Trending in the latest HR news, Facebook users have another reason to spend hours on the social media giant. Facebook will now help job seekers find jobs through its newest job application, which will be available in over 40 countries. Basically, this feature allows users to apply for jobs directly from the platform.
Facebook’s job application service was first introduced in the U.S. and Canada last year. What makes it different from LinkedIn and other job sites is that it is focused on drawing candidates for small and medium-sized businesses.
The main reason for this, stated by Vice President of Local at Facebook, Axel Himel, is that local businesses have a great contribution in strengthening the communities by creating at least 60% new jobs. Since 2011, Facebook has invested more than $1 billion to help local businesses grow and help people find jobs.
According to an online poll involving 5,000 adults conducted by Morning Consult, about one in four people in the U.S said that they have searched for or found jobs through Facebook. Himel said, “Since introducing job postings on Facebook in the US and Canada, we’ve built new features for businesses like the ability to create job posts on mobile, manage applications, and schedule interviews.”
The National Federation of Independent Business reports that “the lack of ‘qualified’ workers is impeding growth in employment” for small businesses. In its January survey, the NFIB says 89% of businesses that are hiring or trying to hire can’t find qualified applicants. “Thirty-four percent of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, up 3 points from December,” the report notes.
This gap is exactly what Facebook is trying to address with its job posting tool. The global expansion is just the latest sign of Facebook’s increasing interest in providing tools for small and local businesses. The company has also been building out ad products designed specifically for small businesses as well tools like appointment scheduling for business pages.
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Job seekers interested in looking for job openings on Facebook can go to the Jobs dashboard at facebook.com/jobs and check the “Jobs” option in the “Explore” section on mobile, by clicking the Jobs icon in Marketplace, or visiting the Jobs tab of a business’ Page.
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