Career Prospectors

July 24, 2012

*How Recruiters Use LinkedIn

*My Purpose in using LinkedIn

*Create a complete and compelling advertisement for Me, Inc.

*Recruiters Purpose in using

LinkedIn

*Locate the best, most qualified candidates in the shortest period of time.

*Is This REALLY Important?

*91% of employers use social networking sites to screen prospective employees

*93% use LinkedIn, up from 87% in 2011

*75% of recruiters polled said they hired someone who was found or introduced through a social network

*Among those, 89% found someone through LinkedIn

*Is this REALLY Important?

*69% of recruiters report rejecting a candidate because of what they saw about them on a social networking site

*Top reasons for rejecting a candidate:

*Posted inappropriate photo or comments

*Posted negative comments about a previous employer

*Demonstrated poor communication skills

*Lied about their qualifications

*Yes, It’s REALLY Important

*68% of recruiters say they hired a candidate because of what they saw about them on a social networking site

*Top reasons for hiring:

*Positive impression of their personality and organizational fit

*Profile supported their professional qualifications

*Profile showed candidate was creative

*Candidate had good references posted by others

*Anatomy of a Search

*Using the “Advanced” “Search People” capabilities of LI, they specify keywords, job titles and locations to find candidates

*At this point the goal is to be inclusive, rather than exclude candidates

*Usually start with a few criteria

*Profile Summary

*The closer a profile is to the top of the list, the more attractive the candidate, specifically:

*Number of connections

*Number of recommendations

*Keyword relevance

*Begin scanning the summaries of the profiles that appear

*Determine if it’s worth it to view the entire profile

*10 – 20 Seconds

*“I can tell just from the summary that information on the profile is either missing or completely worthless.”

*No picture

*No name

*No companies listed

*Vague titles

*No contacts

*Background missing, etc.

*IF the Recruiter Continues

*Begin looking for the requirements defined in the search – education, years of experience, etc.

*If a resume is uploaded I will review it

*If the profile is incomplete, work history brief, description of work worthless, no company information listed, candidate is dismissed

*If more leads are needed

*Go back and change the title or industry and try again

*Not change the search, just some of the criteria

*May search by company name if a specific company is likely to have qualified candidates

*Making Contact

*After creating a list of acceptable candidates, they will reach out to individuals and inquire about their interest in the opportunity

*Introduction requests

*InMail

*Direct email or phone call

*Candidates need to stay available and be responsive – get back promptly

*Profile Importance

*In today’s world, the search for candidates so often starts on LinkedIn

*Don’t make it end there too

*If your profile doesn’t portray you as an EXPERT in your field, you may be missing opportunities

*Most Common Mistakes

*Building Your Profile

*Not including contact information, add it in a few places

*Not personalizing your URL

*Not reinforcing your brand or ROI value throughout your profile

*Not attaching a resume, biography, etc. to your profile

*No photo

*Not adding links to websites or web pages

*Not having a searchable professional headline that brands your ROI and speaks to your audience

*Most Common Mistakes

*Building Your Profile

*Having no (or only 1 or 2) recommendations

*Not immediately generating interest in the Summary section

*Not including your “interests” in Addt’l Info

*Not adding a stand-alone section to highlight skills, publications, etc.

*Not proofreading and re-proofreading

*Not having a 100% complete profile

*Not including your Twitter @username

*Most Common Mistakes

*Leveraging Your LinkedIn Membership

*Not updating your profile regularly

*Neglecting LinkedIn Groups

*Not personalizing a connect request

*Asking for a favor with your invitation

*Not including a link to your profile in your email signature

*Not utilizing the Answers section to demonstrate expertise

Resume

*Limited to two pages

*Detail about your jobs and accomplishments

* Impersonal, formal document

*Still necessary, but not the only tool used by recruiters

*Consistency between both is key

*What you have done

LinkedIn

*Use as much space as you like, just don’t over do it

*Summary gives you the opportunity to showcase your personality in addition to jobs and accomplishments

*LI Groups shows areas of interest

*Who you are

*Compare/Contrast

*At Minimum…..

*Create a Profile

*Consider a photo

*Keywords and Skills

*Build Your Network

*Get Recommendations

*Search Jobs

*Stay Connected

*Questions or Comments?

Fresh eyes looking at something you’ve been slaving over can be very helpful. Would a LinkedIn reviewer be helpful?