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Before you reach out to any candidate on LinkedIn, do thorough research to make sure they’re a good fit.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Personalize your message so the candidate feels you’re legitimately interested in them as an individual.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Keep up your company’s LinkedIn page to attract followers and communicate your brand to candidates.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"12](\"https:\/\/www.zippia.com\/employer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/12-Killer-LinkedIn-Tips-for-Recruiters.png\")
<\/p>\n12 Tips for LinkedIn Recruitment Messages<\/h2>\n
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Beef Up Your Company’s LinkedIn Profile<\/b><\/p>\n
One of the first things a new candidate will typically do after you reach out to them is look at your company’s LinkedIn profile. Because of this, it’s important that your company profile is complete and professional. <\/p>\n
Make sure all of the information sections are filled out and the cover and profile pictures reflect your company’s branding. Check on the page regularly to make sure everything is still up-to-date.\n<\/li>\n
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Do Your Research, Then Do Some More<\/b><\/p>\n
Great outreach always stems from great research. As a recruiter or hiring manager, you need to show candidates that you have taken the time to do your homework, or you risk getting no response at all. <\/p>\n
If they feel like you’re sending them a generic message or see that your company appears to have nothing to do with their field of expertise, they likely won’t be interested in what you have to say.<\/p>\n
When you’re doing your research, don\u2019t just read the candidate\u2019s LinkedIn bio, check their education, work history, and their strengths, skills, and endorsements. Make sure that their expertise and interests line up well with your company’s, and point out these commonalities when you reach out.\n<\/li>\n
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Ditch Message Templates<\/b><\/p>\n
As a recruiter, you\u2019re reaching out to potentially hundreds of candidates every week. To save time, it can be tempting to craft generic message templates to simply copy and paste. However, candidates can tell immediately if the message is personal to them or just a template.<\/p>\n
Taking the extra time to craft a personal message can greatly\u00a0boost your success rates during the recruitment process. <\/p>\n
Include commonalities such as mutual connections, past experience, education, or influencers and groups that you both follow. Use the great research you did to craft a highly personalized message that shows you took the time to look into each candidate and assure them that you really are interested in them.\n<\/li>\n
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Get Your Point Across in Less Than 150 Words<\/b><\/p>\n
Aim to keep your message shorter than 150 words, because any longer will look like too much effort to read, deterring candidates from hearing what you have to say. <\/p>\n
In general, if you have to scroll down to read the whole message, then your message is simply too long. Being clear, concise, and straightforward can greatly\u00a0improve your talent acquisition strategy.\n<\/li>\n
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Say Yes To\u00a0You, Your\u00a0and\u00a0Yours<\/b><\/p>\n
LinkedIn is a social media platform, so treat it like one. The best messages are not only short and sweet but strike a tone of familiarity. This can be accomplished by directly addressing the candidate with\u00a0“you,” “your,” and “yours.”<\/p>\n
Be honest: How often do you send messages using phrases like these?<\/p>\n
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We have an excellent marketing department.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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We are looking for candidates that fit our company profile.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
By changing the pronouns from\u00a0“we”\u00a0to\u00a0“you,” you can make your message much more personalized and engaging to the candidate. Let\u2019s reword the core statements of the above examples:<\/p>\n
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Marketing skills like yours make you perfect for this role.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Your skills would be well suited to this position.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
The second two phrases sound like you’re interested in them rather than giving them a sales pitch for your company.\n<\/li>\n
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Don\u2019t Waste Time on Personal Introductions<\/b><\/p>\n
This doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t be personal. It simply means that introductions such as,\u00a0\u201cHi, I\u2019m Head of Talent Acquisition at (company),\u201d are unnecessary. They know you have some kind of hiring power if you’re reaching out to them. <\/p>\n
Plus, in a LinkedIn chat window, your name is in the header, so if a candidate wants to find out more, then they can always check out your profile. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s much more effective to use the first line to really grab the reader’s attention and get straight to the point about what interested you in them. Here are some example intro lines:<\/p>\n
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Your recent article published on Medium last week really grabbed my attention.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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I really enjoyed the last post you shared in the Content Marketing group.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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The resources you linked\u00a0to in your recent post were really informative and useful.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
Make it about them, not you.\n<\/li>\n
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Don\u2019t Be Generic When Complimenting Candidates<\/b><\/p>\n
As a candidate, it may feel nice the first time when you get a flattering message on LinkedIn. But after the first 25 or so, it gets old really fast.<\/p>\n
The most common line is something like \u201cI\u2019ve come across your profile and I have to say I\u2019m impressed.” What are you impressed by? If you aren’t specific, top candidates are going to let your message fall by the wayside as they wait for a more personalized message.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To improve your talent management, be specific and honest, not vague and generic.\n<\/li>\n
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Suggest a Specific Date for a Call<\/b><\/p>\n
After the initial interactions with a candidate, it\u2019s time to delve deeper to see if they are an ideal fit for your company and the role. Often the next step is scheduling a call. When you do this, avoid leaving the candidate hanging with vague statements such as,\u00a0“It would be great to chat with you sometime.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead, say something like:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\n\u201cWe would love to talk with you about this opportunity in more detail. I\u2019m free to call Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. onwards, Thursday at 10:00 a.m., and Friday from 9-10:00 a.m. Do any of these time slots line up with your schedule?\u201d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
By naming specific dates you drive the conversation forward and encourage the candidate to take action.\n<\/li>\n
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Don\u2019t Ask for Other Candidate Recommendations<\/b><\/p>\n
It may be tempting to ask a candidate if they know anyone in their field that would fit the job. But resist the temptation, as you want to make candidates feel special, not replaceable.<\/p>\n
Plus, if you have already connected on LinkedIn, then you can see a candidate\u2019s professional network anyway.\n<\/li>\n
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Address Candidates by Their First Names<\/b><\/p>\n
You might get advice that says you should address candidates as “Dear Ms. Jones,” or “Dear Max Thompson.” While this may be appropriate for a cover letter, it’s far too distant and formal for a LinkedIn message.<\/p>\n
A well-crafted message can still retain politeness and use the recipient’s first name. In fact, most candidates probably prefer you to use their first names.\n<\/li>\n
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Post Regular Updates on Your Company Page<\/b><\/p>\n
When you’re talking to your candidates, you can encourage them to follow your company page. By updating your LinkedIn company page with news and events, candidates can keep up-to-date with the latest information without leaving their LinkedIn news feed.<\/p>\n
In addition, even if a candidate doesn’t apply or isn’t hired for the role you’re filling, encouraging them to follow your company enables you to stay connected if a suitable role arises in the future.<\/p>\n
Still not convinced? Well, the more candidates that follow your company page, the more visible your company becomes on LinkedIn. Over time, this means your company will appear in more and more job searches, helping you find relevant and qualified candidates.\n<\/li>\n
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Join Groups and Follow Influencers<\/b><\/p>\n
On LinkedIn, you can join groups and follow influencers that are relevant to your industry. By doing this, you increase your company\u2019s visibility on the platform. <\/p>\n
It isn’t enough to just follow and join, however. Your ultimate goals should be to:<\/p>\n
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Contribute to groups with useful information.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Become a topic\/industry authority.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Don\u2019t just post job ads in groups, share useful information, articles and research. This all serves to build the positive impression your followers — aka your future job candidates — have about your organization.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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