Using LinkedIn to Win Top Talent

The right talent can make all the difference in delivering a quality product or service, exceeding customer service expectations, and growing your business, not to mention boosting team camaraderie and morale. But, as has been well documented this past year, good talent can be hard to find - and attract. However, if you have open positions to fill and are building a team, social recruitment through LinkedIn can get the job done. Here are some tips to help you recruit top talent.

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Be Strategic

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All too often, companies approach social media platforms like they do when they’re using them personally. They post haphazardly, engage with others occasionally and spend time refining their image rarely. So, the first rule of thumb if you want to capture the attention of top talent on this platform is: change your approach. Research has been done about factors like the optimal times to post and the types of messages that get the highest engagement. Become a student, and learn all you can about these nuances. Then create a plan for the times you’ll post, what the content will include, and whether you need support from anyone in order to execute it all. A few additional ways to be strategic:

• Use keywords in your job posts

• Use LinkedIn pages to share company news

• Try LinkedIn Career Pages, where you can really paint a picture of what it’s like to work at your company

• Consider LinkedIn paid ads, to see if it gets you further traction

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Prioritize Consistency

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Another way to reach the right prospective employees on LinkedIn is by ensuring there’s uniformity in how your brand is publicly positioned. For example, do all your employees have the same descriptor about what your company does on their individual profiles? If not, do they at least stem from the same messaging? Are your team members using the correct job titles on LinkedIn? Does your company page share your core values, and reflect your current branding?

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For many organizations, the answer is no. If a candidate is interested in your company, they’ll likely browse your company page and look at individual employees’ pages as well. So, what will they find? If they come across the profile of someone in a similar role to the one they’re applying for, will the description get them excited? Or be a letdown and turn them off from the opportunity? Branding and consistency can make a big difference in how your company is perceived.  

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Champion Employee Advocacy

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LinkedIn has found that job candidates are almost two times more likely to apply for a job if they’re familiar with the company. So, how do you increase familiarity? First, encourage your employees to advocate for your company on social media. This means sharing company news, posting updates, and engaging with fellow team members and your greater industry.

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Second, invite your team to have a hand in recruitment. They have a vested interest in who joins your company, and the overall culture and caliber. So, ask them to post about current job openings and let someone know if they discover an ideal candidate.

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Not only does employee advocacy on LinkedIn give your brand a human touch, but it also amplifies your reach. The more professional, exciting, and human your company seems, the better you’ll be able to find and reach top talent - and LinkedIn provides an excellent place to start achieving this. Would you like help to create a recruitment marketing plan that supports your overall marketing strategy? We’d love to help!