TechCrunch reported recently on a new Facebook feature being tested with the potential to impact LinkedIn’s dominance in the online recruitment space – Facebook Jobs. It could be a scary prospect for the professional giant, but with the two platforms sharing fundamental differences, we look at precisely where we think a potential clash might occur.
The Ins and Outs of The New Feature
TechCrunch were the first to report a new “Jobs” tab appearing in the status update composer of its Facebook page. Online recruiters often share job postings on Facebook (we do!) however the feature allows for related details to be shared as well including salary, job title or contract type (i.e. full time or part time). It also provides a dedicated area of Facebook for companies to house all their openings that savvy candidates can visit.
The benefits of this feature if it becomes part of Facebook’s standard service are numerous for brands:
• There’s the potential to gain new page followers
• Reach might increase dramatically if jobs are shared more on user’s own profiles
• Applications could increase if information is pre-populated from user’s profiles when clicking on the “Apply Now” button, as reported by TechCrunch
Other elements of the feature include word that submitted applications will be received via Facebook messenger. Advertisers might also be able to pay to increase the reach of their job postings to relevant demographics.
Facebook says of the test:
“Based on behavior we’ve seen on Facebook, where many small businesses post about their job openings on their Page, we’re running a test for Page admins to create job postings and receive applications from candidates.”
Facebook vs. LinkedIn
If we compare the two mighty moguls, we see the following:
Who Wins?
It’s clear that Facebook has far more reach and thus far more potential to reach candidates if we go on this figure alone. However, in terms of primary purpose, LinkedIn has the edge. Individuals use LinkedIn almost solely for online recruitment and job-related purposes and the cross over to advertising jobs to people on Facebook who are looking to interact socially only, might tarnish some users’ perception of the brand.
One point of friction between the two may be the attracting of passive candidates. According to Beamery.com 52% of hiring decision makers say that in 2016 passive recruitment has become less effective due to the vast majority of people trying to do it via LinkedIn. If Facebook, with its colossal reach, becomes a successful passive recruiting tool, it could put recruiters ahead in filling positions, and leave LinkedIn behind.
We believe the key element to any jobs feature on Facebook will be how open candidates are to using it to search for jobs, and how happy users are to have jobs advertised to them via the social network. You can follow RecruitmentRevolution.com on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Castle Hill House