Recruiting candidates on LinkedIn

Another question from a network contact and my response. 

Q: Brenda – I know you are a marketing guru.

We have a job position available at our company and I want to figure out a way to post it on LinkedIn but don’t want to post it on a global board. Do you know of a way to post a job to just your contacts? (We would like to have a referral source to go along with the candidate.)

A: A wise man (I think it was David Benjamin) once told me that any self-respecting marketing professional who is referred to as a "marketing guru" and doesn't wince should be ashamed. He went on to explain that the use of the word "guru" is widely overused, and I think implies some super power or insight that's impossible to achieve. 

But I digress. 

Yes. There are several ways you can share a job posting on LinkedIn without posting it on a global board. 

• Post as a status update on your LinkedIn profile. And mention referrals are appreciated. Your first level connections will read it. And they can share it forward to their first level contacts, too. (these are your second level contacts). 

• Post as a status update on your company page on LinkedIn. And mention referrals are appreciated. (What, you don't have a company page? Stop everything and set one up. Now. I'll wait.)

• Post as a status update within industry groups. And mention referrals are appreciated. Read more about sharing job postings on discussion boards on LinkedIn here.

• Share with connections who work in the industry. And mention referrals are appreciated. (keep in mind you can export your LinkedIn connections list, review to determine who you'd like to target, then email them with info on the job posting. If you go this route, I'd recommend a BCC list mentioning you're sending it to several contacts at once, or personalizing each email.)

Was this tip helpful? Share your comments and experience. 

Exporting Your Connections List (with caution)

After you've been on LinkedIn for a while, you start to wonder about some of the information that's on your profile and whether you can export it, especially your connections list.


I know that once you hit the 500+ number, it's kind of a big achievement on LinkedIn. No longer does your profile show your total, but instead you're in the "500+" club. 


If you're considering exporting your connections list for email purposes - use caution. LinkedIn is powerful because it allows you the ability to cross-reference connections, and also because you're only a login away from reaching any connection. However, you want to be careful not to use a mass email approach with your connections, since people will connect to you based on a perceived mutual benefit of being connected. Once you send a mass email, you risk jeopardizing the relationship you have with your connections. 


However, the export connections feature can be used to help you sort and target your connections. 


Here's an example:


I frequently offer LinkedIn webinars through Walsh College. These webinars are free and exclusive to students, alumni, and employers who hire Walsh students and alumni. 


Occasionally, we have seats remaining in the webinar, and I offer those seats out to my LinkedIn network. I've also built up many connections in the job seeker community, including contacts at Michigan Works offices.


If I want to share the LinkedIn webinar info with these individuals, I could spend 10-15 minutes scrolling through advanced people search and typing in "Michigan Works." 


Or, I can export my connections list and sort by company, and hand pick those individuals who show Michigan Works as their employer. Then, I can send them a personalized email from my Walsh email box instead of through LinkedIn. 


To export your connections list:


1. Mouse over "Contacts" in your top menu bar, then select "Connections"

How to Export Your LinkedIn Connections

2. Scroll down to the bottom of your connections list page. Click the link that reads "Export Connections."
























3. Export as a CSV format. Save onto your desktop, then open the file in Excel and Save As an Excel workbook. From here, you can scan and search your connections list. This file will contain your first level connections information, including: first and last name, company, job title, and e-mail address. 


CAUTION: use this option sparingly if you're trying to contact people outside of LinkedIn. People do NOT like mass email. From my perspective, it's a lazy approach to using your technology and it doesn't create favorable impressions. And if you do use a mass email approach, you run the risk of losing connections. 


That said, the "export connections" feature can be a powerful tool to help supplement your LinkedIn efforts. 


Comments? Suggestions? Have you used this feature?