How long does it take for a candidate to submit an application to an employer? A survey conducted by Career Builder and Bravura shows that 18% of job seekers did not want to spend more than five minutes on it. As younger generations, specifically generation Z (16-29 year holds) have grown up in a fast-paced digital world, the survey particularly looked at this age group. Among the younger generation, 22% stated that they would like to spend a maximum of five minutes on job applications.

A Young Professional Attraction Index conducted by Academic Works showed some similar results, however with more leniency regarding time spent on applications. The index shows that 58% of young professionals or graduates starting their careers, spend between 30 minutes and 2 hours applying for jobs with a CV and personal letter. To them, this was deemed a very long time, where 29% think it should not take longer than 15 minutes to apply for a job, and 31% think that 1-10 minutes is reasonable. 

The research, however, makes one wonder as to why this may be happening? In recent years there has been a prevailing boom in the job market and low unemployment. This has made the labor market the candidate’s market, where candidates can make higher demands in recruitment, but can also be quick to judge at the initial stages. With the large opportunities in the job market that are prevailing in Sweden, as well as the rest of the world, specifically in marketing, tech, etc., younger candidates are becoming restless in the application process. Young professionals want to find jobs quickly, change jobs often, and explore opportunities. 

Job application statistics show that the number of candidates that use their mobile phones to apply for jobs was at 15% in 2020. According to a survey conducted by Higher, candidates continue to think applying for jobs is difficult, time-consuming, and misleading. The interest in using mobile phones to apply for jobs is great, over 80% of respondents agreed that they would like to apply for jobs via their mobile phone if the process gives employers a correct picture of the candidates. With the compelling response in this survey, and previous research showing candidates’ keenness with quick job applications, mobile recruitment may be something we see in the future.

The high standard of younger professionals has put pressure on recruiters and the recruitment industry today, where digital tools and processes have already changed to match the younger candidates’ interests and demands. Recruiters need to stay on their toes and adapt to these behaviors, but how to proceed is a discussion for another time.