How Job Seekers Use Smartphones (and Where They Get Stuck)
Quick answer: Smartphones have become a normal part of looking for work, but they are still better at finding jobs than at applying for them. In a 2015 Pew Research Center survey, 41% of smartphone owners had used a phone as part of a job search. Almost all of them used it to browse jobs, but about half had trouble with pages that didn’t display properly. Employers who want mobile candidates need to make the whole process work on a phone, not just the job listing.
The original version of this article was built on a 2012 infographic that claimed more than four in five smartphone users would search for jobs on their phones. The study behind it was not named and its method was not given, so we’ve replaced those figures with the Pew research, which publishes its method in full.
How job seekers used smartphones in 2015
Pew’s survey ran from June to July 2015 and interviewed 2,001 US adults by telephone, including 487 smartphone job seekers. Its headline numbers were these:
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Adults who had used a smartphone as part of a job search | 28% |
| Smartphone owners who had done the same | 41% |
| Smartphone job seekers who browsed or researched jobs | 94% |
| Smartphone job seekers who called a potential employer | 87% |
| Smartphone job seekers who emailed someone about a job | 74% |
| Smartphone job seekers who filled out an online application | 50% |
| Smartphone job seekers who created a resume or cover letter | 23% |
The pattern is clear. Phones were used for the early stages of a search: reading listings, making calls and sending emails. Fewer people used them for the harder tasks, such as completing an application or writing a document. That split matters, because the step where a candidate gives up is often the application, not the search.
Where it went wrong
The Pew survey also asked smartphone job seekers what got in the way. The most common problems were practical:
- Content not displaying properly: 47%
- Reading a job posting that wasn’t designed for mobile: 47%
- Entering a large amount of text: 38%
- Submitting required files or documents: 37%
- Saving or bookmarking jobs for later: 23%
Almost half of mobile job seekers hit a page that didn’t work on their phone. That is the kind of friction that loses candidates without anyone noticing, because the person simply closes the page and applies somewhere else, or doesn’t apply at all.
The survey also showed a difference by education. Among smartphone job seekers, 61% of those without a college degree had filled out an online application on a phone, compared with 37% of college graduates. A third of those with a high school diploma or less had created a resume or cover letter on a phone, against 10% of graduates. For many people, the phone is the only device they have, so an application that only works on a laptop is a barrier, not a convenience.
What job seekers can do
If you’re searching on a phone, a few habits make the process easier:
- Save jobs as you go. Bookmark roles you want to apply for and finish the applications on a laptop where possible.
- Keep a master document. Store your CV and cover letter templates in a cloud folder so you can attach them quickly.
- Check the application, not just the advert. If a form is hard to complete on a phone, it may be worth returning to it later on a larger screen.
- Use the job boards that work for you. Our guide to job sites covers where to look, though it’s worth checking how each one works on mobile before you rely on it.
What employers should do
For employers, the Pew findings point to a simple test. Try your application process on a phone, end to end. Can a candidate read the advert, see the whole role, upload a file and submit without zooming or scrolling sideways? If not, you are losing candidates who would otherwise have applied.
Mobile-friendly applications also support your employer brand. A process that is clumsy on a phone signals that the company hasn’t thought about the candidate’s experience, and candidates notice. If you’re reviewing your hiring process, our guide to employer branding covers how the candidate experience fits into the wider picture.
A note on dates
The Pew data is from 2015. Mobile use has grown a great deal since then, and many applications are now easier to complete on a phone than they were a decade ago. The principle still holds: the step where the process is hardest is where people drop out. Test your own process rather than assuming a survey from ten years ago describes it.
Frequently asked questions
How many people use smartphones to look for jobs?
In a 2015 Pew survey of 2,001 US adults, 28% had used a smartphone as part of a job search. That was 41% of smartphone owners. The figures are from 2015, so current usage is likely higher.
What do job seekers use their phones for?
In the same survey, 94% of smartphone job seekers used their phone to browse or research jobs, 87% called a potential employer, and 50% filled out an online application. Fewer used phones to create a resume or cover letter.
What stops people applying on a phone?
The most common problems were content not displaying properly and job postings not designed for mobile, each reported by 47% of smartphone job seekers.
Should I apply for jobs on my phone?
You can start on a phone, but finish the application on a laptop if the form is long or asks for documents. It’s easier to get the details right on a larger screen.
