Why Hong Kong job hunters are increasingly turning to mobile devices

And should companies be alarmed?.

It has been noted that Hong Kong job seekers are increasingly using mobile devices when looking for a new job.

According to a release from Hays, a survey of 584 Hong Kongers by the recruiting expert shows that job seekers still do most of their job searching and applications on their desktop, but a growing number are using their smartphones.

In the survey 41 per cent of respondents said they do their job searching mostly by desktop but sometimes by mobile, while 56 per cent said they search mainly by mobile and sometimes by desktop. Only three per cent search for jobs on their mobile device.

“Job seekers are still submitting most of their job applications on their desktop computer as they have larger screens and keyboards than mobile devices, enabling the user to sit comfortably while applying online,” says Christine Wright, Managing Director of Hays in Asia.

Here's more from Hays:

“However, a growing number of job seekers now prefer to use a smartphone for job search activities because they can search for jobs anytime, anywhere.

“When job seekers find a job of interest on their smartphones, they will often wait until later to apply via a desktop computer,” says Christine. “This is because one of the current hindrances to applying via a mobile device is that most people do not have a copy of their resume stored on their smartphone.

“Furthermore, many job seekers are deterred from applying for a job if a company’s career site or job listings are not mobile optimised.”

But with demand growing for mobile services, the recruiter says that those companies without the ability to receive applications by mobile are increasingly at a disadvantage when competing for talent.

“Our research has shown that most job seekers have yet to make the shift over to doing their job searching and applications by mobile. However, once job seekers believe it is no longer difficult to apply for jobs on a mobile device, searching and applying for jobs on a smartphone is likely to become the new normal.”

So how can job seekers currently use their mobile to apply for jobs? According to Hays, the answer lies in the cloud. “When candidates update their resume on their desktop, they should not forget to update it on any of the online cloud storage solutions or online job sites they’re using. From job sites it’s easy to access a number of different versions of your resume and apply for jobs from an app or a mobile website,” says Christine.