Important to mention: this is not a fair one-to-one comparison. On a job board, you typically post your entire vacancy list, while on Meta, a small selection of volume vacancies is deliberately placed. This is precisely what makes it interesting; apparently, with a limited selection, you already bring in as much as with your entire list on a job board.
A different moment, a different type of candidate
The difference is not only in the numbers but also in who you reach. On a job board, you find someone actively searching and comparing your vacancy with the five below. On Meta, you reach someone who is not searching but thinks while scrolling: "actually, I would like something different." This is also reflected in the timings: half of the applications via Meta come in the evening or at night, and over a quarter on weekends, both significantly higher than on job boards.
Not for every vacancy
Meta is not a replacement for your job board but a second tap, specifically for vacancies you are never done with: logistics, healthcare, production, hospitality, technology. For a scarce specialist position, it does not work: the algorithm needs volume to learn who responds, and that volume is missing in a niche role.
The downside: a lead is not an application
What comes in via Meta is a name, an email address, sometimes a phone number, not a CV, not a motivation. It is a business card, not a complete application. The reflex to expand the form with more fields works counterproductively: each extra field costs you leads. The gain is in what you do after the form, not in the form itself.
What works (in short)
- Link your vacancy feed to your advertisements, with vacancy number
- Let leads land directly in your ATS, not in a mailbox
- Actively request missing information later
- Call the same evening, speed is more important here than selection
Want to know more?
On Monday, November 9 (12:00–12:30 PM), we will delve deeper into this during a free webinar, with concrete figures and room for your own questions.