Dive Brief:

• Job applications submitted via mobile devices last year surpassed those submitted via desktop, according to an Appcast analysis of some 7 million applications to nearly 1,300 U.S. employers. Mobile applications made up roughly 61% of all applications in the recruiting technology firm's analysis.
• "Gig" and transportation job functions saw the highest percentage of mobile applications among the 24 industries analyzed. The industries with the highest percentages of candidates who applied for a job after clicking on a posting were food service, which had the highest rate, 11%, and HR and staffing, which stood at 8%.
• Others, such as healthcare and retail, "faced significant challenges," Appcast said, in part because the demand for roles outpaced the number of available or willing candidates. Appcast said healthcare organizations "were forced to pay a premium" to meet 2020 hiring goals, while both healthcare and retail were impacted by health and safety concerns.

Dive Insight:

Recruiting technology adoption accelerated in 2020, and industry observers expect the trend to continue well past the pandemic's end. Virtual assessments, on-demand video interviews and even simulations are all a part of the mix, as are technologies that have been a part of the recruiting mix for a longer period of time.

Employers have long sought to incorporate mobile into hiring processes with an eye toward both improving candidate experience and differentiating themselves from competitors. Some of the more notable examples include CareerBuilder, which launched an augmented reality-driven mobile experience allowing job seekers to scan their surroundings for nearby opportunities. Companies including The Home Depot expanded mobile operations to include self-scheduling for in-person interviews.

In fact, the use of mobile tech to seek job opportunities may already be a regular occurrence. According to 2017 research published by Indeed Hiring Lab, some 80% of job searches for building and grounds cleaning and maintenance originated from mobile, and a nearly identical percentage of job searches for construction and extraction roles were mobile.

Regardless of the format job seekers pursue when applying for jobs, organizations are likely to continue the shift of recruiting to virtual formats introduced during the pandemic. A 2020 survey by Robert Half found 75% of senior manager respondents said their firms conducted remote interviews and onboarding sessions during the pandemic. Sixty percent said they shortened their hiring processes.

Still, digital experiences won't entirely replace in-person interactions in the future, sources previously told HR Dive, despite the health risks posed by COVID-19.