Facebook Gunning for LinkedIn with New Job Search Functionality

Social media giant Facebook is aiming to go head-to-head with LinkedIn. The world’s largest social network announced today that it has launched several new features on its Web site to make it easier for employers to get in contact with job seekers.

Businesses will be able to post openings for positions on their Facebook pages, while job seekers will be able to browse through openings thanks to a new Jobs bookmark.

“We’re focused on building new ways to help make it easier for businesses to interact with the over 1 billion people visiting Pages every month,” the company said in a statement. “Businesses and people already use Facebook to fill and find jobs, so we’re rolling out new features that allow job posting and application directly on Facebook.”

Reaching Out to Enterprise Clients

Facebook’s argument is that employers and potential employees are using their site constantly, making it a natural platform for people looking for qualified candidates. That argument sounds particularly pointed with regard to competing social network LinkedIn, which is used almost exclusively when people are searching for work or to network in their industries.

In the last several months, Facebook has been making a renewed effort to appeal to enterprise customers with new features designed with them in mind. In October, the social network unveiled several updates to its Pages service geared toward helping businesses interact more effectively with the more than 1 billion visitors the site receives every month.

“Beginning today, businesses in the US and Canada will be able to post job openings, and their future employees will be able to easily find those posts on their Page or in the new jobs bookmark,” the company said. “This new experience will help businesses find qualified people where they’re already spending their time — on Facebook and on mobile.”

Simple Functionality

Employers will be able to create job posts through the admins of their Pages. They can then use the new feature to track applications and communicate directly with applicants. After posting jobs, the admins will be able to review applications and contact applicants on Facebook Messenger.

The process is similar for job applicants, the company said. Job posts may appear in their News Feeds, in the new bookmark for jobs and alongside other posts on business Pages. When they click on the Apply Now button, a form will open that is pre-populated with information from their profiles on Facebook. Applicants will also be able to edit their information before submitting it.

None of this functionality may seem all that revolutionary or provides job seekers with anything they cannot already find on LinkedIn or other job searching sites. What may be the differentiator, however, is Facebook’s status as one of the most frequently visited Web sites in the world. The sheer number of eyeballs Facebook is able to regularly attract may be sufficient to give LinkedIn a run for its money.