LinkedIn premium is a paid subscription service that provides users with additional features and insights beyond the free basic LinkedIn account. One of the key features of LinkedIn premium for recruiters and hiring managers is the ability to see who the “top applicants” are for a particular job posting.
What factors determine the “top applicants” on LinkedIn premium?
There are a few main factors that LinkedIn premium takes into account when determining which applicants should be highlighted as “top applicants” for a job posting:
- Profile completeness – Applicants with a more complete LinkedIn profile tend to be ranked higher. This includes details like having a professional photo, a summarized bio section, work and education history, skills, accomplishments etc.
- Profile relevance – Applicants whose background closely matches the job description and required skills tend to be ranked higher. LinkedIn looks at profile details like title, skills, education and experience to measure relevance.
- Engagement – Applicants who are more actively engaging with the recruiter and job posting by viewing the posting, visiting the company page or interacting in other ways may be ranked higher.
- Connections – Having connections in common with the recruiter or at the company can help boost an applicant’s top applicant status.
- Application quality – Details like taking the time to customize application materials and follow any special application instructions can influence applicant ranking.
- Previous interactions – If the applicant has previously engaged or interacted with the same recruiter, this familiarity can improve their ranking.
- Premium status – LinkedIn premium subscribers may be ranked slightly higher in some cases, though this is just one minor factor among many.
In addition to the applicant’s own LinkedIn activity and engagement, LinkedIn also considers signals from the recruiter’s perspective. This can include things like:
- Who the recruiter has shown interest in by visiting their profile or interacting with them.
- How the recruiter has engaged with specific applicants ( messaging, liking their application, etc).
- Any feedback or ratings the recruiter has provided on applicants.
- How the recruiter’s network is connected to different applicants.
How is the top applicant ranking calculated?
LinkedIn uses a machine learning model behind the scenes that considers all the different profile details, engagement signals, networking connections and interactions to calculate a relevance score for each applicant to that specific job posting. Applicants with the highest scores are then displayed to the recruiter as “top applicants” by default when viewing their applicant list.
Some key inputs that can help boost an applicant’s relevance score include:
- Matching hard skills, credentials, titles, education etc.
- Shared connections, especially closer connections.
- Higher engagement with the posting and recruiter.
- More profile completeness including key details.
- Previous positive interactions with the same recruiter.
These types of signals are weighted more heavily than things like profile photo, premium status or general activity levels when determining the top matches. The model is dynamically tuned per job posting and recruiter based on the specific details of the role.
Why does LinkedIn highlight top applicants?
Showcasing the top recommended applicants for a job posting provides a few key benefits for recruiters:
- Saves time – Recruiters don’t need to manually filter through hundreds of applicants to find the most promising ones.
- Improves efficiency – Recruiters can focus their outreach on applicants that are most likely to be a good match.
- Reduces bias – The data-based rankings aim to provide a less biased view of best applicants versus relying solely on human judgment.
- Increases quality – Top applicants tend to produce better hiring outcomes on average in terms of higher offer acceptance rates, better job performance, longer employee retention etc.
The goal is to give recruiters an efficient head start in identifying applicants worth engaging with, but it is still important for recruiters to review applicants thoroughly and not overly rely on the rankings.
How can you improve your ranking as a top applicant on LinkedIn?
If you want to boost your chances of being displayed as a “top applicant” to recruiters, here are some tips:
- Fill out your profile completely – add a photo, summary, detailed work history, education, skills, volunteer work, certifications etc.
- Use keywords – Include key words and phrases from the job posting throughout your profile if possible.
- Engage with the posting – Don’t just apply, also view the job poster’s profile, like or comment on the posting, share it etc.
- Connect to company employees – This establishes your interest and can help get referred.
- Follow the company page – Stay up to date on their news and activity.
- Apply early – Applicants who apply first tend to get more attention.
- Use LinkedIn features – Show your professional brand by writing posts, articles, adding projects etc.
- Get recommendations – Ask managers and colleagues for recommendations to back up your skills.
- Check for errors – Avoid typos, formatting issues, broken links etc. on your profile.
- Stay active – Maintain regular LinkedIn activity and connection building over time.
Limitations of the top applicant ranking
While highlighting top applicants can be useful for recruiters, there are some limitations to consider as well:
- Not 100% accurate – The algorithmic ranking is optimized to be relevant for most cases, but can miss some strong potential candidates.
- Can reinforce bias – Formulas based mainly on work history and connections can disadvantage certain demographics.
- Lacks context – Qualitative factors like culture fit, soft skills and potential are hard to measure.
- Gaming vulnerability – Applicants can sometimes overly optimize profiles just to boost rankings.
- Misused by some recruiters – Over-relying on top applicant designation alone instead of thorough evaluation.
The takeaway is that top applicant rankings should be used to streamline the applicant screening process, but not replace human evaluation and outreach to discover “hidden gems” that automated filters may overlook.
Conclusion
LinkedIn Premium’s top applicant rankings are powered by machine learning algorithms that analyze many profile signals and interactions to identify applicants likely to be most relevant for a specific job post. While useful for improving recruiter efficiency and reducing bias, the rankings have limitations and should not fully replace manual applicant evaluations. With a compelling profile, strong connections, quality applications and engaged activity, job seekers can improve their chances of being ranked as a top applicant by recruiters.