Talent Leaders tell us they want to be less dependent on LinkedIn. The first reason is typically financial. The second is they know the behavior of top candidates continues to shift.
LinkedIn has changed the way recruiters recruit.
We thank LinkedIn for launching a renaissance in recruiting. They will be a key player in recruiting for a long time to come. But now is the time for Talent Leaders to capitalize on new technologies that have emerged. And by the way, many of them are free!
1. Source on Micro-Networks (Free)
A common complaint by LinkedIn users is that the platform’s not specific enough. This has opened the door for micro-networks that serve a specific purpose. Top candidates hang out on micro-networks because of the value they receive. Smart Talent Leaders make sure their team is tactfully sourcing on micro-networks for this reason. Two of our favorite micro-networks are:
GitHub (to source Developers & Engineers)
Open source technology has opened the doors for targeted sourcing. There’s no finer example than GitHub. GitHub is where Developers go to share what they’ve built, borrow from others, and to get new ideas. By doing an advanced search, you can find top candidates and their contact information within minutes.
Dribbble (to source Designers)
Top Designers are just a click away on Dribbble. This micro-network is an opportunity for Designers to show off their work. It’s typical to find a candidate’s portfolio, website, location, and email address on the site. With a basic search you can source a list of Designers specific to what you are hiring for in minutes.
There are paid tools that make sourcing micro-networks easier. Products like Entelo, Gild, and TalentBin (acquired by Monster) are good examples of this. It all comes down to the time and budget you have to work with.
2. Verify candidate background on LinkedIn (Free)
There’s no need to stop using LinkedIn. You can access plenty of information on LinkedIn for free. Recruiters routinely check the LinkedIn profiles of employee referrals, candidates from an event, inbound applicants, etc.
Using LinkedIn to verify the background of candidates you source on micro-networks is no different. You get their work history and connections you have in common. And you don’t have to pay to do this.
3. Find contact information with Prophet (Free)
Ironically, one of LinkedIn’s own products used to save recruiters from settling for sending InMails. Rapportive was a Chrome and Firefox plug-in that allowed you to pinpoint the email address for candidates. It’s wasn’t hard, and it was free.
Over the last several months though, Rapportive has become unreliable and even unavailable at times. Enter Prophet. Prophet uncovers more information about profiles on top social networks. Try visiting a profile on a site like Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. With Prophet plugged into your browser, you’ll easily be able to find candidate contact information for free.
The biggest benefit of using plug-ins like Prophet and Rapportive is that you now have the direct contact information for the candidate. Paying to send InMails through LinkedIn can be an ineffective use of your time and your money. Ultimately, you’re not building your own contact database for the future. You’re just renting the ability to message candidates.
Prophet and Rapportive are not the only game in town for finding contact information. You can check out products such as Connectifier, Connect6, and 360Social if you want to explore all options.
And don’t forget: the message matters
Whichever tools you use to recruit, be mindful of the message that your candidate receives. For example, 40% of candidates open your email on their mobile device. You’ve got to make sure your message is inviting to increase engagement.
Does your job description on mobile look as compelling as Yelp’s Ongig-powered job ad (attached)?
The opportunity to send a message directly to a candidate’s email inbox versus an InMail is huge. You can take advantage of this opportunity by using the interactive job ad that Ongig invented, which happens to be mobile-friendly on any device.
Ongig provides a platform to create and distribute informative and inspirational job descriptions; and it plugs right into any ATS.
And your IT team is not required.
Click here to connect with us for a quick demo.
