Elon Musk’s X enters the hiring arena: what you should know

Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, has made a bold move. The platform recently unveiled its new job-hiring feature, aiming squarely at challenging the dominance of LinkedIn in the professional networking sphere.

But as with all things Musk, the move is not without its critics and skeptics. Let’s delve deeper into this development.

What is X hiring?

X’s latest offering, the “X Hiring Beta,” is not just another job-hiring tool. It’s a statement. By introducing this job-listing feature, X has opened its doors to verified organizations, allowing them to post job listings directly on their profiles.

The intent is clear: to help these companies find the most relevant candidates for their roles.

But this feature comes with a not-so-humble price tag.

A hefty monthly fee of $1,000 is required to access the job-hiring tool on X. While this might seem steep, it’s evident that X is targeting a premium segment of the market, perhaps aiming to offer a more curated experience than its competitors.

Currently, while everyone can see job ads, only US-verified organizations can post jobs.

Eager to see the first job ad? Click on the following tweet:

Meet our new job card, how you'll start to discover new jobs directly on @X.

Available today on web and iOS.https://t.co/60oWBzvOht

— Hiring (@XHiring) September 7, 2023

The bigger picture: X as an ‘everything app’

The introduction of the hiring feature is just a piece of a much larger puzzle. Since Musk’s takeover, X has undergone a series of modifications, each pointing towards a grander vision: transforming X into an “everything app.”

Drawing parallels with giants like WeChat, X’s ambition is to create a platform that goes beyond mere social networking.

Whether it’s payments, news, or video content, Musk envisions a future where X is the go-to app for a myriad of services.

This strategy is not without precedent. Platforms like WeChat have successfully integrated various services, from payments to bookings, all under one digital roof. But can X replicate this success, especially in markets outside of China where the “everything app” concept is still nascent?

Who's ready to start seeing jobs in all the places? pic.twitter.com/nrvedZL9PZ

— Hiring (@XHiring) September 1, 2023

Why the move into the hiring industry?

Musk’s foray into the hiring domain might seem sudden, but it’s a calculated move. With platforms like LinkedIn dominating the professional networking space, there’s a potential gap that Musk believes X can fill.

As a social medium with 450 millions active users, it could be the first stop for future candidates to search for a new job. Facebook tried this before but without much success. Musk believes he can do it better.

Moreover, with more than 118 million companies using X, almost double the number of companies using Linkedin (which has 61 million), there is a huge market to leverage, especially if he charges less.

If the above is not enough, his recent comments, where he labeled LinkedIn as “cringe,” highlight his desire to offer something different, something “cool” but only for a special audience until now.

Tweet of Elon Mask’s “cringe” statement:

People send me LinkedIn links sometimes, but the cringe level is so high that I just can’t bring myself to use it, so I ask for the resume or bio to be emailed.

We will make sure that the X competitor to LinkedIn is cool.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 27, 2023

But why the hiring industry? For X, it’s a strategic move. The platform has seen its ups and downs, with fluctuating user engagement and advertisers coming and going.

By introducing a premium hiring feature, X not only diversifies its offerings but also provides a fresh incentive for advertisers to return.

Potential development and challenges

While the vision is grand, the road ahead is fraught with challenges.

Currently, the “X Hiring” feature is in its beta phase. It’s still in its infancy, with many features yet to be rolled out.

As it stands – for now, at least – the tool is a far cry from being a comprehensive LinkedIn competitor.

However, Musk is no stranger to challenges. His ventures, from Tesla to SpaceX, have often faced skepticism, only to prove critics wrong.

With X, the approach seems to be similar. Despite the initial limitations of the hiring feature, there’s a method to Musk’s brain. Industry watchers might be skeptical, but if history is any indication, Musk’s unusual strategies often pay off.

And this is perhaps due to Musk’s strategy that can be identified by recurring themes in three key aspects: the alignment of his vision with the problems he aims to address, the organizational structure he adopts to tackle these problems, and his exceptional ability to mobilize resources towards achieving these solutions.

Yet, the exclusivity of the feature raises eyebrows. By catering only to verified organizations and sidelining smaller businesses or startups, X risks alienating a significant user base.

Furthermore, the high monthly fee might deter many organizations from adopting the feature, especially when platforms like LinkedIn offer a free base layer.

Is X Hiring a good option for your organization?

The exclusivity of the feature, both in terms of its target audience and its pricing, make it a difficult decision to make.

On one hand, it ensures a premium experience for users. On the other, it risks creating a walled garden, accessible only to the elite.

Comparing it with LinkedIn’s model, which offers a free base layer for all registered users, X’s approach seems restrictive. While LinkedIn does have its premium tiers, the barrier to entry is significantly lower there.

Based on our research among the top companies in the world, which are verified organizations on X, no one is currently using this feature as of the time of writing this article. Is it because it is a beta feature? Or does it require more communication?

With the backing of Elon Musk and his grand vision of an “everything app,” the potential is immense. However, the journey is just beginning, and the road ahead is filled with challenges.

As with all things Musk, the world will be watching closely. Will X redefine professional networking? Only time will tell.

But one thing is certain: in the world of tech, change is the only constant, and X is determined to be a significant part of that change.

Tip: If you decide to take the next step and start using X Hiring, you can still link it back to your favorite hiring software, as X at the moment is giving the opportunity to redirect candidates to your preferred career page.