Online recruiting study 2024

The study analyzes the online candidate experience of listed companies in Germany.

• Focus on visibility and mobile optimization of career pages.
• Areas examined: Career page, job exchange, job advertisements, application form.
• The aim is to create a positive candidate experience to combat the shortage of skilled workers.

Findability of the career page

The visibility of the career page is decisive for the number of applicants.

• 97% of companies link directly to the careers section on the homepage.
• A visible career section increases the number of applications.
• Companies should not sacrifice their careers page in favor of product advertising.

Link to the career page in the header menu

The placement of the career section in the header is important for user-friendliness.

• 75% of companies have linked the careers section in the header.
• This allows quick access to open areas from any underside.

Mobile optimization of the career page

Mobile optimization is essential for a smooth candidate journey.

• 99% of career sites are mobile-optimized.
• However, shortcomings such as long loading times and poor layouts are still present.

Mobile optimization of the job board

The job boards must also be mobile-optimized to ensure user-friendliness.

• 99% of job boards are mobile-optimized.
• Often the click from the careers page leads to a job board with a different layout, which is problematic.

Mobile optimization of job advertisements

Job advertisements should be easy to read on mobile devices.

• 99% of job ads are mobile-optimized.
• Important elements such as calls to action for applications must be clearly visible.

Mobile optimization of the application form

The mobile optimization of the application form is often inadequate.

• Only 50% of companies have mobile-optimized application forms.
• This leads to a high number of applications being abandoned, as many applications are accessed via mobile devices.

Length of the application form

The number of mandatory fields in the application form influences the number of applicants.

• On average, there are 9 mandatory fields, which represents an increase compared to the previous year.
• Long forms have a deterrent effect and should be subdivided visually.

Application with login requirement

The login requirement is an obstacle for applicants.

• 46% of companies require an account for the application.
• An open application process without login is recommended.

One-click application option

The one-click application option is rare, but could increase the number of applicants.

• Only 12% of companies offer this option.
• Automatic completion of mandatory fields by social networks should be implemented.

Native integration of job advertisements

Native integration improves the user experience and tracking.

• 47% of companies use native embeds for job ads.
• iFrames and PDF files should be avoided.

Google for Jobs: Findability of job advertisements

Optimization for Google for Jobs is important for visibility.

• 69% of companies have optimized their job ads for Google for Jobs.
• Structured data according to schema.org is required for indexing.

Web analytics on career sites

The use of web analytics is crucial for data-based decisions.

• Only 36% of career sites use a corresponding analytics tool.
• Important key figures are often not collected, which makes strategic decisions more difficult.

Source: Wollmilchsau