LinkedIn has been a key sourcing tool for recruiters and savvy HR departments for quite a while now. As a result it is absolutely vital for job seekers and anyone caring about their career (and network) to have a completed and and up-to-date profile. However, LinkedIn has also put the sourcing power straight into the hands of managers and employees who want to source their own hires (rather than just go via HR or deal with outside recruitment agencies). More and more managers are now going straight to LinkedIn to find what they deem to be the best person for their vacancy and/or to get ideas for the job description and candidate profile they are developing.
Not only are they using LinkedIn to directly source candidates themselves, but they are also using it to make their own network aware of what they are looking for. Bearing in mind how well-connected it’s easy to become on LinkedIn, there is a good chance that one of your connections (or their connections) will hear about that vacancy. So make sure that your connections truly know what you are up to and what you are looking for. With a bit of ‘team work’ you could be landing your dream job without too much hassle!
So even if you are tired of getting emails from über-keen recruiters via your LinkedIn profile, hang on there! You could be missing out on a golden opportunity to give your future line manager the direct link to you. Whilst the majority of recruitment is still being managed by HR and recruiters, it’s important that you are ahead of the game and know what developments are taking place, so you can make the most of them. So now you know!
If You Only Do One Thing This Week: Make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete and contains your most up-to-date contact details. And if you don’t currently have a LinkedIn profile, you know what I’m going to say…get one today! Do also make sure that you don’t just connect to people, but that you keep the conversation going, so they know what you are up to and what you are looking for. Never has there been more reasons to be on LinkedIn!