It is no surprise that recruiters are turning to social media, and particularly LinkedIn, to source prospective employees. Here are 5 tips for using LinkedIn as part of your recruiting strategy (whether or not you pay for a recruiting account).

  1. Make your Company Page work for you, not against you: Prospective employees conduct keyword searches to find new and interesting companies on LinkedIn. If your organization has a LinkedIn page, make sure it is rich with industry-specific keywords. To keep your page current, post company updates, product news, awards, job opportunities and more. Then, encourage candidates to check out your page and follow you.
  2. Tap into your employees’ LinkedIn networks: Many LinkedIn members are passive candidates, meaning they are not actively looking for a job but they would be willing to hear about new opportunities. If you are having difficulty recruiting for a certain role, consider asking employees to scan their LinkedIn connections for potential candidates.
  3. Familiarize yourself with Advanced Search Filters: Spend some time looking at the Advanced Search fields. Some may be obvious (interests, location, school), but consider how your organization might use some of the more nuanced fields. For example, search by past employer and look for individuals who have worked at a competitor. These are most likely people with skill sets that could benefit your organization. To avoid clutter in your keyword searches, try adding “NOT recruiter” to your search string (i.e. “software engineer NOT recruiter”). This will help you narrow down potential candidates without having to sift through other recruiter profiles.
  4. Use LinkedIn Groups to source candidates: Pay attention to active participants on group discussion boards. This is a great way to identify and reach out to industry experts. This is also an indicator that the individual is savvy with social media and technology which is always a plus!
  5. Exude enthusiasm: When you do reach out to a potential candidate, make sure you are selling the organization’s culture, product/service, or mission. Your natural enthusiasm can often get lost in translation via email, so be sure to incorporate some relevant company news or an anecdote about the specific team/product for which you are recruiting.