While LinkedIn is an excellent tool that nearly all recruiters use to find many qualified candidates, not everyone has a LinkedIn profile. So, how do we, as recruiters, find and contact candidates without LinkedIn? Let's start by admitting that we are sometimes LinkedIn addicts, and we can forget all the other options we have to find and connect with top candidates.
According to the Pew Research Center in 2019, only 27% of American adults have a LinkedIn account. By only using LinkedIn, you may be missing out on millions of great candidates! So, where else do recruiters find candidates outside of LinkedIn? The answer is multi-faceted. Deciding what platform to use depends on the positions you are seeking to fill. Every role is different and varies by industry and function. Research is a vital part of recruiting in understanding where to source top-quality candidates.
How to Know When it’s Time to Log off LinkedIn:
Lack of Information.
If you are working on a search and notice specific areas of your search criteria are missing from many of the profiles you find, it’s time to say goodbye to LinkedIn for this search. Nothing is worse when you are candidate sourcing than finding little to no information in the LinkedIn profile besides the candidate’s job title and current company. The three telling signs that a person isn’t utilizing their LinkedIn account include minimal previous job descriptions, missing profile picture, and limited connections. Recruiters shouldn’t spend time crafting a personalized message to these candidates, because odds are, the candidate will not see it, and the recruiter won’t get a response.
Exhausted Results.
Another time to ditch LinkedIn is once you’ve run out of profiles. If you’ve changed your Boolean continuously but still have the same exhausted results, it’s time to leave the platform. Another option to generate a new batch of profiles using the same search string is by utilizing other recruiting tools like Seekout, Entelo, and Eightfold. These tools use different algorithms and will pull profiles you otherwise may not have seen if you had stayed on LinkedIn.
Once you’ve decided to use a different approach to your search and log off LinkedIn, start with these 5 steps to reinvigorate your search:
Ever hit a #recruiting dead end on LinkedIn? It’s time to log off and try these 5 steps from @IQTalent to reinvigorate your search:Click to Tweet1. Get Creative!
Creativity is a must when it comes to recruitment! In many industries, professionals don’t spend their entire workday and after-hours behind computers. For example, candidates in healthcare and education may not go online for hours, or even days, and it may be weeks before they see a LinkedIn Inmail (if they even have a profile!). In fact, only 40% of LinkedIn users check their accounts daily. That’s a lot of Diamond Candidates that recruiters aren’t able to connect with through the platform!
2. Consider Job Boards.
It’s important to remember that some great active candidates can be ideal matches for your role in addition to the traditional passive candidates. Monster and Indeed are great resources to find resumes that candidates have uploaded. Sourcing active candidates often leads to higher response rates and more enthusiastic candidates. Especially with layoffs due to COVID-19, the active candidate market is robust and filled with qualified professionals.
3. Engage on Social Media
When you want to find passive candidates outside of LinkedIn, other social media platforms will become your best friend! The top social platforms to seek talent are Facebook and Twitter in addition to Google X-Ray searches. Google has differing Boolean commands from LinkedIn that can generate resumes of candidates that may not have a LinkedIn profile or online social media presence. Utilizing Facebook Groups also can be very useful to connect with people in specific industries. Hashtags are key to finding great talent through social media sourcing.
Of course, the best place from which to recruit is your own social network. Nothing will ever top the power of knowing and forming personal connections.
Only 40% of LinkedIn users check their accounts daily. For recruiters, this isn’t great for your #timetofill. Try these 5 creative alternatives to InMail from @IQTalent.Click to Tweet4. Email your Top Candidates.
Many recruiters message on LinkedIn first, followed by an email at a later date to try and re-engage. However, this practice is the reverse of typical candidate behavior. More candidates check their emails than their LinkedIn messages. Increase response rates by using email as the first and primary form of outreach rather than a LinkedIn InMail.
5. Send a Text.
Another successful way to reach candidates is through texting. Tools like whitepages.com or other contact search tools make it easy to access phone numbers. You can text candidates on their way to work, during a lunch break, or when they are about to leave for the day. Hopefully, you can schedule a quick call and talk to them as they sit in traffic on their drive home.
Tip: Bear in mind the hour of the day you are texting candidates. Time zone changes are very important. No one wants a “Good Morning” wake up text from a recruiter at 6:00 am.
It’s true that LinkedIn has changed the world of recruiting, but it’s not the only place to find candidates. Recruiters must continue to be innovative and creative in their efforts to find the best-qualified talent. Other platforms and social media have proven to be beneficial, especially when searching in niche markets. Stop settling for LinkedIn results alone!
If you don’t have other tools at your fingertips, we do! Check out what our team can do for you and discover if augmenting your internal team temporarily might be the next step to reignite a stale search.
Just need a quick list of top passive candidates to get your search started? Try our new talent exchange marketplace, IQTalent Xchange. We’ll find the best professional candidates in the market along with their contact information so you can email or text them immediately!
