Ever since its launch in 2003, LinkedIn has become recruiters’ first choice to find qualified candidates across the world. If you also want to be “found” by one of these headhunters, you need to understand how exactly they use LinkedIn to look for the contenders, so you can position yourself accordingly. 

How Recruiters Use LinkedIn to Network and Find Talent

LinkedIn is primarily a social network for business and career professionals, with more than 500 million members scattered around the globe. Employers and recruiters frequently use this great platform to network and get in touch with professionals. 

So, if you are a job seeker, LinkedIn can significantly increase your chances of getting hired.

But how to truly leverage the potential of LinkedIn? Just making an account is not enough anymore; you also need to know the specific techniques recruiters and the companies use to find candidates so you can take advantage of those opportunities. 

Here are some of the most common ways recruiters find talent on LinkedIn:

They look for people working a similar job: Many recruiters use LinkedIn to find someone who is already in a similar job role as the one they are looking to fill. These recruiters don’t hesitate to reach out to the employee working at a competing business. The #1 way to find these people is by typing in the job title/skills and the rival company’s name.

They comb through LinkedIn’s groups: Skilled recruiters spend considerable time visiting industry-specific groups on LinkedIn to see who is regularly contributing to the conversations, who is posting genuinely-useful articles, and who is asking intelligent questions.

They find similar people to those they are already connected to: When you search someone on LinkedIn, the platform also provides a list of other people with similar traits to the people you searched for. These extra “suggestions” provide recruiters with more choices in terms of candidates. 

This is why it’s recommended to have a large network on LinkedIn; it increases your chances of showing up in people’s searches even if they weren’t precisely looking for you.

They use advanced searches: Many top recruiters have admitted to using LinkedIn’s advanced search options to identify possible candidates and then sending InMails to them. Make sure you post your email address in your profile because hiring managers like to contact the candidate directly via their email.

Benefits of Reaching Out and Connecting With Recruiters on LinkedIn

Leading recruiters and hiring managers say that people shouldn’t hesitate to connect with potential employers on LinkedIn – whether or not you have already interviewed with them. 

However, make sure your profile is as perfect and compelling as possible before you connect with any recruiters. A professional profile that’s riddled with typos doesn’t bode well if you want potential employers or recruiters to take you seriously.  

Also, always send a well-thought out message to the recruiters on why you want to connect with them on LinkedIn. Seasoned recruiters can tell if a message is insincere or simply copy-and-paste response. Sending a personalized message also reduces the risk of getting your connection request rejected.

These connections can pay off in the long-term even if the right opportunity is not available right now. By connecting with even one hiring manager, you may very well open the door to more networking opportunities and catch the attention of the right people in your industry.