By now everybody who is interested in mobile has hopefully read David Armano’s post ”The Future Isn’t About Mobile; It’s About Mobility“. In it he writes:
“It’s not about mobile as much as it is about understanding mobility. Mobility means information, convenience and social all served up on the go, across a variety of screen sizes and devices. Mobility is radically different from the stationary ‘desktop’ experience. In some cases, mobility is a ‘lean back’ experience like sitting on a commuter train watching a video. In other cases it can be “lean forward” – like shopping for a gift while you take your lunch break at the part. And in many cases, it’s ‘lean free’ when your body is in motion, or you’re standing in line scanning news headlines or photos while you want for your turn to be called.”
As part of a highly interesting qualitative research comparing some internet properties that we have conducted at Evenbase, mobility also made an appearance when looking at candidate behavior. Job seekers have three key pressures:
1. Doubt, uncertainty, lack of confidence
2. Time & effort
3. Staying on top of the search
So all in all, it boils down to the known components of relevancy and speed (convenience) overlaid with an ineffective emotional state.
When looking at a day, the research concludes that the majority of the jobseekers, be they passive or active, are concentrating their efforts at home in the evening. Let’s divide the day into three parts, before work, at work and after work and look at the different behaviours displayed by jobseekers in the UK & US:
Before work, mainly in the morning, is the most common time to check email alerts. Many rely solely on alerts to learn of opportunities – saves having to check the source repeatedly. Reviewing alerts often takes place on the move using mobile or tablet devices to bookmark interesting roles and positions for further research at a later time.
At work, it’s all about covert searching in downtime/lunch. Interestingly, mobile wasn’t mentioned, but LinkedIn is seen as a safe way to job search at work. Water cooler discussions can also inform the job search.
After work, this is the point when more in-depth job search is done at home in the evenings. It is also the most popular time with passive searchers who search in conjunction with recreation, such as watching TV. Passive searchers are less likely to have email alerts or feel compelled to look when they are otherwise busy.
So, depending on how you target, there is some “lean back”, “lean forward” and “lean free” mobility happening during the job search.
So when talking about mobile in the jobhunting context, as David Armano states, it really is about ‘mobility’ and not ‘delivery via a mobile device’. It’s a matter of looking at the user journey and working out how to minimise the frustrations of the individual while in their different job hunting mode.
For example, our study showed in-depth research and job seeking happens in the evening at home. Therefore a mobile offering does not necessarily need to include the option to upload and/or alter neither CV/resume nor the ability to write a covering letter.
We also know that individuals use their commute to check job alerts, which means, in order for a busy commuter to make full use of the alert, they tend to expect details of the jobs available within the email on the move. As internet connection might be patchy, the results need to contain enough information to allow the decision to skip or save without having to click through to a website.
Another alternative is to release an app that integrates well into job seekers’ daily behaviour, especially if users can view stored content without an internet connection. After all the commute is used to decide ‘is this job worth more consideration in the evening’?
But beware of local differences: In the UK there is a heavier use of mobile in job search than the US, possibly as communicating on public transport is more common. And as highlighted in my last blog post, mobile in many emerging countries is mainly about SMS. So whilst the underlying principles still stand, the interface may differ significantly.
This point brings me neatly to the delivery mechanism. Instead of talking about “mobile” I find it much more helpful to refer to “touch”. That way, we separate mobility and its part in the actual user behaviour, versus the delivery of our service via mobile devices and actually also hone in on a much bigger trend, the move away from mouse-clicks.
When designing and developing, let’s not ask “how does it work for mobile”, but “how does it work for an individual using a ‘touch’ device” (the best interface I have seen for a touch device is by CVgram.me – an Argentinian start up).
Or maybe (echoing Lee Shupp’s ‘path to singularity‘) we should already be starting to think about “gesture” – how would your service be delivered to individuals that interact with their device via gesture. Google Goggles anyone? Perhaps we could even go a step further and work out how to take “mind control” into consideration.
However we look at it, we will see new ideas and uses that are utterly different from those available through the internet in its current form. In assessing the likelihood these changes will be taken up, it is especially important to remember that successful adaption relies on acceptable change – and this will always be linked to current user behaviour (sometimes this edges forward slowly, sometimes it leaps).
For the jobseekers in our study, it will involve new ideas that allow them to feel confident in achieving their objectives and which make everything so much more convenient. At some point these new ideas will go from, as Jason Fried and David Heinemeier put it, “cool to useful”. At that point underlying behavioural principles meet with new technology developments to deliver a meaningful, even empowering service to the people. That’s what it’s all about.
photo credit: h.koppdelaney
Twitter: Mobile_dave
says
Whilst I agree with the theory and principles put forwards I am not convinced by the findings and conclusions.
The blur is around what operations users expect to be able to complete on their smartphones and tablets. A few years ago the concept of completing purchased would have felt foreign while last year over $11bn was transacted from mobile devices.
Only last Friday I ran a panel at mRecCamp (in the USA) where UPS shared they had launched apply on mobile. This initiative had generated 2,800 applications in 2 weeks, each one providing the saner datapoints as the desktop application process. The conversion from browse to apply was the same via mobile as it was via desktop.
Many other firms shared similar sucess stories.
The adoption of dual screening is cementing mobile & tablet web consumption to the sofa which further changes the user experience.
Mobility is the key, eventually the recruitment industry will refine and improve the application process via a mobile first process. The era of the PC is on the decline. It reminds me of journey print and web walked though from 98 to 2010.
Dave, thanks for the comment and the details of the case study. I bet it was a very interesting conference.
Twitter: stephenodonn
says
You’re dead right when you refer to mobility over mobile. It really can’t be simply about squeezing the same content into a much smaller screen, you must consider carefully what information is needed by the consumer, and how they want to use it.
In the past 2 weeks I have viewed almost 600 separate recruitment websites for this year’s NORAs, and you would be astonished at the number of otherwise slick professional websites, which just don’t display anything suited to a mobile device. Of those that do, it’s mainly an exercise in reshaping the same desktop content to fit the screen. In most cases, this is way too much information for anyone on a tiny screen. Considering carefully the needs of mobile consumers means you have a far better opportunity to get the desired response. Given your studies, I’d go so far as to suggest a mobile site that changes its displayed content through the day, to meet the needs of commuters, shift workers, non-desktop workers etc etc. If logged in, it should be possible to schedule a customised and continually evolving website for every individual consumer, according to their needs and timetable.
Doing most of this, is technically very straightforward. The hard part is deciding what information to display, and how.
Thanks for your comment, Stephen. I really like your idea on a mobile site that changes its displayed content through the day and links it to people’s mobility and interprets it accordingly. Well cool. Good luck with NORAs.
Twitter: darrensher
says
Great post Felix. I like the breakdown of user behavior throughout the day and most of all I like the suggestion of terminology for avoiding confusion when talking about mobile devices. ‘Touch’ is ultimately the common ground between most major smartphones, tablets and readers as apposed to type and click with traditional laptops and desktops.
I think its fair to say that there is a mass migration from click and type devices to touch devices, before long this will be the common interface that we use.
It’s because of this that I feel your point about mobile devices not really needing the ability to upload CV’s, is a rather risky point of view to take.
‘Touch’ devices run a completely different OS, this OS is not compatible with traditional PC upload methods. If we don’t become compatible with the new upload methods we will continue to lose out as more people begin to solely use ‘touch’ devices.
People may not use their phones to apply for jobs in the evening but they are probably using their tablets.
Ultimately its not just about catering for user interaction with the new touch interface, its also about ensuring our service is compatible with the new operating systems that are being used.
If Internet Explorer and Firefox launched new browsers that weren’t compatible with our CV upload process we would have to react…. Well this is essentially what is happening, there is a new ‘browser’ on the rise that most recruitment sites aren’t fully compatible with.
Cloud storage and computing has been growing in popularity mainly thanks to mobile devices, its growth in popularity has been fueled by people wanting to be able to access and upload files on their ‘touch’ devices, so surely the same would be true for job-hunting.
Darren, thanks for your thoughtful comment. I agree with you that people will upload CVs via touch devices, especially as these will become the norm. But talking about “mobile” hinders the innovations and ultimately slows the development of habit changing creativity.
The main point I am making is about linking technological advances to actual user behavior and to the frustrations people experience. It is about linking any developments to the external environment: You can be the best surfer, with the best surf board, but if there aren’t any waves, you won’t go anywhere.
I also wonder if uploading CVs is really relevant, as it is just replicating the traditional ways into a new environment, therefore not taking any of the pain points and underlying principles into account.
So how can we create CVs that increase the convenience whilst enhancing confidence?
Twitter: darrensher
says
I think with all future development there needs to be 2 approaches. Innovate and accommodate.
I agree, it would be ideal to build a product that alleviates the need for the traditional CV but the reality is the culture for them still exists. Clients still demand them and candidates still prepare them.
There is no reason why we can’t accommodate and innovate at the same time. There is no problem with retrofitting if it results in a product that supports the evolution of a more efficient offering.
In regards to the future of CV’s, we first need to assess what recruiters try to gain from a candidates CV during the first phase of their filtering proccess. I would say there are 2 key things, does this person have the skills for the job and would they fit in with the culture of our company.
One potential approach to offering the answers to these questions could be the following.
————-
Q – Does the candidate have the skills for the vacancy?
A- When a recruiter posts a vacancy they could request answers for up to 5 short questions that will determine if the candidate has the experience for the advertised vacancy. Candidate answers should have a character limit.
The beauty of this is that recruiters could easily sort their applications based on the responses to these questions. Plus unlike the traditional CV this application process will be unique to the advertised vacancy. It will also filter out the candidates that aren’t serious about their application.
Q – Will the candidate fit in with the culture of our company?
A – Using candidate social logins we build a social profile that elegantly demonstrates the candidates personality and culture.
————-
All that being said, this method won’t work until our clients and candidates are prepared to make the change. By accommodating and innovating we can ensure this shift will gradually take form. Many products and offering fail for being ahead of their time, so changes we make need to accommodate to innovate.
HI Felix
Thought provoking, great analysis of the research and good to get some conversations going with Mobile regular Dave Martin. I appreciate Stephen’s comments, as I am about to embark on reviewing 130+ sites for the NORAs – and I am sure to be hugely disappointed in the Mobile experience.
I do question the US terminology of ‘mobility’ – although I understand the concept that Armano is referencing, it does not take into account that mobility is regularly applied to equipment and devices to aid those that are not physically mobile. We just need to be aware when embracing a ‘new’ definition for mobile – that perhaps we already have the concepts in place – Mobile is a bigger vision here than ‘cellular’ is/was in the US.
As to the bigger questions of ‘applying via the mobile’ – If i can use my ‘apply with LinkedIn’ or use my Innovate CV link, then I no longer need to send the CV. However, many of these potential apply options are going to require the recruiter and her ATS technology to do more work to view and review candidate information. A cultural shift will be required.
It is going to be fun.
Alan, yes, it is going to be fun, indeed. The whole ATS question is another interesting one – while they are really powerful in the Western world, they hardly feature in Latin America. So there might be an opportunity for emerging countries to leap frog the developed nations in mobile recruitment and become the drivers of innovation.