Recruiting via LinkedIn: What Are the Secrets of Successful Sourcing?

Recruiting is both a tedious and rewarding task when done right. In the aftereffects of the pandemic, the recruiting market has undergone several changes in the last two years, some more significant than others. Recruiters have had to adapt fast and smart to these changes, but one aspect of recruiting that didn’t change was the use of the LinkedIn platform. There was an increase in using its services by recruiting agencies and companies. This article will explore recruiting via this popular medium and some tips on how to source talented candidates.

What is Sourcing?

We can divide recruiting into different stages, and sourcing is one aspect of the recruiting process. Sourcing entails attracting or reaching out to suitable candidates for a role. Companies source candidates in the early stages – usually after the planning stage but before the interview stage of a recruiting process.

Importance of Sourcing

One of the time-consuming and delicate parts of recruiting is attracting the right people to the brand. Not only do you need the right skill, but candidates should also have a genuine knowledge and interest in the brand. If you get the sourcing stage right, you have less work to do during the interview stage. As such, organizations have made it a duty to source candidates who are available, qualified, and have an interest in the job.

Types of Sourcing

Since it is a time-consuming part of recruitment, companies have opted to adopt one of these two methods and sometimes both in the other to have a pool of talented prospects.

Inbound Sourcing in Recruitment

The inbound method sees a company or brand build a pool of candidates over a period. The goal is to engage your stakeholders with knowledgeable content, company culture, and other forms of engaging materials or activities to attract prospects. One way to do this is by having open school fairs in leading universities where companies come in and answer questions from students interested in them.

Student information is collected and used to keep in touch with them – using the latest content, company news, and employee testimonies. One advantage of the inbound sourcing method is, it allows the company to nurture prospects by giving them essential materials and tools. It also gives them access to tips when applying for employment.

Another advantage is most people in this pool are interested in the brand. Big-name brands often use this recruitment style to encourage speedy sourcing and, by extension, the recruiting process.

Outbound Sourcing in Recruitment

Outbound sourcing is where a company or brand reaches out to source new talents. It’s the opposite of the inbound method, which focuses on attracting and nurturing talents. The outbound method kicks in when there is a position to fill.

Some companies use this as their second option if unable to find the right person from their talent pool, while other smaller brands use this as their first and only option. It is a short-term method, and we usually encourage brands to have an in-house talent pool that they nurture and engage.

What are the Secrets to Successful Sourcing on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a large social media site with over 830 million users in over 200 countries. It is a platform that appeals to those who want to make professional and business connections – a perfect spot for recruiters looking to get new talents. A study by Jobvite showed that 93% of companies use LinkedIn to recruit frequently. The appeal of LinkedIn has made it a den for hungry recruiting lions that are out for talented prospects. To successfully recruit on this platform, you need to note a few tips. We are discussing those tips in the next section.

A Good Company Profile

The company page on LinkedIn is the first point of contact for your candidate, so make sure it represents the values the company stands by. Update it regularly with content, employees’ testimonials, press releases, and other engaging materials to keep your followers engaged. Endeavor to have the links to your other social media platforms, blog posts, and the likes on the profile. An active and engaging company profile is always a good sign.

Aside from the company profiles, the recruiters should also update and complete their profiles. Your profile should be able to answer questions like “Are you a recruiter at first glance?” “Your current role, and if you are linked to the company you are recruiting for?” You do not want candidates thinking you are a scam recruiter.

Make and Maintain Connections

The recruiter shouldn’t be only active when there is a job vacancy, but always. Regularly making connections with other professionals can go a long way to help your sourcing activities. Connecting means you indirectly advertise yourself and, by extension, your company. When you want to communicate with individuals, you alert them. They visit your profile and then the company’s profile. This can serve as an indirect introduction to them. After they accept your request, your posts and activities will appear on their feed. 

Using InMails

InMails are available on a premium account and used to send emails to those, not on your connect list. Aside from InMails (which can be pricy), you can also use a LinkedIn email finder to access prospect information on the platform.

Whether through InMails or emails, make sure you personalize your message for the candidate. Using a template isn’t an excuse to mix details like the names, job openings, or pronouns, as candidates can interpret these as a lack of professionalism. 

Also, make sure your message doesn’t sound overly generic. You can have three to four templates. Different industries have different buzzwords, languages, and even communication styles – let this reflect in your message to them.

One trick to automate your processes is to use an extension for contact sourcing on a website such as SignalHire.

Encourage Employees to Participate

Employees’ testimonials, articles, and company-shared posts go a long way. Your employees also have professional contacts in their respective fields. Encouraging them to share their wins and progress on the platform is a great way to attract interest to them and your company. Their career wins are the companies (at least as long as they are with you). You can also encourage them to recommend professionals on the platform for vacant roles. Tying rewards to their referrals can encourage participation.

Join and be Active in Relevant Groups

Joining and being active in relevant industry groups is a must for recruiters. You can join groups related to your industry and contribute to that community. It isn’t enough to join and be passive, be active by sharing posts related to the industry, commenting, and responding to comments. When looking to fill a role, it’s easier to post. Knowing your prior engagements well should produce some response.

Create a Job Post

It’s an obvious point, but we will mention it. Post a job advert on the platform. Creating a Job ad is free, and you can choose to advertise it. You can post it in relevant groups, ask employees to share, and reach out to prospects about the job opening. If you have an advertising budget, advertise, as they can be effective at bringing about exposure. 

Before posting the job advert, note the language used; use words that job seekers use when searching for those roles. Don’t forget to cover the basics of the job advert like the job title, job description, remuneration, and how to apply. It’s best to have a link they can click on to begin the application process.

Use Recruiting Software to Automate and Keep Track of your Process

LinkedIn offers some software to help recruiters make their search easy and keep track of the recruitment process. One such software is “Recruiter.” It helps connect and manage people you want to hire. You can also use LinkedIn Talent Hub to help with the recruiting process from start to finish.

Conclusion

In conclusion, recruiting on LinkedIn can be rewarding and effective if done right. Millions of Job ads spring up online each day, and thousands of recruiters have recruited talented specialists from the platform. The platform only looks to expand in the future. Would you add anything to this post? Let us know!