Recruiters targeting Gen Z talent will hit an obstacle if their website is not mobile friendly as just under three-quarters of the generation would consider applying for a job using their phone.
This research was carried out by Sellick Partnership, a recruitment specialist, who found that 73 per cent of Gen Z candidates would be willing to apply for a job using their phone. As well as 93 per cent saying they have searched for a job using their phone.
More than a third (38 per cent) said the main obstacle to applying for a job through their phone was not being able to upload their CV.
When the same survey was conducted five years ago only 38 per cent of Gen Z used their phone to search for jobs.
Other ages are also using their mobiles for searching for jobs. Three-quarters (75 per cent) of 35-44-year-olds and 59 per cent of 45-54-year-olds have searched for jobs on their phone. Also 47 per cent of 45-55-year-olds and 60 per cent of 35-44-year-olds said they would consider applying for a job directly on their phone.
Jo Sellick, managing director at Sellick Partnership, said:
Mobile technology has come to dominate the way people look for work, due to the increased power of these devices, their convenience, faster internet speeds and improved signal.
However, it is clear to see that not all companies have yet caught up to the needs of their prospective candidates. Over a fifth of Gen Z job seekers are failing to transition from looking to actually applying for a job on their phone and outdated websites that do not take into consideration the mobile needs of candidates are to blame.
Our survey results stress how vital it is that companies have mobile-friendly websites if they do not want to lose out on the up-and-coming generation of candidates. In order to remain competitive and attractive to Gen Z job seekers, organisations must make sure that their websites are fast-loading, legible, easy to use and have a simple CV upload feature available for mobile users. Without these improvements, they will fall behind as candidates lose interest or become frustrated with the company due to an inadequate job application process.
Sellick Partners asked 929 UK job seekers in order to collate this research.
Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.