As recruiters, you know yourself how much time you spend on LinkedIn and how many unique candidates you find. There is no denying that LinkedIn is a key tool for recruiters, with many now admitting they would find it hard to recruit without it – 80% of professionals state they use LinkedIn for Recruiting.
However, when it comes to LinkedIn, are you really doing enough? Last month I created a blog post about approaching candidates through LinkedIn, with details on how you should be approaching them. Whilst searching for the right candidates and reaching out to them is a successful strategy, there are other activities you can try – one of those being LinkedIn groups.
LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn groups can be a great way to engage with and attract unique candidates. They are designed for professionals in similar industries to network and share information and if utilised correctly, this can be a great place to attract new talent to your business.
How to act
LinkedIn groups only work well when used correctly, it’s all about engagement!
Don’t just blast out your jobs; you must encourage discussion. Not every professional who is a member of the group wants to see a long list of jobs. They will have joined the group to read the latest industry news and discuss topics with their peers – it is an online community. If they join a group that has a recruiter sharing job after job with a couple of news stories thrown in, they are probably going to leave that group – I know I would!
When posting on LinkedIn groups and indeed all Social Media, try to imagine yourself having a conversation in a group: you listen to others; speak your point of view; possibly tell them a story or anecdote and you all get along. Now imagine you are in a group and start shouting about jobs you have, your work, what you’re doing, what clients you’re working with and completely ignore anything they say, or worse still, not even give them the chance to speak. Members of the group will leave that conversation and most likely vow to never be in your company again. It’s the same set of rules when it comes to LinkedIn Groups and other Social Media platforms.
What to share
Of course you will be sharing jobs on the group, but post them in the job section so those who wish to look for jobs can find them. Share some interesting news within the industry and ask members opinions on it.
Posing questions to the group is a proven way to start a conversation. Try asking members questions about the industry at the moment and how they are finding it. Once you get into a conversation with someone you can then take it to private mail and connect with them.
By asking a simple question you have now engaged with a few candidates, those who will be willing to speak to you following a warm conversation. It’s all about the networking – it’s simply networking online.
Building a LinkedIn Group
Sharing information and interacting on established LinkedIn groups is definitely worthwhile. However, you may also like to consider investing your time in creating and building your own LinkedIn group because there are many benefits to this.
Thought Leader
If running your own LinkedIn Group within a specific sector, your website will be featured on the group profile and your name noted as the owner; members will view you as a thought leader, unless you give them reason to believe differently.
Connecting professionals in an industry together
You will be connecting professionals together and it will allow you to build a hub of talent within a specific sector. The great thing is you decide who can be a member, giving you the power to stop other recruiters from joining the group – something you cannot control in other groups.
Drives traffic to your website and your vacancies
Build your own personal network
If you are discussing in this network and seen as a thought leader, more people are likely to connect with you, which mean more candidates.
Announcements
One of our favourite features of owning a LinkedIn group are the announcements. Being an owner allows you to send out announcements straight to members’ inbox. This is a great way to reach out to many candidates in a friendly manner.
Building a successful group on LinkedIn is no easy task but the rewards are plentiful if done properly.
It’s is all about nurturing; no longer is it enough to shout about jobs.
The candidates now have the upper hand. They can pick and choose which jobs they go for; they are a lot more likely to go with the recruiter who has provided them with sound advice and is seen to be very helpful.
If you put these points into practice we are sure you will reap the rewards and find yourself some great talent – good luck!