Facebook keeps growing to become a one-stop hub for everything. Recently, the social network announced that it is making its job search feature available to 40 more countries outside of the United States and Canada.
Job Search Gets Wider
Facebook's job search feature allows businesses with Facebook pages to create posts for new jobs, view applications, and set up interviews with prospective applicants. Users can apply to jobs directly online or through the app.
Previously, it was only used in the United States and Canada. Now countries such as Brazil, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain will also get to use the feature.
In a post announcing the expansion, Alex Himel, Facebook Vice President of Local, highlights people's use of Facebook. According to him, one in four people in the United States has searched or found a job using Facebook.
Himel thinks that Facebook could be used to aid businesses, citing that 40 percent of small businesses had a harder time than expected trying to fill positions.
One of the ways that Facebook makes it easy for job hunters is that it takes all of the information provided by users to build a resume. All communication after applying for the job appears in a new chat in the Facebook Messenger app. Job postings can also appear on the its newsfeed.
One of the concerns for users of the job search function is that companies would be able to look at their Facebook profiles. Instead of making companies search for their information online, the job applicants instantly do the investigatory job for them. However, Facebook says companies will only be able to look at information that are made public by the applicants on the site.
More Types Of Jobs
The job search feature is also useful for people looking for less-skilled jobs. A cursory glance at the job search page in New York shows that the postings are for jobs such as window cleaner, driver, housekeeper, and security guards. These aren't postings that would be found on the employment-oriented social networking service LinkedIn.
Since 2011, Facebook has invested more than $1 billion to help local businesses grow and help people find local jobs, according to Himel's post.
While it is still facing problems for the fake news fiasco during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Facebook is moving forward with more plans to appeal to people. CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants the social network to focus on building more of a community. From limiting content by publishers and businesses to people finding jobs on the website, this shift could help in that respect.
