Yes, you can see applicants on LinkedIn if you are the hiring manager or have access to your company’s LinkedIn Recruiter account. As a recruiter or hiring manager, you can view candidate profiles of people who have applied for jobs at your company. However, regular LinkedIn members cannot see who has applied for jobs posted by their connections or companies they follow.
Quick Answers
– Recruiters and hiring managers can see applicants who applied through LinkedIn using Recruiter.
– Regular LinkedIn members cannot see who applied for jobs posted by their connections.
– Applicants appear as “Anonymous” unless they choose to reveal their identity.
– You can only see detailed profiles of applicants who have given you access.
– LinkedIn Recruiter offers tracking and analytics features to monitor applicants.
Who Can See Applicants on LinkedIn?
The ability to view and access applicant information on LinkedIn depends on the type of account you have:
Recruiters and Hiring Managers
If you are a recruiter or hiring manager using your company’s LinkedIn Recruiter Corporate or Recruiter System Connect account, you can see all applicants who have applied for your jobs through LinkedIn. This allows you to easily track, manage, and contact candidates directly through the platform.
With a Recruiter account, you can see profile information, resumes, cover letters, and portfolios of applicants who have given you access. You can also send InMail messages to contact them. Applicants who have applied but not granted access appear anonymously.
Regular LinkedIn Members
If you are a regular, free LinkedIn member, you cannot see who has applied for jobs posted by your connections or companies you are following. The applicant information is only visible to the recruiter or hiring manager posting the job.
As a regular member, you can see anonymous applicants in the job posting insights, but you won’t see any names, profiles, or contact information.
What Applicant Information is Visible?
Here is what recruiters and hiring managers can see about applicants on LinkedIn:
Anonymous Applicants
Applicants appear as “Anonymous” by default in the applicant tracking system. You can see some basic information like:
- Date/time they applied
- Application method (LinkedIn Apply, email, etc.)
- Current employer
- Location
Their identity and profile details remain hidden unless they choose to reveal themselves.
Shared Profiles
If an applicant grants access to their profile, you can view all their information including:
- Full name
- Profile photo
- Current job title and company
- Location
- Skills
- Education and experience
- Resume, cover letter, portfolio
- Contact info to send InMail messages
This allows you to thoroughly evaluate candidates who have given access to their full profile.
Tracking and Analytics
LinkedIn Recruiter offers tracking, analytics, and pipeline management features. You can view:
- Application volume and sources over time
- Candidate pipeline and stages
- Time-to-hire and workflow analytics
- Notes, activity, and communications history
This provides valuable insights to improve your hiring processes.
When Can You See Applicants?
Here is when applicant information becomes visible on LinkedIn:
- Instantly – Applicants are added to your tracking system as soon as they apply
- Within 24 hours – Full profile access is available after the applicant grants permission
- After application deadline – Recruiter accounts let you review applicants and manage pipelines after the deadline passes
- Post hiring – Applicant information remains in your account to reference for future job openings if needed
So in summary, applicant data becomes available to you in real-time and remains visible from the hiring process through to post-hiring analysis and pipeline management.
How to Contact Applicants on LinkedIn
Here are some ways to engage with and contact applicants through LinkedIn:
InMail
Send personalized InMail messages to applicants who have shared their profiles. InMail lets you communicate directly without needing their email address.
If the applicant included their email in their application, you can reach out directly through email as well.
Phone Call
For applicants who have provided their phone number, you can call them directly to screen them or schedule an interview.
LinkedIn Message
You can send an internal LinkedIn message if you are connected to the applicant. However, they would need to accept your connection request first.
Recruiter Note
Add personalized notes and comments about each applicant in the Recruiter system for your reference.
Using these methods, you can engage qualified candidates directly through LinkedIn as part of your recruiting process.
Pros of Viewing Applicants on LinkedIn
Here are some benefits of leveraging LinkedIn to see and manage applicants:
- Saves time – Instantly access candidate profiles in one place without downloading resumes
- More insight – View full candidate backgrounds beyond what a resume provides
- Easy communication – Contact and schedule interviews with applicants directly through LinkedIn
- builds employer brand – Showcase culture and values to attract top talent
- pipeline management – Organize applicants with tracking, workflows and analytics
Overall, LinkedIn Recruiter optimizes and simplifies your entire hiring process from sourcing to pipeline management.
Cons of Viewing Applicants on LinkedIn
Here are some potential downsides to consider:
- No guarantee of access – Candidates control if their full profile is visible
- Privacy concerns – Applicants may not want full visibility to recruiter accounts
- Cost – LinkedIn Recruiter is a paid account with monthly subscription fees
- Time investment – Reviewing profiles and InMail messaging can be time consuming
- Unresponsive candidates – Some applicants may not respond to or grant access
While LinkedIn Recruiter is a powerful hiring tool, it still takes time and effort to manage properly. The platform also depends on applicants being responsive and willing to use LinkedIn actively during their job search.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can regular LinkedIn members see applicants for jobs posted by their connections?
No, regular LinkedIn members cannot see applicant information for jobs posted by their connections or followed companies. Only the recruiter or hiring manager posting the job has visibility into the applicants.
What if an applicant does not have a LinkedIn profile?
If an applicant does not have a LinkedIn profile, the recruiter will only see their basic application information entered through LinkedIn Apply. There will be no profile to access.
Can I filter applicants by criteria like education or skills?
Yes, LinkedIn Recruiter allows you to filter and search applicants by criteria like education, location, current company, skills, and more. You can easily narrow down applicants.
How long does LinkedIn store applicant data for each job post?
LinkedIn stores applicant data for one year after the job post has expired or been taken down. This allows recruiters to access applicant pipelines for future job openings if needed.
Do applicants know I viewed their profile?
No, applicants are not notified when a recruiter views their profile. It remains anonymous unless you engage them through InMail or LinkedIn messages.
Conclusion
Viewing applicants who have applied for your jobs on LinkedIn provides significant visibility and efficiency during the recruiting process. While privacy controls still give applicants discretion on what they share, recruiters gain valuable insights from LinkedIn profiles and features.
For serious hiring managers, the benefits of screening candidates, managing pipelines, and making data-driven decisions make LinkedIn Recruiter well worth the investment. However, recruitment still requires hands-on work to thoughtfully engage applicants and make the right hires.
In summary, LinkedIn opens doors to sourcing, networking with, and evaluating relevant talent more easily. But recruiters must use those tools wisely and strategically to take full advantage for their hiring needs.