How to Hire on LinkedIn

by Mike O'Neill

Social media has gone through many transformations in the last ten years. For example, LinkedIn has evolved into a resource for employers to network and recruit. As a result, it now can play a significant role in an organization's recruiting strategy allowing access to more potential qualified employees.

LinkedIn launched in 2003 as a business and employment service. LinkedIn’s mission is to “connect professionals together so they can become more successful.” What started as a way for professionals to connect with each other, much like connecting with friends and family on Facebook, has turned into a way for employers to seek out new recruits.

Utilizing LinkedIn as a recruiting resource will allow you access to more potential qualified candidates than traditional means of recruiting. So let’s show you how you can use LinkedIn to hire your next team member.

How To Post Jobs On LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a recruiting tool that allows you to easily post jobs, build your company brand and network with candidates. These candidates may be passive and weren't even looking for a position, but LinkedIn enables you to find them.

We will guide you through the steps of recruiting on LinkedIn from start to finish.

Step #1: Create A LinkedIn Profile

You may already have a LinkedIn profile, but it is easy enough to create one if not. The prompts will guide you through setting up a new account. Throughout the setup process, you will be asked for professional and personal details and to provide a photo. 

Step #2: Create Your Company Page

Now that you have a personal profile, you can create your company page by simply clicking the “work” drop-down menu at the top right of your page. Be prepared to provide a unique URL for your company and a company description that should be between 250 and 2000 characters.

This company page will be the face to prospective candidates. Your job postings will be “live” on your company page, and the description allows you to tell your company’s story. Use this opportunity to say anything about your company, such as products, mission, values, philanthropy, and more.

Step #3: Create A Job

When you are on your LinkedIn company page, click the jobs icon, a photo of a briefcase at the top of your homepage. Then click post a job, redirecting you to a page where you will be required to enter your LinkedIn login information. This page is the LinkedIn recruiter login page. Again, you will use your same LinkedIn account information.

You will then enter your company, job title, and location. LinkedIn will even tell you how many of its members currently hold the same job title that you're recruiting for.

Write your job description in the job detail section. LinkedIn will automatically populate your company description. Then, go through the process of identifying the skills you need for the position you're posting. LinkedIn makes recommendations along the way, such as listing at least ten skills to target potential candidates appropriately.

There are two options for how your candidates can apply, and they are through their LinkedIn profiles, or you can direct them to an external site to apply for the position. If you have an applicant tracking system, it can likely pull applications from LinkedIn, so you have everything all in one place. 

Step #4: Paid LinkedIn Ads

Paid LinkedIn ads specifically target members who have the skills your position requires. LinkedIn will share your job across all members while being visible to anyone. The paid ads will also email and display to possible candidates those whose qualifications and location align with the job posting.

The job description is posted to your LinkedIn company page and develops a list of 50 members that are suitable for your opening. Additionally, LinkedIn gives you five free opportunities to contact members outside of your network.

Next, determine what your ad placement budget will be. LinkedIn charges per click. When doing this, LinkedIn will recommend what your daily budget should be, but you can choose what you'd like.

At that point, you check out your job posting just like you would check out a shopping cart by entering your payment information. Billing by LinkedIn occurs every month, but you can close the position whenever you wish. 

Exposure Tips For Your Job Ad

Now that you've created a job posting let's discuss how you can share your position. The goal is to reach interested and qualified persons while also having a pool of applicants to choose from. 

Unlike some other forms of advertising, LinkedIn fills a void by specifically targeting those members who have similar skill sets to what you're looking for based on your job description. This specific targeting saves time, money, and resources. 

Tip #1: Share To Company Page

The first method is by communicating through your company page. If you already have followers that may be the ideal source for potential candidates, by simply posting an update on your page indicating that you have an opening and providing the details. Each time you post a new update on your company page, it will appear in the news feed of those that follow your company.

Tip #2: Share To LinkedIn Groups

Like Facebook, LinkedIn has groups. You can post your jobs in places that specialize in the position and skills you are seeking. In these groups, you can share content, develop contacts, and post jobs. Most groups specifically have a job section for this purpose. 

Tip #3: Share to LinkedIn Profile

In addition to sharing the open position on your company's profile, you can share it on your personal profile. 

Subscription Options Available On LinkedIn

LinkedIn has two subscription options designed for recruiting—LinkedIn Recruiter Lite and LinkedIn Recruiter. Each of these has different features, and determining which is best for you is a personal process based on how many members you are looking to reach, creating projects allowing for easy follow-up, seeing who has viewed your profile, and more.

Are You Ready To Hire?

Now that you have done all of the recruiting on LinkedIn and found potential candidates for your open position, it is time to start interviewing and going through your internal hiring process.

At Bench Builders, we have decades of experience helping business leaders just like you. Our specialty is finding solutions to tough business problems. We’ll work with you to find an individualized, tailored plan to get the results you're looking for.

Contact us today to discuss ways to successfully recruit in today’s tough labor market.
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