With over 800 million users in 200 countries, LinkedIn is a powerful tool that helps you attract high-quality applicants.
However, implementing LinkedIn into your hiring process can seem intimidating at first.
Not to worry—we’re here to help. In this post, we share our top seven LinkedIn recruiting tips to help you attract the best employees.
1. emphasise linkedin marketing
The first step to attracting top-quality candidates on LinkedIn is to spend more time and maybe even some money on LinkedIn marketing.
Just as you create compelling ads to hook customers, you also need to focus on marketing if you want to hire better talent.
Improving your marketing efforts includes:
- Posting engaging content regularly
- Buying LinkedIn paid ads
- Using short videos to talk about employee satisfaction and morale
You could even utilise LinkedIn Career Pages to post additional information about your company, like employee reviews, department highlights, and onboarding protocols.
2. join relevant groups
Joining LinkedIn groups is an easy way to boost the quality of applications.
This is because you access thousands of candidates within your field who are motivated to improve their skills.
Please note: Many of the groups on LinkedIn don’t have strong engagement, even if they have lots of members. So feel free to post job ads within these groups, assuming the group rules allow it, but do not expect huge returns. If you want to join a community that does have big engagement, head on over to sub1000, our online community for UK inhouse recruiters and HR professionals.
3. build and maintain connections with top talent
The more connections you have on LinkedIn, the easier it is to find qualified candidates.
You should connect with potential employees who have the skills and experience you're looking for and send personalised messages to build relationships with them. Even if you aren't currently hiring, by nurturing a connection and staying in touch, you increase the chances of them joining your company once there is a vacancy.
4. create a free linkedin job post
Publishing a job ad on LinkedIn is free, and if you're connected to the right people and groups, it'll reach thousands of qualified candidates.
However, you can boost views by paying for ads. This is perfect for small businesses or those who don't often hire since you don’t have to pay for a LinkedIn program.
If you're always hiring, sign up for LinkedIn Recruiter. You might be wondering, "Is LinkedIn Recruiter free?" Well, it costs a few thousand pounds, but it's far cheaper in the long run than buying individual ads or paying lots of recruitment agency fees. So the real question should be, “do I have the time to dedicate to gain good ROI on a LinkedIn recruiter licence?”.
A LinkedIn Recruiter account allows you to:
- Use inMails to message hard-to-contact talent
- Save time by searching more precisely using many more filters
- Filter your searches to focus on applicants who are “open” to new opportunities
5. convert current employees into ambassadors
If you don't have the budget for LinkedIn Recruiter, you can still access a large amount of talent by turning employees into brand ambassadors.
This means encouraging them to post testimonials and reviews about your company. You could even film a day-in-the-life video that gives potential employees insight into what it's like to work for your company.
It’s also worth noting that talented professionals tend to be friends with other qualified professionals. So encourage your employees to reach out to their social circle and incentivise them with rewards. Here is a post we wrote detailing some steps you can take to make it super easy for hiring managers to refer you candidates.
6. use linkedin inmail
InMail allows you to send a message to a LinkedIn member with whom you aren't connected. This makes it a powerful tool for companies as there's no need to hunt for prospects' email addresses.
It's essential to personalise your InMail messages because receiving a generic message from someone you don't know is annoying, and it's the fastest way to get messages deleted.
Always use the candidate's name and mention something unique in their profile that stood out to you.
7. consider sponsored content
LinkedIn sponsored content lets you customise the audience that sees your vacancies. You can enter the amount of experience and types of qualifications needed, and LinkedIn will only show your ad to people who meet these criteria.
Let's say you're making improvements to your software and want to expand your technical team. Simply run a sponsored campaign, set some parameters, and you'll find qualified candidates in your inbox.
This is ideal if you need someone immediately and don't have weeks or months to find the perfect candidate.
recruiting top talent is easy with hireful.
LinkedIn recruiting is a must for all businesses looking for the best talent since it makes online hiring seamless, whether your budget is large or small.
Consider our detailed webinar if you're looking for a step-by-step guide to building an effective LinkedIn recruitment strategy. We show you everything you need to know before you start recruiting on LinkedIn.
