How to Recruit Candidates on LinkedIn
Many people see LinkedIn solely as a way to network with professional acquaintances and peers. But those same professional networks also provide a fantastic way to recruit talent as well. Here are a few ways to capitalize on LinkedIn for finding and getting top talent.
Building and Maintaining a Network
One of LinkedIn’s biggest strengths is that it works like a virtual Rolodex. For recruiting purposes, it can be very useful, but only if you’ve done a good job of keeping it up-to-date. If you’ve met someone and haven’t added him or her to your network yet, do it now. When you add them, you also gain access to their work history and profile information, including job titles, job descriptions, association memberships or anything else that might typically go on a resume.
Diligently adding contacts will keep your current and future talent searches up-to-date. If you’re looking for a new member for your Product Development team, for example, you can search your contacts’ profiles for the words “product development” to see if any of them have included the phrase in their work histories. You can also expand your search to the entire LinkedIn database to see if anyone has the experience you’re looking for. If you find someone, LinkedIn will show you how you’re connected to that person. A LinkedIn search with current contacts can be indispensible.
Post a Job
This one is fairly straightforward. Simply click on “Jobs” on the menu bar and then click “Post a job.” This puts your job on a searchable list that’s available to all LinkedIn users. Users can set up alerts if they want to know about jobs at your company or jobs that fit other search criteria. Job postings do carry an additional cost, however, which may vary in pricing depending on membership levels.
The one rule to keep in mind is to provide as much information as you can about the job. Since users often browse through jobs using keywords or alerts, a short, vague or inaccurate description can keep your post from reaching the eyes of qualified talent. Also, make sure that your job post includes multiple yet relevant descriptions of the job’s duties. Users might be able to find your open “programmer” position, but make sure that people searching for “developer” and “software engineer” positions can find it too.
Sign Up for Talent Finder
While it’s not a necessity for LinkedIn recruiting, Talent Finder is a useful tool that can expedite the process and help you find more qualified candidates. The package runs at $99.95 per month and includes a number of premium features not available to basic users. It offers 25 InMail messages per month, better search features that allow you to narrow down your candidates, a profile organizer that helps you manage your candidates and gives expanded access to those outside your network. While a bit expensive, Talent Finder is a great resource for those looking to fill higher-level positions or for companies that are expanding and have a number of open positions available.
Purchase Sponsored Jobs
Similar to the featured ads that show up atop Google search results, LinkedIn has featured jobs that pop up atop job searches. Like AdWords, you pay per click, meaning you only pay for the ad placement when interested candidates click to view your post. Depending on your bid, your post will show up on the top of LinkedIn’s recommended list of jobs that’s personalized for each user. According to LinkedIn, featured jobs garner 30 to 50% more applicants to your job posts, and jobseekers are three times more likely to apply to a sponsored job than a basic post.
Have a LinkedIn Profile for the Company
LinkedIn began by hosting profiles only for individuals but later expanded to include company profiles as well. Creating a profile for your company allows prospective candidates to follow that profile and learn more about what your job openings require. Current and past employees can also link to the company profile page, which further expands your searchable network as well.
After creating a corporate profile, you can add a careers page to it. You or an associate can manage this page and populate it with employee testimonials that showcase the benefits of working for your company. Have them post photos of a fun company outing or a creative project you completed. Also, have employees highlight what makes your particular work environment and culture special, such as catered lunches, retreats, charity functions, a nice location, etc. Show the candidate that your brand is not only successful and hardworking, but that it’s also fun, innovative and charismatic. Doing so can help convince a candidate that your office is a better choice than a competitor’s.
Use Search Alerts
The “Advanced People Search” function allows you to search your network for people against a number of variables, including years of experience, seniority level, company size, function, education, language, industry and other factors. But if your searches haven’t yet yielded the perfect candidate, you can set up an alert that will ping you when someone with the qualifications you’re looking for joins the network. This allows you to pounce on good leads quickly.
Don’t Forget About InMail
Let’s say you’ve found someone you might want to contact about the position you’re trying to fill. LinkedIn gives you two options. First, if you’re connected to the person, you can directly contact them about the position. Better yet, if the candidate knows one of your current employees, you might think of asking your current employee to introduce you to your potential new hire.
Second, you may see someone you’re interested in contacting, but you don’t have the person’s phone number or private email address. LinkedIn helps you get in touch with them through InMail, which lets unlinked users send messages to each other. The messages go into a LinkedIn inbox, and users can have the system forward these messages to their private email accounts as well. Users should note that InMail will likely carry an additional costdepending on your level of LinkedIn membership, so be prudent about how frequently you use it.
Generate Mailing Lists
You can export your LinkedIn network to make a mailing list or a contacts list. This is useful if you’re thinking about mailing packets or other recruiting information out to people, but beware, as this can be perceived as spamming, and your connections might disconnect with you if you go overboard.
Post Your Opening in Relevant Groups
LinkedIn offers groups that allow users to discuss common interests on the site. There are hundreds of LinkedIn groups already, so one option is to join a few that are relevant to the position you’re hoping to fill and posting your job information there. Once you’re in the group, you can see who else is a member, which creates another list of leads for you.
Another option is to set up your own group. You can do this easily by clicking on “Groups” under the “Interests” icon on the menu bar. You might, for example, set up a “Jobs at ABC Company” group that is solely dedicated to job opportunities within the company, and you’ll be able to see and connect with interested candidates who join. Remember to check the group often and respond to comments and questions; if not, your candidates might get the idea that you or your company is inattentive to community engagement or is not interested in their services.
Conclusion
Although LinkedIn is a social network, it isn’t your stereotypical forum for cat videos or celebrity news. It’s for professionals. This makes LinkedIn a great starting point for finding mid- and senior-level candidates. They’re there to network, and they may be waiting for your company to give them the next big boost in their career. When marketing your job post, make sure that you use all available tools at your disposal to get the word out. Master these methods, and you’ll be on your way to sourcing and vetting excellent candidates in no time.
0 Comments