Use LinkedIn’s advanced search function
The key to finding qualified candidates on LinkedIn without a recruiter is to use LinkedIn’s advanced search function. This allows you to narrow down your search criteria to find candidates that closely match the requirements of the role you are looking to fill.
To use advanced search, go to the search bar at the top of LinkedIn and click “Advanced” next to the search box. From here, you can filter by keywords, location, current company, past company, school, title, industry, seniority level, and more. For example, if you are looking for a sales manager in Chicago with 5+ years of experience, you could input “Sales Manager” for keywords, Chicago for location, Senior for seniority level, and 5+ for years of experience.
Using multiple filters in your advanced search allows you to hone in on very specific candidate profiles that fit the role you are recruiting for. You can save these searches to get alerts when new profiles matching your criteria become available.
Search by skills and expertise
In addition to filtering by job titles and experience, you can also search for candidates based on specific skills and expertise. On LinkedIn, members can add skills to their profiles, choosing from LinkedIn’s predefined list of tens of thousands of skill terms.
To search by skills, type the desired skill into the “Skills” filter in LinkedIn’s advanced search. For example, if you need a marketing manager candidate with experience in SEO, social media marketing, and email marketing, you could input those desired skill terms to find relevant candidates.
This approach works well for technical roles or roles requiring niche expertise outside of what may be conveyed by a job title alone.
Leverage LinkedIn groups and forums
Joining relevant LinkedIn groups and forums can expand your access to qualified candidates beyond only those actively job searching. Groups centered around particular professional roles, skills, industries, and interests contain engaged members who may not be looking but could likely be swayed by the right opportunity.
Posting a job or discussion prompt in a relevant LinkedIn group can allow you to cast a wider net and connect with candidates you may have otherwise overlooked. If there is a niche job function, skillset or industry you are recruiting for, groups can provide a targeted way to get in front of potential candidates.
Some tips for effectively leveraging LinkedIn groups:
– Seek out active groups with a high volume of engaged members and discussion
– Ensure the group aligns closely with the role you are recruiting for
– Craft a compelling post that speaks to the value proposition of the role and company
– Engage group members who express interest by continuing the conversation offline
Connect with passive candidates
Many qualified candidates on LinkedIn may not be actively looking for a new role but could be open to discussing the right opportunity. A recruiter would have the time and focus to identify and engage with these “passive” candidates, but without a recruiter you’ll need to take the initiative to uncover and connect with them yourself.
Here are some tips for surfacing and engaging passive candidates on LinkedIn:
– Leverage LinkedIn’s “People Also Viewed” suggestions which appear on profile pages to uncover potential prospects with similar backgrounds to existing talent at your company
– Search for profiles indicating openness to “new opportunities” to identify candidates who may be unhappily employed
– Look through the connections of your existing high performing employees to find candidates in their networks
– Reference any shared experiences, connections, groups or interests in your outreach message to passive prospects to increase response rate
– Convey the value proposition of your company and role clearly to capture the interest of passive prospects not actively searching
Use LinkedIn Recruiter or Recruiter Lite
For more advanced LinkedIn sourcing capabilities, consider investing in LinkedIn’s Recruiter platform. This provides additional filtering options, lets you save more searches, unlocks profile contact information, and enables sending InMail messages directly through LinkedIn.
There is also a scaled down version called Recruiter Lite that offers some of Recruiter’s basic search functionality for a lower cost. Even without the full Recruiter platform, Recruiter Lite provides some helpful tools to aid you in identifying and connecting with candidates on LinkedIn without a recruiter.
Join LinkedIn talent pools and talent communities
Many companies establish talent pools or talent communities on LinkedIn as a way to source and nurture passive candidates over time. Getting your company’s talent pools or communities set up can provide a source of qualified, interested candidates to draw from in your recruiting efforts.
A talent pool allows you to add specific candidates to nurture and keep your company top of mind. Talent communities create a hub on LinkedIn where any interested prospects can gather to learn more about your company and opportunities.
Promoting your talent pools and communities through organic posts and sponsored content on LinkedIn can help attract relevant members over time. This provides a pool of qualified leads to draw from once you have specific openings to fill.
Post jobs directly on LinkedIn
Posting your job openings directly on LinkedIn is a straightforward way to source relevant candidates. You can create LinkedIn job posts for free and add screening questions to filter applicants.
LinkedIn job posts will get visibility in relevant candidate searches and feed recommendations. You can also boost the visibility of your job posts through LinkedIn’s advertising options.
To stand out, focus your job descriptions on highlighting your company mission, culture and values. This helps attract candidates that align well and get excited about what your company represents.
Partner with schools and programs
Developing relationships with specific schools, training programs, professional organizations, student groups and community programs opens up a targeted talent pipeline for both entry-level and experienced hires.
You can work with schools and programs to offer guest speaking opportunities, participate in mock interviews and career fairs, host facility tours or information sessions, or provide mentorship. This gives visibility into emerging talent about to enter your industry and builds lasting mindshare with high-potential candidates.
Many students and members of these organizations and alumni groups are already active on LinkedIn, which provides a direct connection point for sourcing relevant prospects.
Schools to Consider
– Local colleges and universities that offer degrees relevant to your open positions
– Vocational schools with programs aligned to your industry
– National programs like Year Up that provide career skills training for young adults
Organizations to Consider
– Industry associations like the American Marketing Association or Society for Human Resource Management
– Diversity-focused organizations like the National Black MBA Association or Society of Women Engineers
– Local chapters of national nonprofits that provide career mentoring like Big Brothers Big Sisters or Braven
Attend local meetups and events
Attending local professional meetups and industry events provides visibility into talent in your area. These types of events attract engaged professionals across experience levels interested in networking and developing their skills.
Having company representatives onsite to meet prospective candidates in-person makes a strong impression. Collecting business cards or LinkedIn connections to follow up with promising talent after events can provide a pipeline of local candidates to source from ongoing.
Some relevant events to consider attending:
– General professional organization meetups like Young Professionals Network or Meetup.com groups
– Industry association chapter events, conferences and seminars
– Local startup or tech community events like meetups, demo days or hackathons
– Industry trade shows and conventions
– Local area job fairs
Search by LinkedIn profiles
LinkedIn provides a search option that allows you to find candidates based on specific profiles. This is helpful when you already have one or more existing employees who exemplify the qualities and background needed for a role.
Start by searching for the LinkedIn profile of the existing employee who could serve as a model candidate. Once on their profile, click “Search by this profile” below their photo. You can then refine the search criteria before launching the search.
Results will surface candidates with similar profiles, skills, experiences, education and expertise as the model employee. This provides an easy way to uncover relevant prospects you may have otherwise overlooked.
Partner with staffing firms on a contingent basis
While your goal is to source candidates directly without a recruiter, staffing and contingent workforce firms can still provide support and value. Partnering with staffing firms on a contingent basis gives you access to their network of pre-vetted candidates while only paying fees for successful hires.
This allows you to tap into qualified talent you may be unable to uncover independently, but without the large retainer fees and lengthy contracts associated with retained contingent search. Staffing partners can also provide valuable hiring process support like screening, assessment and onboarding.
Be very selective in which contingent staffing partners you work with. Seek out firms that specialize in your particular industry or required skillsets, and clearly communicate your expectations upfront.
Promote your employer brand across LinkedIn
Promoting your employer brand on LinkedIn goes a long way in attracting candidates even without active recruiting efforts. Candidates want to work for companies they perceive as desirable, innovative industry leaders.
Here are some ways to strengthen your employer brand on LinkedIn:
– Showcase company culture and values through thoughtful Page updates
– Share company milestones and achievements through news posts
– Have leaders and executives establish influential LinkedIn profiles
– Feature employee stories and spotlights
– Post videos highlighting what it’s like to work at your company
– Share job openings, events, work anniversaries and other happenings
Follow competitors and similar companies
Following competitor and peer companies can provide visibility into industry talent. When employees of similar organizations make a move, chances are they would be open to hearing from others in the same field.
You can set alerts to be notified of new hires and departures from key companies in your space. Reach out to congratulate new hires or see if those who recently left their role may be a fit for openings at your company.
This approach requires taking the initiative to establish connections early, even when you don’t have a specific opening to fill. But nurturing relationships with those coming and going from competitors allows you to surface potential talent at the opportune time.
Answer questions on LinkedIn
LinkedIn provides the ability for members to post questions to prompt discussions and feedback from others in their network. As an industry insider, contributing thoughtful answers to questions in your field provides a way to gain visibility and showcase expertise.
Prospects researching roles, companies or industries may come across your answers while informational gathering. Demonstrating your knowledge and communicating your passion for the field makes a positive impression.
Proactively monitoring LinkedIn for relevant questions where you can provide value positions you as an authoritative voice. When prospects later have career questions of their own, they will be more inclined to reach out for your input and guidance.
Conclusion
Sourcing qualified candidates on LinkedIn without the use of a recruiter requires utilizing all the tools and resources available on the platform. Taking the time to fully leverage LinkedIn’s capabilities can unlock access to a broad pool of potential talent.
Concentrate your efforts where your ideal candidates are most active – relevant groups and forums, schools and programs, local events and meetups, competitor pages. Proactively engage these prospects through outreach and relationship building before roles become available.
Promoting your employer brand and establishing yourself as a thought leader provides further opportunity to attract talent outside of job postings alone.
With a strategic approach, the connections and discoverability LinkedIn provides allow you to source quality candidates without reliance on a recruiter. The initial legwork pays future dividends by building an ongoing pipeline and network to tap into.