Chipotle Mexican Grill launched a new web-based mobile job application program for smart phones and tablets to allow job applicants to apply using their mobile devices. Developed in conjunction with Jibe, a New York-based company that provides cloud-based recruiting technologies, the mobile application program runs on Jibe’s market-leading recruiting platform and is compatible with any smart phone or tablet.
Chipotle began using the mobile application app in early October. In just the first week of use, mobile applications accounted for 20 percent of incoming job applications, a total of roughly 5,000 applications. Applicants can apply for any open position at Chipotle using their mobile device, including restaurant or corporate positions. Jobs can be sorted by location (to the individual restaurant level) or functional area. Using the location services in a mobile device, users can even find available positions closest to them. To simplify the application process, applicants can pull their information from a LinkedIn profile, or users can upload a resume using their mobile device.
Chipotle’s move to include mobile applications comes as mobile Internet access is on the rise. According to a Nielsen study on “the new digital consumer,” adults in the US spend 34 hours per month on average on the internet using a smartphone, compared with 27 hours online using a computer, and the Pew Internet Research project notes that nearly two-thirds of cell phone owners use their phone to go online, with one-third of cell internet users using their phone as their primary internet device.
Positions at Chipotle all provide significant potential for advancement. The company’s culture is strongly rooted in developing people internally and promoting from within. Currently, more than 95 percent of Chipotle’s restaurant managers come from within the ranks of its crew, and leadership positions are increasingly being filled internally as well.
