Finding professionals who are open to relocating for job opportunities can be a challenging but rewarding process on LinkedIn. With over 722 million members worldwide, LinkedIn is the largest professional networking platform and a great place to connect with talent from all over the globe.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through the best practices for using LinkedIn to identify and connect with prospective candidates willing to relocate for the right position.
Why Find Candidates Open to Relocation?
Expanding your talent search beyond your immediate geographic area has several advantages:
– Access to a larger pool of qualified candidates. You aren’t limited by just those in your city or state.
– Find candidates with the precise skills and experience needed. You have more options to get an exact match for niche roles.
– Gain interest from talent in popular hub locations. Many professionals in major metro areas are willing to move.
– Compete for workers in a tight labor market. With historically low unemployment rates, looking further afield is necessary.
– Bring new perspectives into your organization. Professionals from other regions can bring diversity of thought.
Access to candidates open to relocation is extremely valuable for hard-to-fill roles or finding the perfect fit for specialized positions. Rather than compromising on qualifications because of geography limitations, you can search based on skills and experience first.
How to See if Someone is Open to Relocation on LinkedIn
Here are the top ways to determine if a LinkedIn member is potentially open to relocating for a job:
– They list multiple locations in their profile headline or about section. For example: “New York, NY and Open to Relocation”.
– Their profile summary mentions relocation. For instance: “Seeking new full-time opportunities in Seattle and open to relocating from New York City”.
– They have experience living and working in different cities and regions. Look for candidates with significant experience outside your area.
– Their skills, education, or volunteering indicate flexible location. For example, remote certifications, travel for global conferences, or interest in nationwide organizations.
– Their most recent role was in a different area but they list your location in their profile. This signals they recently moved.
– Their LinkedIn post history mentions relocation considerations or opportunities. People will sometimes post about their thought process on LinkedIn.
– They have applied for jobs in your location. You can see where members have submitted applications, indicating interest.
While nothing can guarantee a candidate’s willingness, these signals suggest potential openness to relocating. Reaching out to connect and communicate opportunities may help confirm flexibility.
How to Search for Relocation Candidates on LinkedIn
Here are effective methods for proactively finding and contacting candidates open to relocating on LinkedIn:
1. Use the Location Filter in LinkedIn Search
The location search filter lets you enter multiple cities or regions. Start broad by targeting talent across the country or world for your initial outreach. For example:
Location Search Terms:
– United States
– North America
– Worldwide
Narrow down after assessing interest by adding your metro area. For instance:
Location Search Terms:
– Austin, TX
– Denver, CO or Remote
– Chicago, IL or Relocation
Review the profiles of your most promising matches and evaluate their potential openness based on the indicators above.
2. Search by Company Names in Top Feeder Cities
Identify the metropolitan areas that provide the most talent to your local workforce. Search for professionals from relevant companies in those key feeder cities.
For example, the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City commonly feed talent to Austin startups and tech companies. So target members currently or recently working for major tech companies in those cities.
Targeting competitor companies can also be effective for finding candidates amenable to switching firms. Just focus onfeeder regions for your industry.
3. Leverage LinkedIn’s Open Candidates Feature
LinkedIn’s Open Candidates feature lets you sort search results by those more likely to consider new job opportunities. This includes:
– Members who added Open to Work profile photo frame
– Those who have Signal set to “open”
– Anyone who typed “Open to work” in their profile
While not a guarantee of relocation, Open Candidates may be more willing to consider opportunities requiring it.
4. Search Alumni from Local Colleges/Universities
Alumni of schools in your area will have ties to your location. Leverage LinkedIn alumni search filters to find graduates of local institutions now working in other parts of the country.
Recent grads may be excited to move back. Experienced candidates could also be open to relocate back for nostalgia and existing connections.
5. Review Applicants for Past Roles in Your Company
Previously applied candidates are more likely to be interested. Search applicants under the Jobs tab of your Company Page.
Vet profiles of promising out of area applicants for other suitable openings. Message them to re-engage interest in your organization.
Best Practices for Messaging Candidates About Relocating
Once you’ve identified potential prospects open to relocation, how you first introduce opportunities influences responses. Follow these best practices:
Highlight Common Ground
Note shared connections, experiences, education, or interests to establish rapport fast. People prefer opportunities from familiar contacts.
Introduce Your Organization
Briefly describe your company, culture, and team. Get them excited about the broader opportunity beyond just the role.
Emphasize Flexibility
Be open about ability to interview remotely via phone or video first before any need to travel for in-person meetings. Ease major relocation concerns upfront.
Sell Your Local Area
Share the advantages of your location – activities, weather, culture, cost of living, or other regional perks and details. Help them see the appeal.
Provide Relocation Assistance
Mention if your company offers financial relocation packages or other benefits to those moving for the job. These details can sway decisions.
Highlight Career Growth
Emphasize bigger picture career development, learning, and advancement opportunities long-term with your company. This signals retention.
The initial outreach is critical. Be warm, informative, and address major relocation considerations to get the best responses.
Questions to Ask Candidates Considering Relocation
As you progress to later stage discussions with candidates considering relocating for your open role, here are key relocation-focused questions to ask:
Logistics
– How open are you to relocating to our area?
– Have you spent much time in our metro previously? If so, what did you enjoy?
– Do you have any concerns about the transition or things we can clarify upfront?
– Will you need relocation assistance? What package would enable the move?
Timing
– What is your ideal timeframe for relocating if hired?
– How much notice do you need to provide your current employer?
– Are there personal factors like school semesters or lease endings to consider in timing?
Family
– Will anyone be relocating with you that we should consider in planning?
– Are there needs like spousal job assistance or school districts to factor in?
Lifestyle
– What type of neighborhood or community would be your ideal living situation? Urban or suburban?
– How will the change impact your day-to-day life in terms of commute, activities, etc?
– What most excites or concerns you about living in our area specifically?
Gaining clarity on relocation plans, envisioning the transition, and addressing questions upfront leads to more success. Discussing details early in the process results in candidates who relocate faster, stay longer, and have greater job satisfaction.
Use a Relocation Checklist
A relocation checklist helps ensure you cover key action items through each stage as candidates progress to hired and onboarding.
Here is an example relocation checklist:
Sourcing & Recruiting
– [ ] Research metro areas with best talent sources for open role
– [ ] Perform LinkedIn search using relocation keywords
– [ ] Evaluate candidate profiles for relocation signals
– [ ] Mention relocation assistance in intro messages
Interview Process
– [ ] Ask detailed relocation questions
– [ ] Provide information on area culture, amenities, housing
– [ ] Discuss tentative relocation timeline expectations
Offer Stage
– [ ] Send formal written offer letter with relocation package details
– [ ] Give reasonable timeframes for move (30-90 days)
– [ ] Outline contingent offer process if needed
Pre-Boarding & Relocation
– [ ] Send new hire surveys asking about relocation preferences
– [ ] Make introductions to local connections to aid transition
– [ ] Book temporary housing if needed
– [ ] Schedule house hunting or apartment finding trip
– [ ] Provide moving or travel reimbursements
Onboarding & Assimilation
– [ ] Arrange lunch outings for bonding with new coworkers
– [ ] Provide neighborhood recommendations tailored to preferences
– [ ] Check in regularly about assimilation progress
– [ ] Have mentor assigned to aid adjustment period
Following a structured relocation checklist helps deliver a smooth experience for candidates and gets them productive faster.
Common Relocation Packages & Benefits
While not required, relocation assistance makes it more feasible for qualified candidates to accept opportunities in new cities. Typical relocation packages include:
– Moving expenses – Packaging and transportation of household goods
– Temporary housing – Corporate housing or hotels during transition
– Home finding trip – Paid travel to search for permanent housing
– Home selling support – Assistance selling existing home for the move
– Mortgage assistance – Help covering closing costs or payments
– Rental finding fees – Application costs and agent fees
– Travel costs – Mileage and flights for the move
– Tax assistance – Help offsetting taxable relocation benefits
– Relocation bonus – One-time payment to help cover miscellaneous expenses
The level of relocation benefits depends on the seniority of the role. But even covering small costs eases friction of long distance moves.
Relocation Support Best Practices
To make relocations go smoothly:
– Customize packages – Ask candidates what would be most helpful during transition
– Be flexible – Tailor timing and benefits to individual circumstances
– Provide personal contacts – Local realtors, neighborhood guides, company buddies
– Assign mentors – Match with current employees for advice and assimilation
– Communicate frequently – Check in regularly post-move on adjustment
Well-supported candidates have great early tenure and promotion rates. Investing in thoughtful relocation support pays dividends long-term in engagement, performance, and retention.
Conclusion
Sourcing professional talent open to relocating takes effort but delivers outstanding results. Following LinkedIn best practices, using targeted search questions, and focusing on signals of relocation potential helps surface ideal candidates anywhere.
With demographic shifts and increasing comfort with remote work, professionals are more willing than ever to move for advancement opportunities. Developing a strategic approach to finding and engaging this highly skilled talent pool lets you continuously upgrade your team.
Providing responsive communication, relocation assistance and onboarding support enables smooth transitions to new cities. Candidates who feel invested in will reward organizations with their loyalty, creativity, and optimal productivity.
