LinkedIn profiles

One distinct advantage of LinkedIn and other social media sites is small businesses can gainfully use them for recruiting of employees. People on LinkedIn have contacts that keep asking them to refer potential employees.

In view of this, several hundred prospective employees profile themselves on LinkedIn each year. It is no longer required for small businesses to post job vacancies on online employment agencies as social media is able to more efficiently help small businesses with recruitment of employees.

In fact, small businesses are often spammed with hundreds of resumes from unqualified applicants when they approach online employment agencies. However, small businesses can continue to use job agencies as a part of their recruiting mix to identify the best talent.

Here are some ways how LinkedIn can be effectively used by small businesses for recruitment:

• LinkedIn users may create and gradually expand a network of professionals. The prospective employer will then send a request for a referral of a suitable candidate for a particular job opening.
• If employers build authentic relationships, people will unhesitatingly make referrals. They will think of possible candidates in response to your query and provide helpful info.
• Keep in touch with your erstwhile colleagues if you do not want to lose people who have worked efficiently for you in the past. They may become available once again as employees – or they will refer you to trustworthy candidates.
• Painstakingly search for candidates among LinkedIn members using right keywords that may lead to some useful LinkedIn profiles. You should also create a complete, keyword-rich profile for your business on LinkedIn. Prospective employees that are looking for employers search LinkedIn using keywords.
• It will be worthwhile to use Inmail, the internal inbox at LinkedIn and seek assistance from your network of professionals to find a qualified candidate for you.
• Remember to reply to questions in the Answers section of LinkedIn. This manner of responding can raise your profile in the LinkedIn community. Try to join groups at LinkedIn. Participants in groups may know of potential employees with the type of profile you seek.
• It is possible to post job vacancies on LinkedIn and recruit right candidates. In fact, LinkedIn offers job listings, candidate search, trusted referrals and the power of networks to identify candidates.
• Further, prospective job seekers can search LinkedIn free of charge based on keywords related to their positions. Certain premium features are also available to job searchers – though on payment of a fee.