Dive Brief:
- Appcast has released its 2017 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report revealing candidate behavior when applying for work opportunities. The report analyzed 750 companies in the job advertisement space, which represents an average of 30% of company spend on recruitment efforts.
- The report found that mobile devices made up 50% of the candidate clicks on job ads, but that candidates prefer to apply for jobs using a desktop computer in nearly 3 out of 4 times.
- Other findings note that having 51-60 characters in a job title increases the likelihood that a candidate will read it. The easier it is to apply for a job, the more apt applicants are to complete the process. Appcast also found that the most expensive cost-per-click was in the transportation industry, with an average cost of $.79 per click.
Dive Insight:
The Appcast report brings up some important facts about online job application behavior by candidates. Mobile devices continue to increase as a method of reaching candidates, but companies must still provide desktop-friendly versions of online tracking systems to ensure candidates follow through with applications.
Many organizations struggle to manage their job application programs, however. Nearly 9 out of 10 human resource professionals worldwide feel that identifying qualified candidates is the largest hurdle in recruitment. Another 82% find managing postings on multiple job boards a daunting task. Emerging tracking systems seek to ease these struggles.
Regardless, online job advertisements are still worth investing in, and the report provides a good average of how much companies should be spending on job board marketing. Capturing the attention of candidates still takes an understanding of how job titles appeal to candidates, and what they are looking for. Creating online job postings that make it easy for candidates to apply is key to recruitment ROI.
