LinkedIn has become an invaluable tool for recruiters and hiring managers looking to find qualified candidates. With over 722 million users worldwide, LinkedIn offers access to the world’s largest professional network and a rich database of potential job candidates. However, searching and sourcing candidates directly through LinkedIn’s interface can be challenging and time-consuming. This is where X-Ray search engines like LinkedIn’s X-Ray Search come in.
X-Ray search tools allow you to search LinkedIn profiles and data in a much more powerful and nuanced way. Some key advantages of using X-Ray search over LinkedIn’s native search include:
More comprehensive search capabilities
Native LinkedIn search is quite limited. You can only search by keyword, title, company, school, etc. With X-Ray search, you can craft much more sophisticated Boolean searches using advanced operators and filters. This allows you to zero in on very specific candidate criteria.
For example, with X-Ray you could search for “project manager AND PMP certification AND experience at Amazon AND based in Seattle.” Native LinkedIn search does not support this level of sophistication.
Search profile data and metadata
X-Ray search tools index profile data and metadata that you cannot access via native LinkedIn. This includes full work experience descriptions, skills sections, education details, and other profile fields. This additional searchable data makes it much easier to identify the right candidates.
Search across all of LinkedIn
LinkedIn’s native search only searches a limited subset of profiles and data. X-Ray search can index people’s entire profiles, groups, posts, and other activity across the LinkedIn network. This provides a much broader pool of potential candidates.
More filters and search precision
X-Ray search makes it easy to filter by all sorts of criteria – years of experience, education, locations, company sizes, specific skills/titles, schools, and much more. The advanced filtering potential allows you to narrow down candidates in a way that LinkedIn search does not accommodate.
Candidate contact info
Many X-Ray search tools will surface candidate contact information directly in the search results, including email addresses and phone numbers. This can save you the manual steps of having to click through to profiles.
Search automation
X-Ray search tools support automating searches on a schedule and even automatically reaching out to candidates that meet your criteria. This removes much of the manual effort of sourcing.
Exportable results
With LinkedIn’s search, you have to go through profiles one by one to extract info. X-Ray search results can usually be exported for seamless follow-up.
Comparing X-Ray Search to LinkedIn Recruiter
LinkedIn Recruiter is LinkedIn’s premium recruitment search tool. It offers more advanced search functionality than LinkedIn’s free native search. But X-Ray sourcing still has some advantages over Recruiter:
Lower cost
LinkedIn Recruiter has monthly subscription fees attached. X-Ray tools are often cheaper, with some having free tiers. So the cost to get started with X-Ray can be negligible.
Boolean search
Recruiter does not support the robust Boolean syntax that X-Ray search provides. The Boolean capabilities allow for greater precision.
Unlimited searches
Depending on the subscription level, Recruiter may limit the number of searches you can run. X-Ray tools often place no limits, allowing unlimited searches.
Custom indexes
X-Ray search vendors build their own proprietary indexes of LinkedIn data. These can sometimes be more comprehensive or optimized than Recruiter’s index.
Data enrichment
Some X-Ray tools augment LinkedIn data with additional demographic info, contact details, and other records. This provides a more complete view of each candidate.
Customization
X-Ray tools can often be customized to your specific search needs, allowing for proprietary enhancements. Recruiter offers little customization.
Capability | LinkedIn Recruiter | X-Ray Search |
---|---|---|
Comprehensive Boolean Search | No | Yes |
Search Profile Metadata | Limited | Full metadata searchable |
Search Across All of LinkedIn | No, subset only | Yes, full index |
Advanced Filters | Limited filters | Robust filters |
Surface Contact Information | No | Yes |
Search Automation | Manual searches | Automated search schedules |
Exportability | Limited export | Full export capabilities |
Cost | Monthly subscription fees | Often free or low cost |
Customization | Little customization | Highly customizable |
Key Features to Look for in an X-Ray Search Tool
If you are considering using an X-Ray search tool for LinkedIn, here are some key features to evaluate:
Comprehensive indexing
Look for a tool that indexes all LinkedIn profile fields, skills, work experience, education, posts, and other metadata. The wider the search index, the better.
Boolean search capabilities
The tool should support crafting Boolean searches using AND, OR, NOT and parentheses to build precise search queries.
Advanced filters
At a minimum, it should allow searching and filtering by location, company, skills, job title, years of experience, education, and other attributes. More filters are better.
Contact information
Being able to surface candidate contact info directly in the search results saves a ton of steps.
Search alerts
Tools that allow saving a search and alerting when new matches are found can automate ongoing sourcing.
Search scheduling
For fully automated sourcing, look for a tool that can schedule recurring searches and export results.
Export capabilities
Smooth exporting of search result data for follow-up is essential. CSV, Excel, etc.
Chrome extension
A browser extension can provide quick access and integrate the X-Ray search right into LinkedIn for convenience.
Outreach integration
If the search tool integrates with outreach tools like email or LinkedIn messaging, that automation can be highly valuable.
Mobile app
For on-the-go search access, a mobile app can be useful.
Team collaboration
Collaboration features allow sharing saved searches, leads and coordinating among a recruiting team.
Reporting
Robust reporting on search history, leads collected, and other analytics aids optimization.
API access
For advanced customization, look for a tool with API access for integrating the search capabilities into your existing infrastructure.
Candidate insights
Some tools provide insights into candidates, like assessing fit or interest levels. This can assist in prioritizing outreach.
Conclusion
X-Ray search tools unlock LinkedIn’s data in powerful ways native LinkedIn search cannot match. From customizable Boolean queries to automated sourcing workflows, X-Ray recruiters can pinpoint and engage candidates with speed and precision.
While LinkedIn Recruiter offers some advancement over standard LinkedIn search, X-Ray tools provide the most robust capabilities for mining LinkedIn’s rich data. For recruiters and companies aiming to maximize their LinkedIn sourcing at scale, X-Ray search is becoming an indispensable asset.