As much as Facebook would like us to be our true, open, transparent selves with everyone in our lives, the reality is most people split their identity between work and personal – and that has lead many users to defy Facebook’s policy and set up two accounts. Or, start one on LinkedIn that they rarely visit.
The latest attempt to solve this dilemma comes from Monster.com – yeah, the job search and recruiting site you haven’t heard too much from in 10 years.
This weekend, Monster launched BeKnown, a Facebook app that allows users to import the details of their LinkedIn profiles and manage them in the comfort of the Facebook.
“BeKnown answers the need and challenge in the marketplace for people to build their professional networks on Facebook while keeping personal and work-related contacts completely separate,” said Darko Dejanovic, head of product at Monster Worldwide, the parent.
The company has been working on reinventing itself in recent years with improved search technologies and now it is piggybacking on Facebook’s enormous success and user base in an attempt to social-ize its recruitment services. Its stock price, which closed at $13.50 on Friday, has lagged way below its heyday in 2000 when it traded as high as $91.
And it will face some serious competition from the entrenched LinkedIn, which closed just under $70 on Friday.
“I think they have a long row to hoe,” said Charlene Li, an analyst with the Altimeter Group, who saw a preview of Monster’s BeKnown. “I also find it very, very interesting.”
People do use Facebook to let friends know about jobs or refer them to potential employers, she said. Monster’s main opportunity is capturing the young people on Facebook for recruiters, a demographic LinkedIn hasn’t focused on.
“If I’m looking for an entry-level researcher or intern I won’t find them on LinkedIn,” she said. “When you’re coming out of college, you don’t have a professional network, you have Facebook.”
Monster also believes it will better reach professions underrepresented on LinkedIn, like teachers, medical professionals, and engineers.
“This is to democratize recruiting,” said Matt Mund, Monster’s vice president of product.
BeKnown launched as a pilot project on Saturday in 35 countries and 19 languages. Monster plans to take several months to refine the application before making it available to the general public.
