Employment web site Indeed says that its job search data shows that nearly half of  job seekers search and apply for jobs through a mobile device — and it is making an acquisition to bolster its mobile offerings.
Indeed is buying the business and assets of MoBolt, which provides technology to support mobile job application solutions and works with existing application tracking systems (ATS). It says that the acquisition will allow it to enable employers to accept job applications through a mobile device without any IT integration or infrastructure upgrades.
MoBolt’s founder and CEO, Kshitij Jain, said that only 10% of Fortune 500 companies have a mobile-friendly job application process — and the one that do find that a third of candidates abandon the process at the very first step of user log-in. Meanwhile, Indeed noted that its June 2014 job search data revealed that nearly half of its job searches were conducted via a mobile device.
“Mobile job search is not a thing of the future, it is a reality today. A majority of job seekers around the world find jobs on a mobile device, but only a fraction of employers allow them to apply right there and then,” said Chris Hyams, SVP for product and international at Indeed. “The best talent will not wait to apply later — they will simply move on to another opportunity. MoBolt enables any employer to leap frog this road block and access every candidate.”
MoBolt’s technology enables job applications from any smartphone, tablet or desktop browser, Indeed said, and the company plans to extend its pay-for-performance model so that Indeed generates paid traffic for every dollar spent on mobile applications.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in July, and Indeed said its MoBolt offering is available in 50 countries around the world.
