How to Find Candidates on LinkedIn [2024]

Are you trying to find superstar candidates for your company on LinkedIn? In this article, you will learn about the benefits of using LinkedIn for candidate search, including how to access a large pool of professionals. You will also learn how to set up your profile for successful candidate search, create a LinkedIn Recruiter account, use boolean search to find candidates and apply advanced search techniques.

Benefits of Using LinkedIn for Candidate Search

Access to a Large Pool of Professionals

LinkedIn offers organizations an opportunity to reach out to an extensive network of professionals from various industries. With over 930 million users worldwide, LinkedIn has become a go-to resource to find potential candidates across work sectors.

The platform is designed to showcase users’ professional experience, education, skills, and recommendations. It allows recruiters to gain a comprehensive understanding of a candidate’s background even before reaching out to them. Also, with regular updates on recent achievements and career changes, LinkedIn helps employers keep track of both active and passive candidates in their industry.

By using LinkedIn as a primary candidate search tool, companies can save significant time and resources as compared to traditional recruitment methods.

By tapping into LinkedIn’s vast network, employers can quickly identify talent pools that match their specific requirements. Also, they can efficiently pre-screen candidates, potentially expediting the overall hiring process.

Direct Engagement with Potential Candidates

LinkedIn allows employers to directly engage with potential candidates, fostering a level of personal connection that may be unattainable through other recruitment channels. By taking advantage of LinkedIn’s communication tools, such as InMails and connection requests, recruiters can promptly reach out to prospective employees and gauge their interest in new job opportunities.

Also, personalized messages can help companies express their genuine interest in a candidate’s skill set and experience. This will result in a higher response rate and increased probability of securing top talent. Direct engagement also enables employers to answer any questions prospective candidates may have and provide further information about the company. Ultimately, it will assist in creating a positive candidate experience.

Referral Opportunities

LinkedIn can also open the door to valuable referrals from current employees, past colleagues, or other connections within your network. When looking for candidates who possess specific expertise or knowledge in a certain area, recruiters can leverage their existing connections to identify potential prospects.

This mechanism significantly increases the likelihood of finding qualified candidates, as referrals are often based on an actual understanding of an individual’s abilities and contributions to the industry. In many cases, referred candidates can prove to be a better fit for a role or an organization, given the inherent basis of trust and validation that comes with referrals.

Setting Up Your Profile for Successful Candidate Search

Before you start searching for potential candidates, it’s important to set up your LinkedIn profile correctly. The goal is to make it easier for others to find you and understand your role in the hiring process. Now, let’s see some ways you can optimize your profile for better candidate search results.

Complete Your Own Profile

Your LinkedIn profile is essentially your online resume. It’s often the first thing candidates will see when they come across your name during their job search. Make sure your profile is complete and up-to-date, with a professional-looking profile picture, a clear and concise summary, and a detailed list of your experience, education, certifications, and skills.

You’ll create a good first impression and give candidates a better understanding of your background and expertise. Plus, a more complete profile will help you rank higher in LinkedIn search results, making it easier for potential candidates to find you.

Some tips for completing your profile include:

• Use a high-quality, professional profile photo that clearly shows your face.
• Write a compelling summary that highlights your career achievements and current responsibilities.
• List all relevant work experience, including internships and volunteer work, and make sure the descriptions are clear and include key accomplishments.
• Include any certifications, licenses, or training that is relevant to your industry and role.
• Add your education, including any relevant coursework or concentrations.
• List any skills, endorsements, and recommendations that can help validate your expertise.

Customize Your LinkedIn URL

A personalized LinkedIn URL not only makes your profile look more professional but also makes it easier for candidates to find and connect with you. Instead of having a generic URL with numbers and letters, customize it to include your name and a relevant keyword.

To customize your LinkedIn URL, follow these steps:

1. Click on “Me” in the top right corner of your LinkedIn homepage
2. Select “View profile” from the dropdown menu
3. Click on “Edit public profile & URL” on the right side of your profile
4. In the “Edit your custom URL” section, replace the generic URL with a personalized one and click “Save“

Join Relevant Industry Groups

Participating in LinkedIn groups related to your industry and job function will help you network with like-minded professionals. You will stay updated on the latest trends and insights, and identify potential candidates within your field. By being active in these groups, you can show candidates that you’re knowledgeable and engaged in your industry. That will make it more likely for them to reach out to you or respond to your InMail messages.

To find relevant groups, use the LinkedIn search bar to search for group names or keywords related to your industry, job function, or professional interests. Once you’ve joined some groups, make sure to contribute to discussions, share interesting content, and engage with other members. Make your presence known and build your reputation as a thought leader in your industry.

Creating a LinkedIn Recruiter Account

Having a LinkedIn Recruiter account can be a valuable tool for businesses and organizations, as it allows you to find, connect, and engage potential candidates while raising your organization’s visibility. Let’s discuss the benefits, setup process, and differences between LinkedIn Recruiter Lite and LinkedIn Recruiter Corporate.

Benefits of a LinkedIn Recruiter Account

There are several key advantages to using a LinkedIn Recruiter account:

1. Access to a vast pool of talent – With over 930 million users worldwide, LinkedIn offers you an extensive database of potential candidates across various industries and job functions.
2. Advanced Search Capabilities – LinkedIn Recruiter comes with enhanced search options, allowing you to perform detailed, customized searches for candidates based on various criteria such as job title, location, seniority level, industry, and more.
3. InMail messages – Reach out to potential candidates directly through LinkedIn’s built-in messaging platform, InMail. With a LinkedIn Recruiter account, your InMail allotment is much higher than with a standard account. It enables you to communicate with many more prospects.
4. Candidate tracking – LinkedIn Recruiter allows you to create and manage candidate projects, saving you time and effort in organizing your recruitment pipeline. You can easily track the status of applicants and rate them based on specific attributes or notes to make it easier to review them later.
5. Access to exclusive analytics and insights – Gain meaningful insights into your recruitment efforts through LinkedIn’s talent pool analytics feature that can guide your talent sourcing strategy.
6. Brand visibility – With a LinkedIn Recruiter account, your organization’s job postings become more visible in user job search results, increasing your chances of attracting top talent.

Setting Up a LinkedIn Recruiter Account

To get started with LinkedIn Recruiter, follow these steps:

First, you need to visit the LinkedIn Talent Solutions website and click “Contact sales”

Next, fill out the form with all of your details. This includes first name, last name, company, email, phone number, country, and your role.

After completing all of the details, submit the form. You will be contacted by the LinkedIn marketing team with the available offers for becoming a recruiter.

LinkedIn Recruiter Lite vs. Professional vs. Corporate

Before signing up for a LinkedIn Recruiter account, it’s crucial to understand the differences between the three available options: LinkedIn Recruiter Lite, Recruiter Professional, and Recruiter Corporate. Basically, it boils down to how many InMail messages you get, how many job slots, how many collaborative features, etc.

Recruiter Corporate is obviously the best option, but the priciest as well. You will need to analyze which option is most suitable for you. However, the marketing team will help you with that as well.

The features that you get from upgrading to a recruiter account are worth it. InMail compared to Mail will grant you a much higher percentage of successful reachouts. There are also extra search filters, search insights, integrations, and more.

In conclusion, choosing between different recruiter accounts depends on your organization’s size, hiring demands, and resources available. By understanding the features, benefits, and differences between Lite and Corporate, you can make an informed decision and leverage LinkedIn Recruiter to attract and engage top talent effectively.

Using Boolean Search to Find Candidates on LinkedIn

Boolean Search is a technique used in searching databases, search engines, and social media platforms to filter results based on specific conditions. It uses operators such as AND, OR, and NOT in combination with keywords to narrow down search results and make them more relevant to your requirements. This method allows you to create complex search queries that can save you time and effort in finding the right candidates.

Here is a brief explanation of the critical operators in Boolean Search:

1. AND: This operator is used to combine two or more criteria in your search. When you use AND, your search results will include only those profiles that meet all the specified conditions. For example, if you search for “developer AND python,” you will find profiles of developers who have experience with Python.
2. OR: The OR operator is used when you want to find profiles that match any of the specified criteria. For instance, if you search for “developer OR programmer,” you will get profiles of people who have either the developer or programmer title.
3. NOT: This operator excludes specific criteria from your search results. For example, if you search for “developer NOT java,” you will find developers who do not have experience with Java programming.
4. Quotation marks (“”): When you want to search for an exact phrase or term, you can use quotation marks. For example, if you search for “front-end developer,” you will find profiles with the exact phrase and not those that mention “front-end” or “developer” separately.
5. Parenthesis (): Using parentheses allows you to group related criteria and manage the order of your search query. For example, searching for “developer (Python OR Java)” will give you profiles of developers with either Python or Java expertise.

Advanced Search Techniques to Find Candidates on LinkedIn

One of the essential techniques for locating the best candidates on LinkedIn is using advanced search filters. These filters enable you to narrow down your search results based on several criteria, including location, industry, job title, company, and more. Here’s how to utilize some of these filters:

1. Location: Choose the desired location to find candidates who are nearby or in a specific region. This filter is helpful, especially if you require someone who can work on-site or when a specific language skill is vital.
2. Industry: To find candidates within a specific industry, use the ‘industry’ filter to target professionals with experience in your industry. This helps you to find individuals who are already familiar with the practices, rules, and jargon of your business.
3. Job title: If you are looking to fill a specific position, search for profiles using the ‘job title’ filter. This enables you to find candidates with relevant experience and a proven track record in the required role.
4. Company: Use the ‘company’ filter to locate candidates who have worked at companies similar to yours or within a specific sector, such as startups or Fortune 500 businesses.
5. Keywords: Use specific keywords to find professionals with skills or experience relevant to the job position. For example, if you are looking for a software engineer experienced in Python, you can use “Python” as your keyword in the search query.
6. Alumni Search: Visit university pages and utilize the ‘Alumni’ search feature to find candidates who have graduated from the same institutions. This can be particularly useful if you are targeting a specific skill set or background that is prevalent within certain educational institutions.

Searching in LinkedIn Groups

Groups on LinkedIn are communities where professionals share information, ask questions, and discuss topics relevant to their industry, profession, or interests. By searching within LinkedIn groups, you can find candidates who are active and engaged in their professional community, potentially indicating a strong candidate.

To search within LinkedIn groups, follow these steps:

1. Join relevant groups for your industry and desired candidate profile.
2. Use the group’s search bar to input job titles, skills, or keywords relevant to the position you’re trying to fill.
3. Browse the search results and identify potential candidates based on their engagement and expertise within the group.

Using People Also Viewed Section

When you visit a LinkedIn profile, you may notice profiles displayed in the right sidebar in ‘People Also Viewed‘. This section can be utilized to discover additional potential candidates:

People Also Viewed are profiles that other people who have viewed the person’s profile have also viewed. This may indicate that these individuals have comparable skill sets or experiences and can lead you to find further candidates.

By employing these advanced search techniques, recruiters and hiring managers can improve the success rate when it comes to finding the right candidate. Take full advantage of these techniques and make the hiring process efficient and effective in securing top talent.

1. What is the best way to begin a search for candidates on LinkedIn?

To start searching for candidates on LinkedIn, utilize the platform’s powerful search functions. Enter relevant keywords, job titles, or skill sets in the search bar, then apply filters such as location, industry, or experience level to refine the results.

2. How to use Boolean search operators for candidate searches on LinkedIn?

Construct a Boolean search query by combining keywords with operators like AND, OR, and NOT. Using LinkedIn’s search bar, enter the query, for example “software engineer” AND “JavaScript” NOT “remote.” Experiment with different combinations to refine the search results.

3. Can LinkedIn users incorporate the Recruiter Lite tool to enhance candidate searches?

Yes, LinkedIn’s Recruiter Lite tool allows users to access advanced candidate search features. It also provides an expanded search for better matching and InMail messaging for direct communication.

4. Are there ways to source candidates for passive recruiting on LinkedIn?

Yes, a significant portion of LinkedIn users don’t actively seek jobs. However, users can still identify them as potential candidates through keyword searches, professional groups, or by viewing individuals who have engaged with shared content.

5. How to tailor a LinkedIn search for specific industries and experience levels?

Use the search filters to refine results by industry, experience, and other criteria. Select relevant options under the “Industries” category to tailor the search results.

6. Can LinkedIn groups be helpful in finding candidates for niche roles?

Definitely, LinkedIn groups bring together professionals with specialized skills, experiences, or interests. Joining relevant groups and engaging members by sharing content, participating in discussions, or posting job opportunities can help in recruiting highly-qualified candidates for niche roles.

7. Can I find the email of potential candidates on LinkedIn?

Yes, you can find the email address in their contact section. However, they will need to be your 1st-degree connection.