If you’re not on LinkedIn, you’re missing out on a key recruiting tool.
LinkedIn is a powerful networking platform with over 830 million members worldwide.
With a talent pool this wide, the perfect candidate for your position is bound to be somewhere on the platform.
But it’s not like throwing a rock into the pond will automatically get you your candidates.
In the current state of mass layoffs and post-pandemic uncertainties, unicorns seem to be harder and harder to come by. And with a recession looming on the horizon, they’re more and more reluctant to leave safe and secure positions for new opportunities.
But don’t worry!
I’m here to give you a treasure trove of tips and tricks to help you sail through the deep and choppy waters of LinkedIn.
Whether you’re a seasoned seaman or a rookie deckhand, recruiting on LinkedIn is a breeze once you know where the whirlpools are.
Here’s how you can bring home a bounty of prospects!
Active vs. passive candidates
The first step is understanding the difference between active and passive candidates and figuring out which one you want.
Active candidates are those who are actively looking for a new job. They’re on LinkedIn, searching for new opportunities and keeping their profiles up-to-date.
Passive candidates are those who aren’t actively looking for a new job but might be open to the right opportunity. They’re not searching for jobs on LinkedIn, and might even be inactive or dormant on the site. But given the right pitch, they may be open to new offers.
Your approach will vary depending on the position you’re recruiting for and the stage of recruiting you’re in.
For example, when recruiting for an entry-level or mid-level position, you may want to focus your efforts on active candidates. The pool of available talent will be larger, and it will be easier to find candidates with the specific skills and experience you’re looking for.
But when recruiting for a senior-level or executive position, you’ll want to focus on passive candidates. The pool of active candidates will be smaller, and it’s likely that the best talent is already employed.
The recruitment process will vary depending on what types of candidates you’re looking for, and to recruit on LinkedIn effectively, you have to be intentional in your approach.
Recruiting active candidates
There are a few different ways you can target active candidates on LinkedIn. And most of them are free!
1. Join some LinkedIn groups
There are groups for just about every industry, location, and interest you can think of.
And since group members have already self-selected as being interested in that topic, you know that they’re more likely to be interested in your job opening as well.
To find groups, simply go to the LinkedIn toolbar and select “My Network”. From there, you can scroll down to your suggested groups or click on the “Groups” tab. From there, you can search for relevant groups or browse through popular groups.
Once you’ve joined a group, take some time to get involved in the discussion. This will help you build relationships and credibility within the group so that when you post about your job opening, members are more likely to pay attention.
💡Make sure to check the rules before you post any job openings! Some groups don’t allow recruiting, so you don’t want to risk getting kicked out or banned. 💡
Here are some tips for posting in LinkedIn groups:
- Keep your post brief and to the point. No one wants to read a long, drawn-out post about a job they’re not even interested in.
- Include a link to your company website or the job listing so that members can learn more if they’re interested.
- Encourage people to share it with their network or anyone else who might be interested.
2. Use LinkedIn’s job board
On LinkedIn, you can post jobs for free.
Simply click on “Jobs” on the LinkedIn toolbar, then “Post a free job”.
Posting jobs for free lists the opening on the site’s job board, but over time it will become less visible as newer jobs are posted. Your listing will also be taken down after a certain number of people apply.
But LinkedIn also allows you to run job ads on a pay-per-click model.
By setting a budget when you post jobs, you can get LinkedIn to promote your listing, which means that your job appears on top of the listings and you can reach more relevant candidates. And the pay-per-click model means that you only pay when potential applicants view your listing.