Facebook Rolls Out Job Search Feature

February 16, 2017

Would you look for a job on Facebook? The social media giant is hoping you’ll say yes. Yesterday, the company announced a new feature that allows U.S. and Canadian companies to post job listings.

Users can search for openings either on company pages or at the Facebook jobs bookmark. Relevant postings will also appear in their news feed. Users can apply directly from Facebook.

“When they click on the Apply Now button, a form will open that’s pre-populated with information from their profile on Facebook,” said a Facebook representative in a blog post announcing the feature. “Applicants can always review and edit their information before submitting it.”

The Good News/Bad News of Social Recruiting

“This could be seen as a challenge to competing services such as LinkedIn, the recruiting network acquired by Microsoft last December,” writes Andrew Hoyle at CNET. “But while LinkedIn is entirely focused on business, Facebook’s social aspects could make it easier for potential employers to trawl your profile for details of your personal life.”

Do You Know What You're Worth?

That’s good news for employers, many of whom already scan candidates’ social media profiles for culture fit (and red flags) during the interview process. (How many hiring managers do this? It depends on your industry. A CareerBuilder survey from last year found that 76 percent of employers in the IT industry checked applicants’ social media, for example, while only 55 percent of those in professional and business services did so.)

But, it’s potentially bad news for candidates who might be hoping to add Facebook to their get-hired toolkit. Most job seekers these days are aware that posting the wrong kind of content on social media can hurt their chances of getting an offer. However, it’s a whole different ballgame when the recruiter or hiring manager already has Facebook open on their desktop or mobile device while they’re reading your application.

“The feature also makes it simpler than ever for employers to discover your unflattering Facebook posts,” writes Emily Price at Fast Company. “Applicants will be able to control what parts of their Facebook profile they choose to share with employers; however, the new feature means it’s more important than ever to make sure your public posts on the social network are something you’d be willing to share with your future boss, because she’s probably looking at them.”

So clean up those profiles — and tighten your privacy settings — before you hit “Apply Now.”