Did you know that Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) has started advertising for job opportunities with companies? While I was aware of this in the back of my mind, having briefly heard mention of it a while back, I have yet to ever actually see any evidence of it on my feed – not that I’ve noticed at least. I don’t appear to have been targeted for job advertisements, so either nothing is hiring in my area (extremely doubtful), those companies that are hiring aren’t using Facebook as a recruitment tool (possible), or I don’t match the requirements of those companies that are using Facebook as a recruitment tool (or I haven’t noticed the job ads, which is actually the most likely of these scenarios, as I don’t pay that much attention to Facebook anyway).
I don’t think Facebook would ever be my first thought for what to use if I wanted to go job hunting, and I’m certainly not the only one who thinks like this. Most people, when hunting for jobs, look to LinkedIn or Indeed, or they may try going directly to a company’s website or use a recruiting service. This isn’t to say that Facebook can’t be a good source for job hunting, just that it’s still new enough that it can’t really be considered mainstream yet.
Recently, Facebook has been taking some heat over its ability to allow companies to target a very specific set of users for its job opportunity advertisements. Those specifications can include targeting where a user lives, what that user’s interests are, and even an age range for the user. This last specification is what’s causing the controversy. It’s the law that companies can’t discriminate against job applicants based on their age, but Facebook’s argument is that “used responsibly, age-based targeting for employment purposes is an accepted industry practice and for good reason: it helps employers recruit and people of all ages find work.”
But many are claiming that what Facebook is doing is limiting opportunities to younger audiences and drastically skewing the job market to their favor, which is unfair to older workers. “It’s blatantly unlawful,” remarked Debra Katz, a Washington employment lawyer who represents victims of discrimination.
Facebook is disputing that it isn’t liable for any discriminatory ads that may end up on it, but that seems to be a trigger for many who think that it should be.
It is a problem that Facebook could potentially limit job opportunities for some people. But, to play Devil’s advocate, Facebook’s not the only job site out there, and it probably isn’t the best. I, personally, would feel more comfortable, and more informed, by using a site that’s solely dedicated to providing job opportunities, like Indeed.
Facebook’s stock has been on the decline this past week, decreasing to $177.45 with Thursday’s market close, which is down $0.44, or 0.25%, from Wednesday’s close. Maybe this has something to do with the controversy, but then again, there could be a number of other factors contributing to Facebook’s stock slide. Facebook has, after all, taken its fair share of news hits this year.
Featured image: Depositphotos – aa-w
