Let’s Face It, The New LinkedIn Recruiter Certification is Probably Worthless


At LinkedIn’s (LI’s) annual Talent Connect Conference in Las Vegas last week, they announced the addition of a certification program for recruiters.
I love the idea!
Much like SHRM has their PHR and SPHR certifications, no real recruiting certification has taken hold. A number of organizations have tried, the most successful probably beingAmerican Staffing Association’s Certified Staffing Professional and AIRS Internet Recruiter certification (the CPC through NAPS for my Agency friends), but all seem woefully incomplete and none have really ever gained traction as “THE” certification to have if you’re a true recruiting professional.
That’s why LinkedIn’s announcement intrigued me. LI has the brand recognition and money to really own this space if they decide to.
Unfortunately, I think the new LinkedIn Recruiter Certification is going to cause confusion in the corporate and agency recruiting ranks.
Here’s why it’s probably worthless:
Well, here’s why this is going to be wildly successful:
It does really open up a broader conversation about why no one has really been able to create a recruiter certification program that is widely respected and used. It might be that recruiting, like sales, is hard to train and even harder to come up with concrete components around what makes a recruiter really good at recruiting. There are so many opinions on that subject and ways to do the job effectively.
Does being a “Certified LinkedIn Recruiter” make you a better recruiter? No.
But will it make people think you are? Yes.
Is it a scam? Well, it definitely seems a little “scam-ish.” I won’t say it’s a complete scam because they are very up front at what they are delivering for your money. Does LI really need the extra $199 per recruiter? Sure! Every company needs incremental revenue, and LI is no different.
They aren’t a non-profit. God bless them for coming up with a great idea on getting another $199 per recruiter out of your organization.
Here’s my question: Would you pay $199 to become ADP certified? What about Oracle?Halogen? SuccessFactors?
That’s what this is. It’s your HR vendor partner charging you to become a certified expert on their system.
This isn’t transferable. You can’t leave your company, who uses LI, and go to a new company who uses Monster and say, “Well, I’m a ‘Certified Recruiter.’ ”
You’re not. You’re just certified on one system. And by the way, your two years is up, so please send another check.
This was originally published on Tim Sackett’s blog, The Tim Sackett Project.