What Facebook's Move On LinkedIn Means

Since announcing its IPO, Snap Inc has faced one setback after the other thanks to Facebook, from replicating features Facebook soon responded by cloning Snapchats lenses, filters, and more recently stories for Instagram. The last one came within days of Snap Inc’s IPO announcement, and the inverse impact it has had on Snapchat’s daily engagement has been unprecedented. Now Facebook has set its sights on LinkedIn, the professional networking tool that was acquired by Microsoft late last year.

In a blog post titled "Take the Work Out of Hiring", Facebook is offering employers the opportunity to share vacant positions on its platform while offering candidates the ability to search for and apply for jobs from one interface. The timing couldn't be better - this week LinkedIn forcefully rolled out a new UX and UI for its free members, limiting access to new jobs and making job search filtration harder than ever before.

Just like LinkedIn, recruiters using Facebook's new tool will be able to create job posts, track applications, and communicate with them directly. Pricing is an unknown at this point, with LinkedIn charging US$ 80 for a job post.

While the idea of using Facebook to advertise jobs is not new (we do it), having a dedicated portal should allow recruiters to reach the best-fit audiences. This should prompt job seekers on Facebook to update their profiles so they can match any vacancy ads that match their experiences and skills. It's likely that this tool was added as a consequence of page owners using the site for advertising jobs and finding success, rather than Facebook moving in this direction on their own. Recruiters would prefer quality vs. quantity candidates. Beyond charging to boost vacancy announcements for better reach, the monetization is unknown.

From a B2B marketing perspective, this is a dream come true for being able to market to Facebook users based on their designation and company, another step forward in account-based marketing.

The tool will be rolled out in the MENA region next quarter.