It’s the place on the web we love to watch viral videos, check out our friends holidays snaps and discuss whatever’s on our minds. With over 1.75 billion users, Facebook is the world’s most popular social network but it normally plays a lighthearted role in our lives.
That might be set to change as the social network takes on different aspects of our everyday lives. It could even mean that when you next apply to become cabin crew with your favourite airline you’ll be submitting your application on Facebook.
Last year, Facebook released a test feature into its Pages programme that allowed businesses to advertise new job openings on their Page. And now it looks like Facebook Jobs is set to be rolled out to the masses.
How it Works
Here’s how it work. Businesses with a Facebook Page in North America and Canada now have access to a new ‘Jobs’ tab in their Page options. They can then advertise all their openings which will appear both on their page and within a search feature at Facebook.com/jobs.
When you visit their Facebook page you’ll be able to see all of their current opportunities and apply for the job directly within the social network. Facebook will draw your personal details from your profile and it will even populate education and work experience fields.
Now, f you’re anything like the average Facebook user then you probably don’t take your Facebook profile quite so seriously as your resume. So Facebook will allow you to fully edit and add information before you click on submit.
And don’t worry – The hiring manager won’t be able to see your personal profile!
All your details are sent to the business via Facebook Messenger. Within Messenger, the recruiter can contact you to schedule an interview and update you on the status of your application.
The Potential is Huge
There are over 65 million business Facebook Pages so the potential reach for this new feature shouldn’t be underestimated. Even if hiring managers are reluctant to give up their bespoke software that they currently use to screen applications.
But consider this, according to CareerBuilder, a staggering 60% of job seekers abandon an online application because of the length and complexity of the process. The software used by many HR departments, such as Taleo, are often criticised precisely for this reason.
Facebook, however, is optimised for mobile. In fact, 1.25 billion people use Facebook on their mobile and the numbers of ‘mobile only’ users has risen rapidly in the last year.
Will Airlines be Willing to Sign Up?
Andrew Bosworth, a Facebook executive who helped develop the new feature said: “We wanted to take the work out of hiring.” But will airlines be willing to sign up?
Some of the biggest airlines in the world have made social media their own. Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways hold the lion share of audience engagement on their Facebook pages compared to other travel brands. Emirates has nearly 7 million followers on their Page alone.
According to Jobvite, 76% of social job seekers found their current position through Facebook. And a 2015 survey by iCIMS found that 57% percent of job seekers said that they used social media to learn more about potential employers.
So if airlines have such a big presence on Facebook and job seekers are actively using social media to find and research new jobs, Facebook might really be onto a winner.
New Enterprise Tools by Facebook
Facebook has also been working on its enterprise tools for some time and we’ll likely see the popular social network have a more serious influence in our business lives in the next few years.
As Facebook adds new tools and develops the process this could be a serious contender for airline hiring managers working on streamlined budgets.
