The recruitment industry is becoming increasingly reliant on social media for sourcing candidates and Facebook is something which a lot of companies are trying now with differing success – it is definitely a place where active and passive talent both hang out. There are a number of applications available for download through your Facebook account, of varying quality and effectiveness and catering for different recruitment needs.
Here are some of the top applications that could assist you in your hunt for the best talent:
1. Work4 Labs:
Work4 Labs is the global leader in terms of social recruiting and their aim is to help to connect companies with the best talent, through social media channels. This app makes it possible for companies to directly target the most suitable candidates, based on criteria such as their location, education or work history and using this information they can post job ads, events and company news on the selected individual’s news feeds. Another key feature of Work4 is a careers tab, appearing on the navigation bar of a company’s Facebook page. Current job openings can be listed here, allowing candidates to apply with a simple 1-click application system, using information that they have previously entered.
An upgraded version of the app, called Work4 Recruiter Solution, is also available and works similarly to LinkedIn, functioning as a database of potential talent and users have access to source from any one of Facebook’s 1.23 billion users. The solution adapts Facebook’s Graph Search for recruiting, by syncing it to any applicant tracking system and adding automated search, referrals and tracking so recruiters can easily find and contact exactly the right talent for their jobs.
Alongside the simple design, with the ability to share and ‘Like’ jobs as well as applying, Work4 Labs offer ‘detailed metrics’ of the recruiter’s progress – including number of views, applicants and likes for each posting – an interesting element which may help discover which is the most popular job.
2. Jobcast:
The Jobcast app is sold on the basis that not everyone are on job boards, but they are on Facebook and therefore opens up their reach to passive candidates, which are highly regarded by a lot of recruiters. The application is one of the most popular available, used by the likes of Samsung and Pizza Hut and enables companies to transform their Facebook page into a career site, by posting job listings directly to their Facebook timeline, also making it possible for users to like, comment on and share job listings.
Jobcast also makes it even quicker and easier to broadcast jobs on multiple platforms with it’s automated sharing feature, which will broadcast your jobs across Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, saving the time and effort of having to create separate listings. You can additionally add notes about candidates to share with your team, tracking hires, and rating applicants.
There are three membership plans available – free, premium($39/month) and enterprise($149/month). The free version allows recruiters to post an unlimited amount of jobs, with additional options, such as the publish duration and all the standards fields including an applicant routing option – whether the recruiter wants the application to actively collect all the applications, or redirect applicants to an external site to apply. The upgraded versions offer Jobcast branding removal, a customised banner, an embeddable YouTube option, a brandable colour scheme and the more expensive plan being the only one to offer automatic job synchronisation with the recruiter’s career site.
3. Jobvite:
Jobvite offer two Facebook apps, ‘Work With Us’ and ‘Jobvite Facebook Application’. Much like Work4, the ‘Work With Us’ app enables users to add a Jobs tab to any Facebook page.
The tab can be used to display current job listings directly within the company Facebook page, allowing users to search the listings and apply for jobs through Facebook. Alternatively, they can send ‘jobvites’ to other users who may be interested in the ad, working as job referrals. This activity is all tracked, making it possible for the recruiter to monitor the progress and interest in all job openings.
The ‘Jobvite Facebook Application’ app creates a large network of all of their Facebook friend’s connections, enabling recruiters or employees to easily search for potential matches to available jobs, using the app’s matching technology. Users are then free to privately invite matches to apply for jobs using Facebook and when employees refer a connection, they’ll be awarded with credit as an incentive.
4. LinkUp:
The LinkUp app searches over 40,000+ company websites, building an up-to-date list of current job openings. The fundamental purpose of this app is to customize your page and give your employment brand a boost and LinkUp enables users to post job ads directly to Facebook, in order for them to be accessible to all 800 million + Facebook users.
Jobs are automatically updated on your Facebook page and an application tracking system incorporated into the app, enables you to monitor the activity surrounding your ads, such as number of clicks, applications and shares.
LinkUp offer a 30 day trial to test out the software and determine whether it is the right app for your needs. Once this is up, there are three different pricing plans to choose from, varying according to your company’s requirements. The most basic package,starting at $99 a month, involves unlimited jobs, ATS integration and search and share; however additional features such as email updates, post to wall and multiple pages/brands can be added for a slightly higher price.
5. Bullhorn Reach:
The Bullhorn Reach Facebook app is only available with the Bullhorn Reach Team product. The app lists the available jobs in a simple fashion on social networks and job boards of your choice, giving visitors the option to read more, share or apply and it will automatically re-port until your jobs are filled.
The app will also source a shortlist of social media connections who may be suitable for your current job openings. A very simple design makes this application each to use, with other features such as ‘Brand Customisation’ and ‘Silent Follow’ (a feature that allows Passive Candidates to not alert their Facebook friends to their action on the app). The ‘Reach Radar’ feature helps you to filter through posts to find updates that are relevant to your business, such as professionals in your networks who may be looking for jobs.
6. Smart JobBoard:
The Smart Jobboard app allows you to create you to list your current job openings on you own personally branded Facebook page. The app will automatically sync your job board with Facebook so that listings are up to date, whenever posts are added, removed or edited. Jobseekers can search the listings using keywords and by location and if they wish to apply, they will then be redirected to your main job board.
The app is quick and easy to install and maintain and is available for purchase for $150.
Conclusion:
The best application is difficult to choose – each differs in some way and offers a different service. It all depends on your budget, and whether it is active or passive candidates you are targeting.
Most of the apps offer a free basic plan which offer some good features, however if additional features are required there are a range of options, catering for different needs and budgets. It’s all down to how many you need to recruit, and how much you’re willing to spend.
Have you tried any of these? Any good/bad points? Please let us know!
[This post has been updated, the older version of this article included the app BranchOut, which you may remember as one of the original recruitment applications on Facebook. However, with shifting focus and new applications on the market, BranchOut failed to be a success and is no longer available.]
