The Five Top Ways to Use LinkedIn to Find Employees

Author: Wayne Breitbarth

This article is going to be an answer to a question that I have been receiving more frequently lately, and that is "Can I use LinkedIn to find employees, and, if so, how?" That is a pretty silly question, wouldn't you say, once you step back and remind yourself that LinkedIn gives you the ability to search through 80 million resumes, by far the largest fully searchable resume database in the world.

Bear in mind that I am not a professional recruiter. Professional recruiters are trained to match employers with potential employees. This is what they do all day long, and not only do they have experience with using LinkedIn, but they have tremendous networks that can help them find people who are not even officially looking for jobs. So do not underestimate the value of having a professional recruiter help you in your search.

That being said, I have found the following features on LinkedIn to be extremely helpful. Some of them I have used myself, and some I have learned about when others have shared their experiences with me. I am going to call this tip:

The Top Five Ways to Use LinkedIn to Find Employees

1. Use your Status Update box to ask your network if they know of anyone who is qualified for the position you are attempting to fill. After all, this is your network, and the people in your network know you well and understand the nature of your company. If someone in your network is aware of a prospective candidate, he/she should be able to quickly introduce you to the candidate. This is the easiest and most efficient way to find your next hire. That being said, I would not post this question in your Status Box every day, but try to limit this question to a couple times per week.

2. Use the Jobs tab in the groups you belong to, especially those groups that are related to the specific industry that your potential candidate would work in. Consider joining new groups just for the purpose of looking for this candidate if you are not involved in groups where this person would usually "hang out."

3. Use the advanced people search. Some of the criteria that you will want to consider when building your search are:
a. Title. Be sure to try some different words for the same job.
b. Company. This can be very useful, especially if you choose the "Past" option when you are searching companies that compete with your company.
c. Keywords. Here you can get very creative, using things like specialty software, skills, specific industries, territories or regions of the country, etc. Also, if you include words like "pursuing," "seeking" or "looking" in your keyword search, you will find interview-ready candidates.

4. Once you have landed on a search or searches that brought you some good potential candidates, be sure to save that search by clicking the word "Save" on the top right of the results screen. This way LinkedIn will continue to look for more potential candidates by regularly searching your network, including the new connections people in your network are making on an ongoing basis.

5. Post a job on LinkedIn's job board. Currently the charge for this is $195 per month per posting. There are some multiple job discounts. You get to this by clicking the Jobs tab on the top toolbar and selecting "Post a Job."

Once you have used the above techniques to find a few good candidates, be sure to spend some time reading and studying each candidate's profile, especially the recommendations. There is just a wealth of information included on the profile that may either bring that candidate to the top or sink him/her.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/human-resources-articles/the-five-top-ways-to-use-linkedin-to-find-employees-3916550.html

About the Author

Wayne Breitbarth was once a skeptic and now is an outspoken proponent of LinkedIn, "LinkedIn Guru" Wayne Breitbarth is passionate about helping business professionals--from entry level to CEO--learn how to combine their previous experience and relationships with this innovative tool in order to more successfully brand and market themselves and their businesses. Wayne's diverse professional background uniquely positions him to assist not only individuals but corporate entities as well. With thirty years' experience in the areas of operations, finance, management, consulting, and business ownership, he is able to "put it all together" for his corporate and individual clients. In addition to his consulting work, Wayne is a dynamic speaker. His practical yet entertaining presentations have inspired audiences both locally, at many of Milwaukee's most prominent companies and organizations, and nationally, at conventions, industry association events, and corporate training sessions. You can download a free chapter from his upcoming book "The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success" Kick-start your Business, Brand and Job Search" at: http://budurl.com/m4bm. You can also get free weekly LinkedIn tips by email by contacting him at wbreitbarth@mmoffice.com.