Facebook: The Missing Manual

Chapter 9. Hiring and Getting Hired

In real life, people hire and fire based on info they get through the grapevine—in other words, through their social networks: “You’re looking for a programmer? My brother-in-law’s the best programmer on the planet! Here’s his number.” Or, “They’re hiring down at my gym. You should throw them a resumé.”

Because Facebook’s whole raison d'être is social networking, it should come as no surprise that the site can be a big help in job searches. This chapter shows you how to work the job pool from both angles: If you’re looking for an employee or intern, you can use Facebook to recruit and vet prospects. If you’re job hunting, you can use the site to research jobs and make connections with people who might help you get hired.

Recruiting New Hires

Facebook’s recruiting options range from free to spendy. Deciding up front who you want to target (recent college grads with specific degrees? Seasoned employees at rival firms? Anyone in the greater tri-state area with a pulse?) can help you choose the options best suited for your particular situation. The following sections explain various ways of headhunting on Facebook.

Creating a Recruitment Page

Even if your company already has a corporate Facebook Page, if you do a lot of year-round hiring you should consider creating an additional free Page devoted to recruitment (Facebook Pages: Profiles for Bands, Brands, and More shows you how).

When you create your recruitment Page:

• Put the word “careers” in the Page’s ...