LinkedIn has become an indispensable tool for job seekers and recruiters alike. With over 722 million users as of April 2021, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform. As more and more professionals join LinkedIn, recruiters have taken notice and are leveraging the platform to source top talent. But the big question remains: do employers actually hire candidates from LinkedIn?
The short answer is yes, absolutely. According to LinkedIn’s 2021 Global Talent Trends report, 92% of talent professionals say they use LinkedIn to find and vet candidates. Additionally, about 30% of external hires at companies are sourced through LinkedIn. With the sheer volume of active users on LinkedIn, it has become a go-to resource for finding potential job candidates.
How Employers Use LinkedIn to Hire
There are several ways employers and recruiters use LinkedIn during the hiring process:
– Searching profiles – Recruiters will search LinkedIn profiles using keywords, titles, locations, skills, companies, schools and other criteria to find candidates that match open roles. They may also look at who views their company page for candidate leads.
– Job ads – Companies can post and promote open job listings on LinkedIn to reach active and passive candidates. LinkedIn allows for targeted distribution of job ads.
– InMail messages – Employers can send InMail messages directly to candidates they want to reach out to about potential job opportunities. InMail often gets better response rates than cold emails.
– Recruiter seats – Larger companies often have recruiter licenses that provide extra tools like InMail messages, candidate data exports and coordinated messaging campaigns to manage the hiring process.
– Networking contacts – Employers can search their employee networks and connections for referrals to qualified candidates. Getting a personal referral can help get a foot in the door.
– LinkedIn Groups – Employers can join and participate in niche LinkedIn Groups to connect with relevant professionals and specialists in a particular domain.
– Company pages – Companies will optimize their LinkedIn Company pages to attract candidates by showcasing culture, career opportunities, employee spotlights and more.
So in summary, LinkedIn provides multiple avenues for companies to source, engage with and ultimately hire candidates for open positions. It has become a necessary part of the recruiting toolkit.
Should Job Seekers Apply to Jobs on LinkedIn?
Applying to jobs directly through LinkedIn is generally recommended. When you apply to a job posting on LinkedIn, your profile is sent along with your application. This allows the employer to immediately view your background, experience and qualifications.
Here are some of the benefits of applying to jobs on LinkedIn:
– Your application gets seen faster – Applying directly on LinkedIn means your application is more likely to be viewed and reviewed sooner than going through an ATS.
– Increased visibility – Applying through LinkedIn gives employers instant access to your full profile. They don’t have to go hunting for details on your work history and skills.
– Establish a connection – Applying on LinkedIn creates a tangible connection with the company and hiring manager on the platform. You can then keep engaging through content sharing and messages.
– Convenience – Job seekers can see open positions in their feed and get notified of relevant new openings. Applying takes just a few clicks.
– Better than blind applications – With no existing connection, applying to a generic company email or form often leads nowhere. LinkedIn provides a direct channel.
The main downside is that some companies still want applications through their career site or ATS. However, applying on LinkedIn first can help you get on a recruiter’s radar at that company. You can always submit a separate application through their site as well.
Top Tips for Getting Hired on LinkedIn
If you’re looking to land a job through LinkedIn, here are some top tips to boost your chances:
– **Complete your profile** – Fill out all sections 100% including summary, experience, education, skills, certifications, volunteer work, and any other relevant info. Recruiters want to see a robust profile.
– **Use optimized keywords** – Include keywords from the job description throughout your profile so recruiters can easily find you. Mirror their terminology.
– **Highlight achievements** – Quantify your accomplishments at each position. Use metrics like percentage increases or dollar amounts.
– **Get recommendations** – Request recommendations from managers and colleagues to back up your accomplishments and bolster your profile.
– **Publish articles** – Write and share articles on LinkedIn showcasing your industry expertise. This greatly expands your reach.
– **Engage with content** – Like, comment on and share content from target companies and your wider network. Stay visible in the feed.
– **Join relevant Groups** – Pick 2-3 relevant niche Groups in your industry or field to connect with professionals and companies.
– **Follow companies** – Follow companies you’re interested in to get updates on new openings and company news you can engage with.
– **Turn on Open to Work** – Use this toggle to discretely signal to recruiters that you’re interested in opportunities.
Proactively using these job seeker features on LinkedIn will get you in front of the right people and help you land that next great role.
How to Know If a LinkedIn Job is Legitimate
With LinkedIn’s massive reach, some fraudulent job postings inevitably make it onto the site. Here are 5 tips to discern which job postings are real and which are too good to be true:
– **Check for a Company Page** – Real companies have LinkedIn Company Pages. Scam jobs often use fake pages or none at all.
– **Research the company** – Google the company name along with words like “scam”, “review”, or “complaints” to uncover any red flags.
– **Look for a specific job title and details** – Generic, vague or purposely misleading job titles like “Social Media Expert” or “Customer Service Agent” are common ruses.
– **Contact the company** – If you can’t tell from the post, reach out and contact the company directly through a published channel to verify the opening.
– **Avoid job scams red flags** – Be skeptical of jobs that require upfront payments, personal financial information, recruitment in different countries, or cash transfers.
While most jobs on LinkedIn are legitimate, it’s important to thoroughly vet any opportunities that raise suspicions before applying or sharing personal details.
Should You Pay for LinkedIn Premium?
LinkedIn Premium provides some expanded features, but is not mandatory to find job opportunities on LinkedIn. Here are the main advantages of Premium for job seekers:
– **Profile badges** – Premium profiles get a badge signaling their account is verified and complete.
– **Expanded search filters** – Premium users can filter searches by date posted, company size, when profiles were updated and more.
– **Unlimited InMail messages** – Paying members can send unlimited emails to recruiters and hiring managers they’re not connected to.
– **See full profile viewers list** – Non-Premium members can only see their most recent profile viewers. Premium reveals the full list.
– **Salary data** – Premium provides salary comparison data for positions in specific companies and locations.
– **Learning courses** – Premium includes access to LinkedIn Learning courses to build in-demand job skills.
However, the free aspects of LinkedIn provide substantial value for job seekers including profiles, networking, posting content, applying to jobs, Groups, messaging connections and more. For most users, the free features are sufficient for a productive job search. But Premium can be worthwhile if you will use the expanded search filters, InMail, viewer lists and learning content regularly.
Does a LinkedIn Connection Help Get a Job?
Simply connecting with someone on LinkedIn does not directly lead to getting hired. However, connections make it easier to engage with recruiters and hiring managers and get your foot in the door at companies.
Here are some of the benefits of connecting with recruiters and companies on LinkedIn during your job search:
– ** Start a conversation** – Once connected, you can message recruiters directly about open roles at their company.
– **Get introduced** – Connections can facilitate introductions to the right people at the company who are involved in hiring.
– **Give recommendations** – Connections at your previous jobs can write recommendations that the company will see.
– **Provide referrals** – Your connections at the company can directly refer you to HR and vouch for your skills and experience.
– **Stay top of mind** – Connecting allows you to engage with new posts and updates, keeping yourself on their radar.
– **Learn insider info** – Connections provide an inside track on company news, events, culture and hiring plans that can help your search.
– **Show interest** – Connecting displays your interest and that you have a relationship with the company.
While a connection alone won’t get you the job, it can make applying and interviewing with a company much easier compared to a cold application. Use connections to open doors and strengthen relationships.
How to Politely Follow Up After Applying
Following up after applying for a job is crucial. But there’s an art to doing it effectively without being annoying. Here are some tips for a polite, professional follow up:
– **Wait 1-2 weeks** – Give the recruiter time to review applications before following up. Following up the next day comes across as impatient.
– **Ask about process** – Politely ask if they can provide an update on when they are planning to begin interviews. Don’t insist on one yet.
– **Be brief** – Get to the point quickly and keep the message short. A long rambling email will likely get ignored.
– **Mention specifics** – Reference details like the position title, where you applied or who you’ve been in contact with to jog their memory.
– **Offer help** – Provide your contact info again and offer to provide any other required materials needed in the hiring process.
– **Say thanks** – Express your continued interest and appreciation for their consideration. Don’t get pushy.
– **Respect the response** – If they reply saying interviews are still some weeks out, thank them and ask if you can check back with them again in a month.
– **Follow application instructions** – If the job posting specifically says applicants will only be contacted if advanced to the next stage, hold off on a follow up for now.
Being thoughtful in your communication and following these tips can help ensure your job search follow ups are received positively.
Should You Connect With HR on LinkedIn?
It can be very beneficial to connect with HR professionals and recruiters at your target companies on LinkedIn. Some key advantages include:
– **Get on their radar** – Connecting lets them easily learn about your background and experience right from your profile.
– **Open communication** – Once connected on LinkedIn, it’s appropriate to message them directly about open roles at the company.
– **Show interest** – Connecting displays that you have genuine interest in the company beyond just clicking “apply” on a random job board posting.
– **Access resources** – HR connections share job openings, career advice, company culture intel and application tips that aren’t publicly listed.
– **Stand out** – HR is more likely to remember and prioritize candidates who made an effort to directly connect on LinkedIn.
– **Get introduced** – Ask your HR connection for introductions to hiring managers and recruiters in the department you want to work in.
– **Networking** – Beyond immediate roles, connecting builds relationships with HR staff who can facilitate future referrals and keep you in mind.
However, it’s important to make personal connections with real rapport, not just blindly sending generic connection requests. Personalize your request with a polite note and mention any shared experiences or interests you have in common.
Should You Message Recruiters About Jobs on LinkedIn?
Messaging recruiters about open positions can be effective, but should be done selectively and strategically. Here are some best practices:
– **Be relevant** – Only message about jobs where you’re a strong match for the qualifications and requirements. Irrelevant messages are ignored.
– **Do research** – Study the company, role and recruiter profile so your message is catered and shows sincere interest in that specific opportunity.
– **Customize the message** – Avoid any generic form messages. Write each note personalizing why you’d excel in this company and position.
– **Provide value** – Offer something in your message beyond just asking for an interview. Share useful articles, insights or connections.
– **Use InMail** – Without a current connection, LinkedIn’s InMail feature allows you to directly contact recruiters.
– **Follow application instructions** – If the job posting says to only apply through their website, do that before separately messaging the recruiter.
– **Be patient** – Recruiters deal with huge volumes of outreach. Follow up if needed but understand if you don’t get an immediate reply.
– **Move on if needed** – Generally limit your messages per role to an initial note and 1 follow up. Persistence can come across as pushy.
Used selectively and appropriately, messaging recruiters is a proven way to accelerate the hiring process and stand out from other applicants.
How to Promote Yourself on LinkedIn
Beyond just a static profile, actively participating and engaging on LinkedIn can significantly boost your personal brand and visibility with recruiters. Here are some ways to effectively promote yourself:
– **Publish long-form articles** – Write and share posts showcasing your expertise. Include relevant keywords and share posts broadly.
– **Join Groups** – Pick a few niche Groups to regularly participate and demonstrate your thought leadership.
– **Follow influencers and companies** – Stay up to date on trends and news by following key voices in your industry. Like and comment on their updates.
– **Share content** – Post useful articles, videos, infographics and more that your network would find valuable. Add your perspective.
– **Give recommendations** – Proactively provide and request high-quality recommendations to showcase your skills and work.
– **Update experience and education** – Keep your profile updated, especially new skills, achievements, courses and certifications.
– **Use multimedia** – Incorporate visuals like infographics, charts, photos and videos into your posts to increase engagement.
– **Leverage hashtags** – Use targeted industry hashtags like #marketing or #SaaS to extend your reach and participate in wider conversations.
– **Be helpful** – Answer questions and provide advice to connections through posts, comments or messages. Offer unique insights versus generic responses.
Proactively engaging with your network and providing value on LinkedIn positions you as a thought leader, connector and domain expert.
Is It Bad to be Needy or Pushy with Recruiters?
It’s counterproductive to come across as needy or pushy with recruiters and hiring managers during the job search process. Here’s why that approach backfires:
– **Damages rapport** – Recruiters won’t be excited to work with you if you’re forcing conversations before they are ready.
– **Comes across as entitled** – Like any relationship, professional connections take patience and nurturing. Acting entitled will rub people the wrong way.
– **Shows desperation** – Giving off signals of desperation rather than playing it cool can undermine your perceived value.
– **Creates extra work** – Too many follow up calls or messages becomes a hassle recruiters have to then manage.
– **Positions you as high maintenance** – If you seem very needy now, it can raise concerns about how demanding you’d be as an employee too.
– **Forgets they are people too** – Respecting people’s time and boundaries fosters goodwill. Pushing those limits strains relationships.
– **Gets ignored** – At a certain point, going overboard with outreach causes recruiters to simply avoid responding to you completely.
The best approach is to be patient, add value, play the long game, and let the process unfold naturally. Pushing too hard doesn’t speed things up. Stay top of mind through periodic check-ins and updates versus bombarding inboxes.
Conclusion
LinkedIn has become the top go-to platform for recruitment and job seeking. With the vast majority of employers and candidates flocking to LinkedIn, it’s essential to have a strong presence and be proactively using the many features LinkedIn provides to connect with opportunities.
By optimizing your profile, applying for jobs, networking, engaging with your industry, and messaging recruiters, you can significantly increase your odds of landing your next great role through LinkedIn. Just be sure to adopt best practices that position you as someone recruiters want to work with versus an annoyance to avoid.
With hundreds of millions of professionals and countless employers leveraging LinkedIn, the data shows that yes, you can absolutely get hired through LinkedIn. Use these tips to make yourself stand out from the crowd and accelerate your job search on the world’s largest professional network.
