Facebook Jobs makes having a Page that much more valuable for SMBs

Last week, Facebook formally entered the recruiting market. The company announced Jobs on Facebook, a new tool for small businesses (and large) to post jobs and find employees.

The company’s blog post focuses on the small business market, but larger companies will certainly test and use the new functionality. For the time being, it’s available in the US and Canada.

Jobs appear on company Pages, but also on a jobs page that includes a range of filters for would-be employees. Users can filter by industry and by full or part-time, among other criteria. Facebook users submit their information through an “apply now” button that’s “pre-populated with information from their public profile on Facebook.”

Job posting is free, but employers can also pay to boost visibility of their openings:

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. This new experience will help businesses find qualified people where they’re already spending their time — on Facebook and on mobile . . .

After posting a job, Page admins will be able to review applications and contact applicants on Messenger, all on mobile and all in one place. And as with other posts, they can boost job posts to reach a larger or more relevant audience . . .

Jobs gives local businesses yet another reason to engage with Facebook; it makes their Pages that much more valuable and useful. And given the challenges of organic posts, it will certainly generate more revenue for Facebook over time.

It probably will not significantly affect LinkedIn in the near term. But it could have a negative revenue impact longer-term if it takes off. It could have a much bigger impact on Craigslist, which makes its money primarily from employer fees for job postings.

About The Author

Greg Sterling

Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog, Screenwerk, about connecting the dots between digital media and real-world consumer behavior. He is also VP of Strategy and Insights for the Local Search Association. Follow him on Twitter or find him at Google+.