Facebook Adds Professional Skills Section to User Profiles

While recruiters and hiring managers tend to think of Facebook as a tool for employer branding rather than candidate sourcing, Zuckerberg and team seem dead set on making the platform a job source. The latest development is a Facebook Professional Skills section that lets users list their qualifications.

This section falls under the work and education component of the profile, and any skill can be listed as long as there is a corresponding page representing that skill — which is virtually unlimited, considering that anyone can create a page. This could be good news for those possessing more obscure skills. On the other hand, it would also allow users to list silly or non-professional skills, preventing the tool from being as useful as it ultimately could be.

One useful point for employers is that since skills are linked to pages, they can also can be clicked on. For example, if I list “Digital Marketing” as a skill, a recruiter could see that skill in my profile, click on it and land on a page listing all users (privacy settings allowing) claim that skill within their own profile.

In theory, these professional skills would also be searchable via Facebook Graph Search, allowing recruiters to search for people with specific skill sets such as JavaScript or Email Marketing.

Facebook is already nudging users to flush out the Professional Skills section. The last time I logged in I saw the message below reminding me to complete my work profile. The progress bar looks a whole lot like the one LinkedIn uses to encourage users to keep their profiles up-to-date.

So far, the only comment Facebook has made on the release was a statement to The Next Web saying, “We are currently testing a new option where you can add your professional skills to the work and education section of your timeline.”

It remains to be seen whether these expanding job skills tools will be of interest to job seekers or employers. What do you think? Will the new Facebook Professional Skills section put the social media platform on your candidate sourcing radar?

Are you looking for help navigating this new remote hiring landscape? Check out our blog, “Remote Interviewing Tips from a Hiring Manager,” and let us know what else you’re doing to adapt you’re recruiting strategy during these times.

About The Author

Monique Mahler is the CEO of interviewstream. She is an avid researcher of facts, a self proclaimed marketing geek, and an equestrian in her spare time.