Most people think LinkedIn is just a place online that you should be if you are a professional. While that is one use, the benefits of being on and using LinkedIn are tremendous when it comes to attracting, recruiting and hiring candidates.

In addition to business networking, LinkedIn could be one of the best places to start your social recruiting efforts. LinkedIn excels at this in most ways because it was made specifically for that purpose! It’s pretty straightforward to use so for an easy first foray, start your social recruiting adventure on LinkedIn.

5 Steps For Social Recruiting On LinkedIn

1. Setup/beef up your profile

I've already written posts about creating a LinkedIn profile and a company page, so hopefully, you are well on your way for this step.

Now, connect with people you already know. Focus on current and former co-workers, business partners, clients, colleagues, managers or acquaintances who work at similar companies. Next, consider connecting with residential building products industry influencers and leaders. Be sure not to target direct competitors, but certainly if you would see someone at a networking or industry event, it is OK to reach out on LinkedIn.

TIP: Building your network is a great way to find targeted leads for new recruits. You’d be surprised how many people within your own circle of influence “know someone who knows someone” looking for a new role or who has a friend, acquaintance or family member that would be perfect.

2. Fill in all the blanks.

In your corporate profile, make sure your company description clearly states what your business does. It should be very direct, brief and focused.

Next, join targeted groups to further connect with potential job seekers. Don’t be afraid to start your own group discussions by asking questions, offering advice or answering others' queries. These interactions could lead to a connection with fantastic candidates.

Let's say you are a window and door manufacturer who needs more regional sales managers. You are expanding into new areas and must have strong sales leaders. Join groups related to windows & doors, window manufacturing, and residential building product sales. You can start discussions about products, sales needs and finding the right people. By cultivating conversations and hanging out where the leaders are, you can connect with more targeted leads who can hit the ground running.

Bonus! You can post job ads for free in most groups. When you create a status update, change the type of update to “post a job”.

3. Post regular Status Updates on your profile and company's page.

This is pretty similar to Facebook's status updates, so it is familiar and easy to use.

I would recommend you post a mixture of industry information, social media style posts, and your job searches. Companies that are seen as thought leaders usually are better received than those just blasting out openings.

Posting a status update to find candidates is easy!

You can use something like: “Searching for a sales manager to cover our northern territory. Do you know someone who fits the bill? If so, get in touch,”. Don't forget a link to more details so people can easily connect. The status update appears in all of your contacts' feeds and is easy to forward.

You can post as often as you like, but I would recommend no more than a few times a day.

4. Job Postings.

I am not a huge fan of “posting and praying”, but the simple reality is job ads are the primary way companies find talent. A LinkedIn Job Posting isn't free, but it isn't terribly expensive. You'll get up to 50 free profile matches and 5 InMails*. You can learn more about it on LinkedIn here.
*Information was accurate at the time of writing.

5. Advanced Search function.

The advanced search function allows you to drill down from the millions of people on LinkedIn to the targeted matches you want to connect with. You'll use a set of pre-determined selection settings and can use Boolean searches to narrow your focus. This is why LinkedIn is the best place to start your social recruiting adventure!

LinkedIn can provide you with fantastic opportunities to connect with talented candidates. I encourage you to start using it for your social recruiting efforts!