Tech workers polish up CVs as Facebook gears up for hiring spree

Fuelled by virtual reality goggles, drones and data centres, Facebook is set to increase employee numbers by up to 14% this year. Job listings on the company’s website suggest the Internet social networking company will make 1,200 new hires. The jobs run a gamut from sales people to software engineers for Facebook’s 1.35-billion-member social network. Facebook’s growth spurt comes as the company expands into new markets and faces stiffening competition from web rivals including Google and well-funded start-ups like Snapchat.

There’s a fairly direct correlation between their investment in people and servers and infrastructure, and their ability to remain competitive.

Colin Sebastian, analyst with Robert Baird & Co., a wealth management firm

Last year, Facebook acquired Oculus Rift, maker of virtual reality headsets, for US$2 billion. Though the market for virtual reality headsets is still nascent, Facebook is betting that virtual reality will take off for entertainment, gaming, communications or computing – putting them at the centre of a new platform.

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