The Talent Sourcer's toolbox: How to source candidates on LinkedIn Recruiter

LinkedIn's Recruiter tool has become an augmentation for the recruiting process of many companies recently. LinkedIn Recruiter allows recruiters to source, search, and connect with potential candidates directly on LinkedIn. In this blog, we will discuss some of these and answer the question of how to source candidates on LinkedIn Recruiter. 

What is LinkedIn Recruiter?

LinkedIn Recruiter is a platform offered by LinkedIn that is designed specifically for recruiters and hiring managers. It is a paid subscription service that provides access to advanced search tools, messaging features, and other resources that are designed to help recruiters find and connect with potential job candidates. With LinkedIn Recruiter, recruiters can search for candidates based on specific criteria, such as job title, location, industry, and experience level. They can also save search criteria and receive notifications when new candidates that match their search are added to LinkedIn. In addition, LinkedIn Recruiter provides tools for collaboration with team members, scheduling interviews, and tracking progress in the recruiting process. Overall, LinkedIn Recruiter is a powerful tool that can help recruiters streamline their recruitment efforts and connect with top talent in their industry.

What is the process of sourcing on LinkedIn vs sourcing candidates on LinkedIn Recruiter?

LinkedIn provides additional services when you pay for job postings. In general, when you pay for a single job posting advertisement, LinkedIn ensures that the job or role is shared across its wide network of millions of professionals, guaranteeing that it gets the widest reach possible.

Additionally, they email and display the job posting to potential candidates whose skills, qualifications and location match the specifications you have stated. This is facilitated by the “Jobs you may be interested in” option that LinkedIn offers to its members looking for employment. LinkedIn also automatically posts the job description provided to your company’s page and curates a database of 50 candidates who fit the requirements of the role. This cuts down on the time needed for sourcing candidates by a great amount. It also provides you with 5 messages on InMail for you to use. 

We elaborate on InMail and its use later in this blog, but it is important to note that for a single instance of a paid job posting you can send 5 messages on InMail.

How to source candidates on LinkedIn Recruiter?

Build a targeted search

The first step to answering the question of how to source candidates on LinkedIn Recruiter, is to build a targeted search. This will allow you to find candidates with the right skills, experience, and qualifications for the role you are hiring for. Start by using keywords related to the job title, job function, and industry you are recruiting for. You can also use filters such as location, company size, and years of experience to narrow down your search results.

Use Boolean Search

LinkedIn Recruiter has a powerful search engine that allows you to use Boolean operators to refine your search. Boolean search allows you to use "AND," "OR," and "NOT" operators to create complex search queries. This can help you to find candidates with specific skills or experience. For example, if you are hiring a software developer, you could use the search query "software developer AND Java OR C++ NOT entry-level" to find candidates with experience in Java or C++ who are not entry-level candidates. Therefore it helps you narrow down the possible candidates from the wide list of people who potentially possess some but not all the qualifications or skills you desire.

Utilize the Advanced Search feature

The Advanced Search feature on LinkedIn Recruiter allows you to further refine your search by adding additional search criteria. This can include things like education, language skills, and interests. You can also use the "Save Search" feature to save your search criteria and receive automatic notifications when new candidates that match your search are added to LinkedIn.

Utilize InMail

InMail messaging is a feature of LinkedIn Recruiter that allows you to send messages directly to potential candidates. However the real benefit of InMail Messaging is that it lets you communicate with potential candidates even if they are not in your network. This can be a powerful tool for recruiters, as it allows you to connect with prospective candidates who may not have applied for the job or even those who may not have been aware of it in the first place. InMail can be used in a variety of fashions beyond just prompting or inviting candidates to apply for a job/role such as to introduce yourself and your company in order to build a connection or to ask for referrals.

As mentioned above, InMail messages can be used to introduce yourself to potential candidates, ask for referrals, or invite candidates to apply for a job. However you must remember to keep the message concise and personalized, and make sure to highlight the most important details about the job and your company.

Engage with Candidates on LinkedIn

Engaging with potential candidates on LinkedIn can help you to build a relationship with them before reaching out with an InMail message. When addressing the issue of how to source candidates on LinkedIn Recruiter, it is evident that the platform provides a number of benefits but with active work into the process you can establish a rapport with candidates and make them more likely to respond to your InMail message. You can do this by commenting on their posts, sharing their content, or sending a connection request with a personalized message.

Join LinkedIn Groups

Similarly, LinkedIn Groups are online communities where members can connect with each other based on shared interests or industries. Joining relevant LinkedIn Groups can help you to connect with potential candidates and stay up to date with industry news and trends. You can also use Groups to post job openings and network with other members.

Attend LinkedIn Events

In keeping with the idea of active participation, LinkedIn Events are virtual or in-person events that are hosted on the platform. These events are an excellent opportunity to network with potential candidates and industry experts. You can also use LinkedIn Events to showcase your company culture and promote job openings.

LinkedIn Recruiter provides insights and analytics

LinkedIn Recruiter Insights provides detailed analytics on your searches, InMail messages, and engagement with candidates. This can help you to identify which search criteria are most effective, which InMail messages are getting the most responses, and which engagement tactics are working best. You can then use these insights to refine your sourcing strategy and improve your candidate engagement building better hiring practices as you continue in your recruitment endeavors. 

What are the benefits of sourcing candidates on LinkedIn Recruiter?

Access to a large talent pool

LinkedIn is utilized by millions of professionals worldwide, with members from almost every industry and job function. As a recruiter, you can use LinkedIn Recruiter to search for and contact potential candidates based on their job title, company, location, and other criteria. This gives you access to a vast pool of potential candidates, many of whom may not be actively looking for new opportunities.

Targeted search options

LinkedIn Recruiter's search capabilities are incredibly powerful and allow you to target your search based on specific criteria, including job title, industry, location, and education. You can also use Boolean search to create complex queries that refine your search results further. With LinkedIn Recruiter, you can be confident that you are targeting the right candidates for your open positions.

Save time and resources

LinkedIn Recruiter can save you a significant amount of time and money in the recruiting process. Rather than relying on job postings or headhunting, you can use LinkedIn Recruiter to search for potential candidates and contact them directly. This can help you fill your open positions faster and reduce your overall recruitment costs.

There are two plans available for every recruiter on LinkedIn. These are LinkedIn Recruiter and LinkedIn Recruiter Lite. LinkedIn Recruiter is further divided into two categories, Professional Services and Corporate.

If you choose to source candidates on LinkedIn Recruiter, there are options available when it comes to pricing. LinkedIn Recruiter Lite has two plans available that you can choose from based on the hiring period you desire. The first plan is available at $140 per month for your more short term hiring needs. The second plan is available at $1,440 per year for companies that have a longer hiring period or plan on hiring intermittently throughout the financial year. These plans are generally more budget friendly than LinkedIn Recruiter’s pricing options.

It is also important to note that LinkedIn does not share the price of LinkedIn Recruiter to the general public. This is owing to the fact that the platform tailors the pricing to each individual organization, modifying and augmenting it according to their accounts and market, thus developing a personalized strategy and associated price tag. If you wish to utilize LinkedIn Recruiter instead of Recruiter Lite you will have to contact and confer with their sales division to get the pricing for your specific organization. .

Enhanced candidate information

LinkedIn Recruiter provides enhanced candidate information that is not available to non-recruiters. This includes information such as a candidate's job preferences, education, and work history. You can also see who has viewed a candidate's profile, which can give you insight into which candidates may be actively looking for new opportunities.

Build relationships with candidates

LinkedIn Recruiter allows you to build relationships with potential candidates before reaching out with an InMail message. You can do this by engaging with candidates on LinkedIn, such as commenting on their posts or sharing their content. This can help you establish a rapport with candidates and make them more likely to respond to your InMail message.

Collaborate with your team

LinkedIn Recruiter allows you to collaborate with your team on the recruiting process. The Talent Hub Applicant Tracking System that LinkedIn provides consolidates all the hiring processes into one unified location. This allows you to share candidate profiles and notes with team members, assign tasks, and track progress. This can help ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goal of hiring capable candidates

Let us help you source and hire candidates with our range of solutions and services!

We at HireQuotient understand the importance and need for effective candidate sourcing. With access to over 600 million candidate profiles across the globe and a concise pre-screening procedure, HireQuotient can help you finish your candidate sourcing in days rather than weeks with the use of automation. Utilize our job description builder to quickly create the ideal job description when you decide to hire and access and communicate with HireQuotient’s vast pool of candidates via our targeted mass outreach procedures. This has saved over 70,000 hours for recruiters and with our pre-screening you can sort out candidates and find the ideal candidate in under 5 minutes!

HireQuotient integrates with sourcing on LinkedIn through our new product EasySource, which allows you to sort between the multitude of candidates available on LinkedIn based on the categories that are important to you. Systematically filter candidates based on the job title or location of the work to quickly obtain candidates that are needed on short notice. Get a list of candidates sorted according to the relevant experience, skills or education demanded of the job or role in question. We also make it possible to filter candidates based on the industry, course and authorization for work in the US. Therefore you get access to an immense pool of candidates, boiled down to the ideal candidates for your needs. 

HireQuotient also provides an entire plethora of skill assessments that you can employ in gauging the skill of your employees. Our repository is constantly updated with the latest industry relevant tests and assessments pertaining to all non-tech related positions. The questions are created by dedicated subject matter experts in the relevant industries and are categorized based on the difficulty levels so that you can effectively assess the candidate you choose to hire.

All of this is available in a few clicks of your mouse, so check out the company website to book a demo or get on a call with our experts here at HireQuotient and learn how we can help you hire and explain how to source candidates on LinkedIn Recruiter.