So are several of the other Networking website, they are more or less the MySpace's of the business world.
Since I know and understand LinkedIn a bit more than the other's, I will just concentrate my thoughts on using LinkedIn as a recruiting tool.
There is not a day that goes by whereby I don't receive at least tw0 invitations to join someones network on LinkedIn. I am not sure how many direct connections I have, I stopped counting after 500, but how did I get so many, and how does it help me?
First, for some reason, and don't ask me why, but when you contact someone on or through LinkedIN, there is some sort of automatic credibility that comes with the contact attempt. Maybe because you are now a real person, not just a recruiter or sales guy making a cold call. As with all things, LinkedIn can be whatever you intend it to be, and with some simple guidance, LinkedIN is perhaps the best place to find Passive Candidates, Candidates who have resumes on Monster or Careerbuilder etc..that are not easily searchable, etc...
Here are some tips on LinkedIn as a tool for recruiting.
- Create a full and creative profile for your LinkedIn audience. Be sure and add all of your experience, going back ten years at least. (Unless you were working at McDonalds or Burger King ten years ago, please do leave that out. :) Write more than just Recruiter at EDS, or Recruiting Manager at Southwest Airlines....put in What you do, How you do it, and how you can be a valued member of the network. (my LinkedIn address is www.linkedin.com/in/donnylauderback I think it's a decent example)
- BUILD YOUR NETWORK. I spent several hours early on doing searches and finding people who included their email address within their profile. These people are generally good about accepting your invitation...find five or six a day, grow your network, and you will start to see how valuable a large network can be, at least in our industry. Don't get upset and get your feelings hurt if someone turns you down. I have only had two people turn me down in the past, and I didn't like them much anyway.
- SPEND THE $50.00. LinkedIn is cheap. $50.00 a month lets you use INmail, and you are featured as a LInkedIn premium member. It's worth the money.....
- GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS: Give people you know, and have worked with, recommendations on their profile. Be honest of course, but if they are a good person, and do well at what they do, commend them for it. You'll be surprised how much people appreciate a good recommendation.
- CONTINUOUSLY RE-DO YOUR PROFILE. Every day, I see that several people in my network have re-done their profile...every time I login, I notice who is moving on, who is promoted etc....I always send these people a short email note, congratulating them on whatever it is that has happened to them. Even if they have been laid off, send them an email letting them know you are thinking about them, and to let you know if you can help.
- REMEMBER, TODAY'S UNEMPLOYED GUY IS TOMORROW'S CUSTOMER OR CANDIDATE!! Always remember this one point. Anyone who is looking for a job will remember how you treated them, no matter if you can help or not...
- AND FINALLY....No one is a bad contact....I have been fired by a person before, and hired him later on in my career. Don't hold grudges, just keep your network fresh, and open.
More later.....
No comments:
Post a Comment