Finding talented candidates isn’t easy—especially in the healthcare field. It's important for hiring managers to use digital recruiting methods to find top notch talent and market their employer brand.
The Jobvite Recruiter Nation 2016 report found that 87% of recruiters find LinkedIn to be the most effective in finding vetted candidates—and that number jumps up to 90% for recruiters under 45. With the competitive landscape of recruitment, hiring managers can’t afford not to be active users of LinkedIn.
Though all social media platforms have a place in the recruiting world, LinkedIn is one of the most effective professional networking sites for connecting with potential candidates and promoting job openings. For the most part, LinkedIn is very user-friendly; however, using the site as a recruiting tool requires a certain level of skill and practice.
Here are some ways in which you can effectively utilize LinkedIn as a recruiting tool for your organization.
Connect and engage with new people.
LinkedIn is the ideal platform to introduce yourself and your organization to new people. While it’s recommended to only connect with people you actually know, you can also use the Mutual Connections function, which lets you see who’s connected to people you already know. Many recruiters ask their mutual connections to introduce them to potential candidates whom they discover through their searches, which can often lead to meaningful exchanges on the site.
You can also discover new people through the many group pages and forums on LinkedIn, such as college alumni and industry groups. Joining these groups will allow you to connect with candidates in the healthcare industry and find individuals who have the qualifications you're seeking. While doing this, you’ll be able to view potential candidates’ education and employment experience. Once you are “connected” with a new individual, you will also have the option to send them a private message, similar to that of an email.
As you build your connections and grow your network, your LinkedIn profile will essentially serve as an online database where you can easily access your network. The bottom line? The more you engage with your connections, the more effective you'll be in your recruiting efforts.
Advertise jobs.
There are many free options for advertising jobs on LinkedIn, including simply posting job openings to your newsfeed or sharing a job opening on a group page (in which every individual in that group will be notified of the posting).
Depending on your budget, you can also pay for job ads on LinkedIn, which can be one of the most effective ways to ensure viewership by as many qualified candidates as possible. Through a pay-per-click option, you can attract candidates with LinkedIn profiles heavily aligned with your job opening.
If you do choose to sponsor a job posting, it's critical that you write a very strong and compelling job description, which will make it more enticing to potential candidates.
Have your employees help you promote openings.
Once you develop a presence on LinkedIn, you'll likely develop numerous connections to existing employees at your organization. Remember, your employees are your most prominent brand ambassadors, and they likely have many peers in their industry.
Encouraging your employees to share job postings will help you drive more qualified candidates to your openings through direct referrals. It will also help you build a positive employer brand on LinkedIn, which can be extremely beneficial to your ongoing recruitment efforts.
To increase employee engagement in this realm, consider offering incentives for promoting openings. These can be a referral bonus, additional paid time off, or other benefits.
As you can see, being an active LinkedIn user can pay off in your hiring outcomes! By making the LinkedIn practices above an integral part of your recruitment strategy, you can open yourself up to a broader, more qualified pool of candidates.