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Facebook Jobs is easy to use but will it replace LinkedIn?

Facebook Jobs enables you to easily apply for a job or two while waiting for your morning latte.

This new feature, unveiled last week, allows employers to post job openings on their Facebook page. An “Apply Now” button opens a form that is pre-populated with the information you provided Facebook when you opened your Facebook account, including name, cell number and email as well as any education and employer information you list in your profile.

The form also prompts you to explain in 1 000 characters, or roughly 250 words, why you’re the best candidate for the position.

You can search for jobs in a two- to 100-mile radius of any location and sort by broad industry categories including real estate, local business, beauty, restaurant/café, company, non-profit organisation, professional services, education, consulting agency, shopping/retail for part-time, full-time and contract jobs, as well as volunteer and internship opportunities.

Once you hit send, the employer receives your information via Messenger and, according to Facebook, they can only see what you’ve made public on your Facebook page so you might want to check your privacy settings before responding to a post.

Sounds easy, right? Not necessarily.

While it was easy to use, Beth Lawton, 37, owner of Canoe Media Services, says she found the broad search parameters frustrating.

“It seems like eventually I’d have to do a lot of scrolling through irrelevant listings before finding something I’d apply for,” she says.

“It’s certainly not the first place I’d think to go. I’d start with more traditional job boards, company websites, LinkedIn and, of course, networking before searching Facebook for a job.”

Lawton isn’t the only person who hasn’t yet bought into the power of Facebook jobs.

Jonathan Duarte, CEO and cofounder of GoHire, Inc., says he knows of three companies that recently posted jobs and even spent $100 to boost the visibility of their posts yet they only received messages from three or fewer applicants.

“An equivalent spend on Indeed or craigslist, or another pay-for-click job board, would have resulted in over 100 responses,” he says.

It’s easy to post an opening, says Rachel Fremont Alansky, president of Seamless HR Solutions, but not as easy to get applicants to respond.

“I think it is still too young,” she says.

“It looks good for part-time or non-professional jobs. I don’t think it will replace LinkedIn for professional jobs but may replace craigslist and it was free.” — forbes.com.