google started applying a light –but significant- ranking penalty to sites that were not mobile responsive.
While the change would only affect searches conducted on mobile devices, the significance of this update was not lost on the wider business community. As the name Mobilegeddon suggests- it was a significant step change in the way businesses think- it represented a crossroads for many businesses- adapt and change or be left behind.
So a year on from Mobilegeddon, what has changed? For many in-house recruiters Mobilegeddon was the catalyst to start incorporating mobile recruitment into their attraction strategy. A mobile responsive website is now a must for brands who are looking to recruit online. Job board Monster.co.uk now believe 42% of visitors come from a mobile device, a statistic that has increased by a third since 2014. By 2017 it is conceivable that, for the first time, the majority of job searches will be conducted on mobile devices.
Significant as that milestone may be, the savvy in house recruiter must ask: what about the other 58%? Even as online talent acquisition becomes more mobile, brands that neglect the candidate experience on desktop will do so at their peril! Desktop still forms a significant segment of candidates. Candidates are increasingly likely to use mobile and desktop as part of their online application. Analyst Comscore believe that 72% of the UK digital population are multi-platform users. This has given rise the omni-device strategy.
Source: comscore.com
This strategy suggests that it is not just enough to have an excellent candidate experience on mobile. Nor is it enough to focus solely on desktop. An omni-device strategy requires a wholistic approach to talent accquisition.
Features such as a mobile responsive candidate portal are becoming more common. From here candidates can start their application on mobile, save for later and then complete it on desktop. The ability to upload CV’s from cloud storage is another factor in creating a seamless multi-device application process.
So has Mobilegeddon changed the way you recruit? Probably. But rather than flicking a switch from desktop to mobile applications, Mobilegeddon has been the catalyst for omni-device applications. Mobile is applications are here to stay, but desktop isn’t going to disappear completely either.
Take a look at our prezi, which further explores the role of mobile internet access.