Facebook's unveiling of Graph Search could yet herald a new era for paid search techniques, but what impact could it have as a recruitment tool?

Facebook's latest feature has huge potential for the recruitment industry. As Linkedin has grown into a unique online tool for professional networking, Facebook could yet have the same effect on a larger scale with its specialised integrated search function.

The advantage for recruiters is simple - with one billion users globally and approximately half the UK population, Facebook Graph Search offers a larger and more comprehensive collation of data for potential candidates.

With Graph Search's ability to process search terms written in a natural or colloquial fashion, searching several variables could be more expansive and accurate than Linkedin's 200 million worldwide users.The range of language recruiters could search with might include:

  • Location, either by city or region;
  • Qualifications, including former universities;
  • Current and former employers, businesses and companies;
  • Interests, hobbies and passions


Whether searching via referrals or specific search terms - "Project manager, London" - Graph Search's launch, coupled with its deeper integration with Bing could yet become the "powerful recruiting tool" advertised by Tom Stocky, director of product management at Facebook.