How To Post a Job on Facebook
UPS has a strong presence on Facebook. It uses the platform for a variety of purposes. Right now, it is honoring women’s month with virtual events and videos featuring well-known female figures. It is also providing photos of its electric vehicle prototype, which will be on the road in 2022. And, like any business with a social media presence, it responds to posted customer issues. A more recent development has been using Facebook for employee recruitment, specifically by using a new tool that allows live-streaming video to showcase its operations and employees.
When we think of online job postings, we usually think of big job boards or perhaps LinkedIn. But as businesses continue to increase their social media presence, they have seen an opportunity to reach targeted audiences with position openings, both on their account pages and via paid advertising.
Here you will learn how to post a job opportunity on Facebook and some tips for making that post attract the right audience.
the best candidates faster
First, the Nuts and Bolts
To post your ad, follow these steps:
- Go to your business Facebook page
- Find the “Create” bar under the profile photo
- Click “job”
- Add your job posting
- Include a photo – the post will perform better with one
- Review the posting and then click “publish”
- Take advantage of “boosting” your ad if you wish (more on that later)
Tips To Get the “Play” You Want
There are several things you can do to make your job posting engaging and compelling, as well as target the audience with whom you want to connect.
- Focus on a Job Posting, Not a Description: There is a difference. HR personnel creates job descriptions. These are documents that enumerate the task responsibilities and qualifications for positions within the organization. At some point, you will want to share these with viable candidates, but not now. A job posting, on the other hand, is meant to bring attractive candidates “to the table” and motivate them to complete the application process.
- Find the Right Audience: Facebook has lots of tools to narrow your audience and target whom you wish. You can include and exclude certain groups, based on their education, interests, pages they visit most, etc. You must also decide the geographical area you want to cover. If the position is remote, obviously the globe is your “playground.” But, if you need an employee with a physical presence, then you must think about a candidate’s relocation motivation.
- Do Some Research: Hold some sharing sessions with other employees, especially those from the department in which the job opening exists. What do they like most about their jobs? What do they like least? Read employee reviews. You can check what they have to say about the pros and cons of their jobs that relate to your posting. This will give you insights about what to emphasize that will make your posting more attractive.
- Think About Boosting Your Job Posting: A “boost” is converting your job post into paid advertising on Facebook. This will extend your audience reach, and again, you can select the demographics of the recipients.
- Tap into Your Current Employees’ Facebook Presences: Your employees are a great resource because they often have Facebook friends that share similar educational and work backgrounds. They can share your job post and ask their friends to share it too. This can have a ripple effect for widening your reach. Ask for their help via an internal email, and also ask for the names of any friends or acquaintances who may not be looking for a job but who might be interested. A lot of positions are filled by these “passive candidates.
Crafting Those Compelling Job Postings
Once you have a strategy for reaching out to the largest target audience possible, it is time to craft the actual posting. Here is where you should be a bit creative and stand out among the competition.
- Use a Common Marketing Tool – Ask a Question to Lead Off: “Are you ready to leave the corporate treadmill and become a remote member of an amazing team?” This would be followed by, “We are looking for (position title) to join our growing organization – someone who wants flexible hours and a ‘work from anywhere’ option.” This might be a posting from Write Load, an academic research and writing company that employs freelancers. Or it might be a software development company with global teams that collaborate on projects to meet client needs.
- Use Images Whenever Possible: Visuals capture attention. In fact, research shows that people process images 60K faster than written words. If you can find and use the right compelling images, you will pique the interest of potential candidates. Sometimes, those may just be a group photo of some of your other employees, showing a bit of your cultural environment. Remember, though, Facebook users access the platform from many devices. Be certain that your photo looks right on all of them.
- Hold a Virtual Event: If you have more than one opening, consider hosting an “event,” a job fair of sorts, in which you highlight your organization, its value to employees, and the specific positions you have open. Publicize this to your target audience a couple of weeks in advance, and continue to remind the potentials with regular postings. You may even want to include other members of your team to show the environment in which your employees work. You can “add an event” on your Facebook profile page, and Facebook will pretty much take over from there – placing your ad to reach your target audience and even providing you with responses and attendance confirmations.
- Create a Video Ad: You can post video postings on your profile page or as boosted ads. Facebook does like videos and will probably give it more “play.” This venue allows you to highlight your company, the openings, and the benefits of working for you. It can include employees who will show the culture and environment of your workplace. Videos are so easy to create these days. All you need is a smartphone with a good camera. They do not need to be formal and “professional.” When you create your own, you appear far more genuine.
- Use Facebook Live to Meet and Interview Candidates: Facebook now has a tool for you to craft a video meeting, but you will have to have Facebook set up on your phone to do this. It allows potential candidates to learn more about you, but it can also be used as an opportunity to conduct individual interviews and request more information from a candidate. If you are looking for a data scientist, for example, you want detailed info on academic background and experience, so you can ask for a link to MyDissertations, their culminating research, case study, and writing project. If you are looking for a graphic designer, ask for a link to My portfolio. Once you have reviewed these, you can sort out the best candidates and schedule additional interview events. Many interviews are conducted remotely today, especially for remote positions. You can even use “meet-up” venues such as Zoom, once you have your candidates from Facebook.
- Be Certain That You Go After Passive Candidates: There are lots of qualified people for your position opening. But many of them are not actively looking for a new job. But, if they come across your job posting on Facebook, they may pause and look at the reasons why they may want to make a change. Boosting your posting will be a great help. But using colleagues in your niche and employees will help too.
Wrapping It Up
Facebook has 2.7 billion monthly visitors worldwide, and 45% of monthly visits in the U.S. alone are to Facebook. Businesses now understand what a powerful tool this platform can be for job candidate searches. And Facebook has developed many avenues for companies to do just that. While you may not want to scrap your other recruitment activities, Facebook is one you must add to your repertoire.
https://unsplash.com/photos/iurEAyYyU_c
the best candidates faster
