If you are an employer looking for the best candidates, LinkedIn is the perfect place to find great people to fill key positions. This powerful networking tool allows recruiters to post jobs in a user-friendly career section in just minutes. Additionally, LinkedIn can be used effectively for attracting top quality candidates who are both actively and passively seeking new opportunities. Find out how to use LinkedIn to get more exposure for your job postings – and better candidates.

While it may seem reasonable to post your help wanted ad for free by using the “send to your contacts” feature, this is not doing your recruiting efforts any justice. This is especially true if you have a limited number of contacts on LinkedIn. Instead, take the time to set up a corporate presence on LinkedIn and pay for the job ad, posting several re-worded versions of the same position over the course of the month.

Using a well-written company profile from which to post jobs, will make your company appear more favorable to serious job seekers. Including several versions of similar assignments will signify you are in a period of rapid growth – something that will appeal to job seekers. You’ll also most likely get picked up by career portals that peruse LinkedIn for specific types of jobs and post them on independent job websites, increasing your exposure without any more work on your behalf.

You’ll also want to ask for referrals on LinkedIn. Oftentimes contacts will forward the job to their contacts, which can significantly increase your chances of finding a suitable candidate. Keep the job descriptions and requirements clear so that potential recruits have all the information they need to decide if they should contact you. Include an outside email since LinkedIn can make it tricky to accept contact requests.

Use the search functions in LinkedIn to seek out specific types of candidates by keywords. If you find someone who fits your needs, contact them whether they indicate they are looking for job opportunities or not. People infrequently update their profiles on LinkedIn so you may just find a golden candidate on this network. Use career networking groups on LinkedIn to weed out active job seekers by industry or interest. Don’t see one that meets your industry? Create one and start posting.

It’s important to note that LinkedIn can be a great way to research for candidates, particularly those that have specialized skills and entrepreneurial spirits. However, use the same etiquette you would on any other social media networking platform and respect members’ privacy by not spamming them.

Need help finding the right candidate for your open assignment? Contact the career professionals at Davis Staffing today!