Offering different takes on the same process, LinkedIn Recruiter vs Recruiter Lite present a tricky choice. Learn what’s what to make the right decision.
LinkedIn has always been a unique entity. It’s technically a social media platform, yet it’s largely avoided the trolling and spamming associated with Facebook and Twitter. It’s main function is that of a careers platform, but it’s adopted a relatively soft-sell approach to areas like advertising and recruitment. Indeed, many people are unaware that there are two competing recruitment tools on offer: LinkedIn Recruiter vs Recruiter Lite.
These stablemates offer differing levels of functionality and are aimed at employees and employers alike. Both have been extensively revised and updated since Recruiter first launched in 2008. Understanding the differences between LinkedIn Recruiter vs Recruiter Lite will help companies of any size to recruit and select staff through the most appropriate channels.
what are the similarities?
Before we consider the differences between Recruiter Lite and LinkedIn Recruiter pricing (as well as other distinguishing characteristics), let’s examine where they overlap. Both are well-established tools. Both enable employers to search the Linkedin network to identify candidates before reaching out to them.
Both versions offer a variety of search filters, daily candidate search alerts, and InMail messaging. However, Recruiter offers more of each than its Lite counterpart, which will benefit recruiters who spend more time searching on LinkedIn.
what are the key differences?
As its name suggests, Recruiter Lite is a semi-skimmed version of it’s big brother, Recruiter. It’s more limited, but also costs less than LinkedIn Recruiter pricing. These are the key aspects Recruiter offers which Lite doesn’t, which include:
- Many Recruiter packages from with unlimited inmails. This means there are no limits on how many people you can contact. InMail messages can be bulk-sent, supporting up to 150 separate messages per month. However, you need to note that if you receive a poor (less than 13%) you are likely to be penalised by LinkedIn so you need to ensure you are sending well crafted messages to relevant people.
- Recruiter provides an automated communications workflow throughout the hiring process, with full access to candidate information.
- In terms of reporting, Recruiter matches Lite’s InMail and job analytics reports. Over and above this, it boasts recruiter usage and pipeline analytics reporting, plus custom report generation.
- The key “difference maker” for Recruiter though is that it allows the user to filter by LinkedIn members who are “open to new opportunities”. This is people who have selected this option on their profile and whilst as a LinkedIn user you might occasionally see a profile with the “open to work” banner around the person’s picture, LinkedIn Recruiter is the only way to search through these profiles.
are there any differences across recruiter itself?
The Recruiter platform comes in two flavours: Professional Services and Corporate. These are aimed at staffing firms and corporate clients respectively. Differences between the two are modest; Corporate supports a higher volume of monthly InMail messages and offers full access to the entire LinkedIn network rather than restricting clients to 30 unlocks per month for out-of-network profiles.
would recruiter lite benefit me more?
It comes down to how much value you think you can reap from each product. Remember, the main “cost” for using LinkedIn is always going to be your time. So if you spend a lot of time searching on LinkedIn then tools like Recruiter become a “no-brainer”. However, the reverse is true. If you struggle to find the time to search and approach people on LinkedIn you are not likely to see an return on your investment in an expensive tool like Recruiter.
LinkedIn recruiter vs recruiter lite costs.
For many employers, cost will be the deciding factor in the choice between LinkedIn Recruiter vs Recruiter Lite. The latter will undoubtedly appeal more to startups and firms with limited recruitment and selection budgets.
Pricing for Recruiter Lite betrays LinkedIn’s American origins – it’s listed in dollars even when using a British IP address. The current cost is $140 per month, with an annual subscription discounted to $1,440. To investigate LinkedIn Recruiter pricing, you have to contact the company and speak to one of their sales advisors. Feedback from our network of contacts suggests that LinkedIn recruiter typically costs £4-8k per license per annum.
which platform should I choose?
The full-fat Recruiter platform is aimed at larger companies with ongoing staff turnover, where recruitment is a daily concern and a constant churn of departures means the HR department is always scouting for new talent. For that reason, the SME-focused Lite is better suited to smaller firms that are only generally seeking one candidate at a time.
will the right tool turn me into a LinkedIn recruiting ninja? 🐱👤
No. Both of these tools will help you to efficiently search LinkedIn, but they will not help you craft an engaging message or build a professional and trustworthy profile. If you need help with this then we recommend signing up for hireful’s free LinkedIn recruitment webinars.
