LinkedIn has become a go-to platform for recruiters, providing a vast pool of potential candidates and offering a range of tools and features to help find the right candidates for a particular job opening.
In this article, we will explore how to use LinkedIn for recruiting, its features and benefits, how to optimise your recruiting strategy and why it is beneficial to call in the help of a professional recruitment company.
Whether you are an employer looking for top talent or a candidate seeking new job opportunities, this article will provide you with valuable insights to make the most of LinkedIn as a recruiting tool.
How to Use LinkedIn for Recruiting
LinkedIn is a powerful tool that helps job seekers and recruiters connect. The platform allows job seekers to create a comprehensive professional profile that showcases their experience, education and skills. This profile acts as a digital resume and can be used to apply for job openings directly through the LinkedIn platform.
Recruiters can use LinkedIn to find qualified candidates for vacancies by posting job openings. They can also use LinkedIn’s search tools to find candidates who match their job requirements. By using keywords and filters, they can quickly identify candidates who have the right skills and experience.
Job seekers can also use LinkedIn to search for job vacancies. The platform has a vast database of job listings across a wide range of industries and locations. By using filters such as location, industry and job function, job seekers can easily narrow down their search results to find relevant job opportunities.
The professional social media platform also allows employers and recruiters to view a candidate’s profile, which can provide additional information about their experience, education, skills and online behaviour. This information can be used to assess a candidate’s suitability for a particular job opening and can help employers and recruiters make informed hiring decisions.
The Benefits of Using LinkedIn for Recruiting
LinkedIn has become a go-to platform for recruiters and candidates, providing a wide range of benefits to those seeking to fill job vacancies.
Here are some of the key advantages of recruiting with LinkedIn:
Wide reach
With a massive professional network of more than 740 million members in over 200 countries, LinkedIn allows recruiters to access a vast pool of potential candidates and reach a global audience quickly and easily.
Despite having more male users (57.2%) than female users (42.8%), LinkedIn has proven to be an effective platform for both genders to network and find employment opportunities.
60% of LinkedIn’s users fall within the 25 to 34 age range, with a significant portion (20%) being between 18 to 24. With the potential to reach over 14% of the global population through ads, LinkedIn is a powerful tool for recruiters to access a broad yet specific audience – quickly.
Here are some more statistics on LinkedIn as a recruitment platform:
- LinkedIn has over 52 million weekly job seekers and 875 million users worldwide in over 200 countries
- 95% of recruiters use LinkedIn to search for and contact candidates
- Nearly 9 in 10 recruiters have successfully hired someone through LinkedIn
- A whopping 84% of professionals consider their LinkedIn profile to be a crucial part of their job search
Targeted search
LinkedIn provides several recruiting tools and filters that enable recruiters to narrow their search for candidates based on specific criteria such as job title, industry, location, skills and experience. This makes it easier to find the right candidates for a particular job opening.
Improved candidate quality
LinkedIn allows recruiters to view a candidate’s professional profile and work history, enabling them to assess whether the candidate has the necessary skills and experience for the job. This can help improve the quality of the candidate pool and increase the chances of hiring the right person for the job.
Passive candidates
LinkedIn is an effective platform for reaching out to passive candidates, those who are not actively looking for a new job but might be interested in a new opportunity if presented with the right offer. Recruiters can use LinkedIn to search for and connect with these candidates, even if they’re not actively job-hunting.
Employer branding
With a range of features that enable companies to showcase their brand culture and values, LinkedIn can help attract top talent and position the company as an employer of choice.
Data-driven recruiting
LinkedIn provides insights and analytics that help recruiters measure the effectiveness of their recruiting efforts, track candidate engagement and refine their recruiting strategies based on data-driven insights.
Cost-effective
LinkedIn offers a range of cost-effective recruitment solutions, allowing recruiters to post job openings and reach a large pool of potential candidates at a fraction of the cost of traditional job advertising methods.
LinkedIn also includes the ability to post a limited number of free job ads in a 30-day window. This makes it easy for recruiters to access a wide range of candidates without breaking the bank, making LinkedIn an attractive option for companies of all sizes.
When used correctly, LinkedIn as a recruiting tool can save time, increase efficiency and enable recruiters to reach a wider pool of high-quality candidates. It is a powerful platform that can help companies attract and hire the best talent, build their employer brand and gain a competitive advantage in the talent market.
LinkedIn Features for Recruiting
LinkedIn is more than just a job board; it offers a range of features and tools that can make recruiting more efficient.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most notable features of LinkedIn for recruiting.
Job postings
Companies can post jobs on LinkedIn and reach a large audience of potential candidates. These job postings can be targeted to specific demographics, such as location, industry and experience level.
Job Slots
With job slots, recruiters can purchase job listings and have the flexibility to switch out job postings as needed. The number of jobs a company can post is determined by the number of job slots they have purchased.
Recruiter Lite
Recruiter Lite is a tool designed specifically for recruiters. It allows them to search for candidates based on specific criteria, such as job title, company and location. Recruiters can also save candidate profiles and receive alerts when new candidates matching their search criteria join LinkedIn.
Talent Insights
Talent Insights is another LinkedIn feature for recruiters. This feature provides recruiters with valuable data about the job market and candidate pool. It allows recruiters to analyse talent trends and make informed decisions about recruiting strategies.
InMail
This is a messaging feature that allows recruiters to reach out to potential candidates directly, even if they are not connected on LinkedIn. InMail messages can be customised and personalised to increase the chances of a response.
Referral tool
LinkedIn has built-in referral tools that make it easy for employees to refer potential candidates to their company. This feature can help companies find high-quality candidates quickly and efficiently.
Company pages
Employers can create a LinkedIn company page that showcases their brand and culture. This can help attract potential candidates and give them a better understanding of what it’s like to work at the organisation.
How to Optimise Your LinkedIn Recruiting Strategy
While LinkedIn offers a range of features and tools that can help recruiters connect with potential candidates, it’s important to develop a sound recruiting strategy to maximise the platform’s benefits.
Here are some tips for optimising your LinkedIn recruiting efforts:
Define your target audience
Before you begin your recruiting efforts on LinkedIn, it’s important to define your target audience. Consider the job requirements, industry, location and experience level of the candidates you are seeking to attract. This will help you to create more targeted job postings and refine your search filters to identify the most relevant candidates.
Optimise your job postings
Job postings on LinkedIn should be clear, concise and engaging. Highlight the key requirements and benefits of the position, and use relevant keywords to improve visibility. You can also add multimedia content, such as images and videos, to showcase your brand culture and company values.
Leverage employee networks
Encourage your employees to share your job postings and company updates on their own LinkedIn networks. This can help to expand your reach and attract potential candidates who may not have otherwise seen your job postings.
Engage with potential candidates
Don’t wait for potential candidates to come to you – actively reach out to them. Use InMail or other messaging features to introduce yourself and your company, and explain why you think they would be a good fit for the position. Be personal and avoid generic messages.
Track and measure your recruiting efforts
Use LinkedIn’s analytics tools to track the performance of your job postings and identify areas for improvement. Measure metrics such as the number of views, clicks and applications, as well as candidate engagement with your company’s LinkedIn page.
LinkedIn vs Get Staffed
Get Staffed is an online recruitment company that offers businesses a range of tools and services to help them find and hire the best possible candidates. Get Staffed utilises LinkedIn as a tool in our recruitment process.
While LinkedIn is primarily a platform for professionals to connect with other professionals and build their personal and professional brands, it also offers a suite of tools that benefit recruiters and employers.
Get Staffed recognises the value of LinkedIn as a recruitment tool; all of our advertising packages go onto LinkedIn and it drives around 16% of our client’s applications.
Our job postings can be found on LinkedIn, along with other top UK job boards, including Indeed, CV Library, Totaljobs, Reed and more.
In addition to our comprehensive job advertising solutions, we offer an Applicant Tracking System and helpful account managers who can provide additional services such as candidate testing and video screening.
Get Staffed is committed to helping businesses save time and money while finding the best talent to grow their business.
Benefits of Working With a Flat-Fee Recruiter
While LinkedIn can be a valuable resource for companies looking to recruit new employees, there are several reasons why companies may choose to make use of a professional talent acquisition partner when hiring.
Here are some benefits of working with a flat fee recruiter like Get Staffed:
Save time and money
Flat-fee recruiters can save companies time and resources in the recruitment process. Rather than having to spend time writing job postings, searching for candidates, screening resumes and scheduling interviews, companies can rely on a flat-fee recruiter to handle these tasks. This allows companies to focus on other important areas of their business while the agency takes care of the recruitment process.
Find passive candidates
Recruitment agencies can also help companies to find candidates who may not be visible on LinkedIn or other online job boards. For example, recruitment agencies may have access to candidates who are currently employed but open to new job opportunities. These candidates may not be actively searching for new positions, but a recruitment agency can reach out to them and gauge their interest in a new opportunity.
Greater reach
Flat fee recruiters allow you to advertise vacancies on more of the major UK job boards for less cost, giving you a wider reach and the best chance of finding your ideal candidate.
They can leverage their networks and industry connections to source candidates from a variety of channels, including social media and industry events. This can result in a larger pool of qualified candidates to choose from.
Reduced risk
A bad hire can be costly and detrimental to a company’s success. Not only can it lead to wasted time and resources, but it can also affect team morale and productivity. A bad hire can also damage a company’s reputation and brand image, making it more difficult to attract top talent in the future.
Recruitment agencies can help companies reduce the risk of a bad hire. They typically have a rigorous screening process in place to ensure that candidates are a good fit for the role and the company culture.
Expertise and guidance
Recruitment agencies can provide valuable expertise and guidance throughout the recruitment process. They can help companies to refine their job adverts, provide insights into market trends and salary expectations, and offer advice on the best recruitment strategies and interview tactics to use for different roles and industries.
Specialist software and features
Working with a recruitment agency has many benefits, including gaining access to specialised software and features that employers may not have access to. Examples of this software include LinkedIn Lite and InMail or Video screening tools.
Industry best practices and labour laws
Using a recruitment agency can be beneficial when considering labour laws and industry best practices because agencies typically have a deep understanding of these issues and are able to navigate them effectively.
Recruitment agencies have a responsibility to stay up-to-date with labour laws and regulations, ensuring that their clients remain compliant with all legal requirements during the recruitment process. They also have knowledge of industry best practices and can advise their clients on how to attract and retain top talent while also ensuring a fair and equitable recruitment process.
By partnering with a recruitment agency, companies can rely on their expertise to ensure that their recruitment practices align with labour laws and industry standards, reducing the risk of non-compliance and costly legal issues.
Key Takeaways
There are many benefits to using LinkedIn in recruiting. Let’s take a look at some of the key takeaways from this article:
- LinkedIn is a powerful platform that helps job seekers and recruiters connect.
- LinkedIn offers a wide range of tools and features that can help recruiters find the right candidates for a particular job opening.
- Job seekers can use LinkedIn to create a comprehensive professional profile that showcases their experience, education and skills, and can search for job openings across a wide range of industries and locations.
- Recruiters can use LinkedIn to find qualified candidates for vacancies by posting job openings and by using keywords and filters to identify candidates who have the right skills and experience.
- LinkedIn also allows recruiters to view a candidate’s profile, which can provide additional information about their experience, education, skills and online behaviour.
- The benefits of using LinkedIn for recruiting include its wide reach, targeted search capabilities, ability to reach passive candidates, employer branding features and data-driven recruiting capabilities.
- LinkedIn offers a range of features and tools for recruiting, including job postings, Recruiter Lite, Talent Insights, InMail, referral tools and company pages.
- To optimise your LinkedIn recruiting strategy, it’s important to define your target audience, write compelling job postings, use LinkedIn’s search tools effectively and measure the effectiveness of your recruiting efforts using insights and analytics.
- It can also be beneficial to call in the help of a professional recruitment company to help you navigate the complexities of LinkedIn recruiting and ensure that you find the right candidates for your job openings.
LinkedIn can save recruiters time and help them reach a wider pool of high-quality candidates. However, it is essential to understand how the platform works and develop a sound recruiting strategy to maximise LinkedIn’s benefits and features.
By partnering with Get Staffed, you will get access to a team with valuable skills, expertise and resources to help you find the best-suited candidates for your company.