In the modern era of Snapchat, artificial intelligence, and “side-hustles”, employers may not know what to expect as they explore the candidate pool. Cutting-edge companies may be taking some modern approaches to the recruiting process. Recruiters may be advertising on social media websites, appealing to candidates through a catchy Youtube ad, or even using swag to draw young professionals in.
How can you stay ahead of the curve when new methods are available and the 9-5 lifestyle is no longer the norm? While you may not be interested in t-shirt cannons and attention-seeking videos, you can meet your potential employees in the middle on LinkedIn. The best of both worlds, LinkedIn offers a traditional sense of professionalism but gives you access and tools to recruit creatively in a technologically advanced world. Here’s how to take advantage of LinkedIn’s best offerings as a hiring manager.
1. Cultivated Searches
The biggest advantage of utilizing LinkedIn to hire candidates is the search function. You can identify candidates in the search bar by name, title, company, location, and many more traits. For example, if you’re seeking to fill a machinist role, you can simply type in “machinist Chicago” and scroll through the results, determining which professionals might be worth reaching out to. Once you’re ready to proceed, you can focus on how you want to communicate with candidates.
2. Create a Strategic Hiring Plan
While LinkedIn can be an incredibly helpful resource, you want to avoid spamming people with messages. Understand that LinkedIn users typically get suspicious spam messages asking them to join a company regularly, and you want to make sure you are making a valid and appealing impression. You need to create a directed strategy designed to pinpoint the population of candidates that are qualified and interested in your company. It’s important to capture the attention of job seekers, but you may also want to create a different version of a message tailored to professionals that already have a job but may still be recruitable.
3. Check the Source
LinkedIn provides a ton of information that can help inform you about a candidate’s skills and qualifications. However, there is very little verification! You need to do your homework if you’re serious about a candidate. Remember that LinkedIn is a great tool, but not unequivocally reliable. If you are considering hiring based on a LinkedIn profile, perform some due diligence and call the companies listed. Professionals can write anything on LinkedIn, so it’s crucial to verify employment roles and dates.
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