Have you looked on LinkedIn lately in the Groups that are dedicated to job-related networking? You know all those people that put:
Looking for an opportunity in XYZ. My background is ABCDEFGH. I accept all networking invitations; visit my profile…
I see a lot of recruiters and hiring managers share with candidates that this is an ineffective way to use LinkedIn. So, why oh why are recruiters around the globe doing almost that exact same thing when looking for other recruiters? Here is an example:
Need 1099 Recruiters to help fill sales and employee benefit consulting opportunities. Meet Wednesday or Tuesday next week and get started. Paid daily, usually within 24-72 hours. Email for details.
Now, do you see a few issues with this? WHERE should they meet? What email address? Is this for remote on-site roles? I’d say that this is more of a pipeline ad, but I see enough of them that it’s not unique.
This sets an extremely bad example and follows on my last article on recruiting hypocrisy. And it isn’t just for recruiting industry jobs, either. I’m all for using the LinkedIn groups for sourcing, but please do it responsibly and don’t frustrate your potential candidate pool and your professional colleagues (and damage your recruiting brand in the process). Here’s a lesson in writing a LinkedIn job description for Groups and sourcing on them.
Elements of a Job Description
Your corporate posting may be too long for the LinkedIn character constraints, so choose the most important point for a job seeker. They can look up the company and marketing info on their own. Here are the basics:
Sourcing Basics for Using LinkedIn Groups
Remember, recruiting isn’t just about filling pipelines. It’s about building relationships and aligning your recruiting and corporate brand.