How to use LinkedIn Groups to search for top job candidates

When using LinkedIn to search for job candidates, your goal should be to find the best people…those who are not actively looking for a job and who are still hidden from the competition.

Most hiring managers understand the benefits of sourcing people via LinkedIn, but there is one avenue that many of them do not travel down…LinkedIn Groups…and it can be a powerful recruiting tool as well.

By building and promoting a group, you establish yourself as a thought leader, and you can use this new title to engage with potential candidates. This perception can be reinforced by the quality content you share regularly and the number of candidate questions you answer.

The people who are active in your group become members of your talent pool. If you are interested in recruiting for a particular niche, start discussions in the group and see who responds in ways that indicates they have the needed knowledge and skills.  Once you have this information, you can connect with them and view their profile to fill in the blanks.  

So jump into the world of LinkedIn Groups; but before you do, here are 5 more things to keep in mind (some key tips from recruiting experts):

1. If you build a Linkedin group, do not give it the same name as your company. Rebrand it, unless you have a powerful employer brand. Build a group around a topic – HR, healthcare, technology, ACA, etc.
2. Besides “owning” a group, you can join up to 50 groups on LinkedIn. This means that you can send messages directly to other members of the same group – without using up your InMail allotment.
3. Do not simply post jobs in your group. For a group to attract passive candidates there needs to be content that they care about. Groups are for discussions and relationship- building…one of the best ways to do that is to start conversations; one of the best ways to start a conversation is through interesting content.
4. Wait until your membership numbers have reached critical mass before you send out invites. Having over 50 members is more impressive than 5 members to any invitee. Build your membership by first inviting your team, your co-workers, your family/friends and your current clients. Once you have invited everyone you can think of, send out invites.
5. Be patient. There will be many times you will feel like you are interacting with yourself in an empty room, but at some point, you will reach critical mass.  Then, in the blink of an eye, you will have a robust group on your hands.

At Snelling, we know how to recruit and we have building our talent pools for decades.  We can find you the right people, at the right time.  So, when you are looking for top talent in Dallas / Ft. Worth – or anywhere across the country, locate your closest office or register with Snelling today.