With Facebook's almost limitless resources, it can practically pursue all sorts of initiatives such as the delivery of free internet to a big chunk of the world's population. Now, it seems that the social media network's latest project is directly aimed at LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Alternative
The project, which was announced on Nov. 7, involves the introduction of a capability for page administrators to post job openings and even accept applications in response to the ad. This feature will effectively pit Facebook directly against LinkedIn, which is mainly in the business of connecting job hunters and job recruiters. The social media platform provides opportunities to gain employment and hunt for manpower in exchange for a monthly subscription fee.
Facebook: Jobs Feature Still In Beta
It is not yet clear whether Facebook will monetize its new product. But observers believe it could borrow from the LinkedIn business model and let companies pay to recruit employees. It is currently being tested without any definite rollout date.
"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," a Facebook spokesperson said in a TechCrunch report.
There are Facebook Page owners who have already begun seeing a Jobs tab in their accounts. If the aim is to directly compete with LinkedIn and similar recruitment platforms, Facebook will have to include other features besides the ability to post job ads.
At LinkedIn, recruitment and job application are embedded in a complex social-networking platform uniquely tailored to satisfy the demands of networked professionals looking for work or to fill job openings. For example, an employer can gain more insights into an applicant based on their recommendations. Facebook has none of these, although the Jobs feature could begin working with other solutions such as Facebook at Work.
Dedicated Facebook Jobs Page
To differentiate the new Jobs feature from the Careers page of an organization's Facebook account, the social media network is giving it a dedicated landing page. Additionally, applicants who would like to inquire about a job position could be forced to follow the organization in order to initiate some form of action or interaction. This means the new feature can also expand an organization's followers.
At this point, it seems that Facebook's new Jobs feature still needs some refinements. This can be demonstrated in the way submitted applications are said to be received as a Facebook Message. This can effectively confound administrators who also use the function to provide customer support.
