Crowdstaffing and the use of databases, of many HR experts working together mean that recruitment processes can be closed in as little as 7 days. This is only possible if recruiters have extensive, active and properly prepared bases. How then to build an active candidate base? Let’s take a look at it based on LinkedIn – an essential tool in the work of many modern recruiters.
Candidate base on LinkedIn – how to build it?
Step 1: Realize that LinkedIn is a mine of talent from your industry
In the past, LinkedIn was associated with a platform for large corporations and their executives. Today, it’s a place to find – and offer – jobs to Candidates from different industries and at different levels of seniority – from interns to executives. Used properly, this platform can become a source for sourcing truly exceptional talent, as well as a good place to deepen relationships with them. What does an extensive network of contacts on LinkedIn provide? First of all, it saves time spent on sourcing, and thus speed up closing processes. Having a developed, active database of candidates on LinkedIn, you can use it, regardless of the process you are running – there may be Candidates among your contacts who are a perfect fit for the role you are currently recruiting for. And even if it happens that none of your contacts is currently interested in taking part in the process, there is a good chance that they will recommend a familiar person for the position. In the case of crowdstaffing, you are also the one who can recommend candidates from your base, and thus earn money. However, in order to make effective use of your contact base, you must first not only ensure that the right people are in it, but also build a relationship with them, gain their trust, and engage them.
Step 2: Optimize your profile on LinkedIn and define its purpose
Does your network of contacts meet your recruitment needs? Does it include candidates from specific industries that interest you? If you want to effectively close recruitments, you need to get the best contacts for your network from this angle. How then do you search to find the right people? Proper preparation is the key. At the very beginning, ask yourself what is the purpose of your having an account on LinkedIn. Why did you decide to do so? Who do you want to speak to? What do you want to achieve? This way you will have already taken the first step towards analyzing and creating assumptions about your target group. Are you an IT recruiter? You are likely to focus on IT Candidates and include technology industry topics in your communication strategy. If you have people from other industries in your network, completely unrelated to IT, consider whether it would be better to recruit programmers instead. Your activity on LinkedIn should also be properly planned and then implemented according to your goals. Remember that consistency is the key to success in attracting the right Candidates.
Step 3: Actively acquire contacts for your database
Automatically soliciting contacts is a good way not just for the very beginning of building a candidate base on LinkedIn. If you haven’t yet used the “import contacts from your email inbox” option, it’s worth considering. There may be matching Candidates among your email contacts. Or those who are worth having on LinkedIn because they are in the industry you are recruiting for. In addition to this, add colleagues and clients to your network of contacts. In this way, you are able to build your image as an expert on LinkedIn even faster. How. Clients or people you have worked with are likely to follow and respond to your publications with greater engagement. Thus, you will even more quickly and effectively build your image as an expert worth being connected to on LinkedIn. You can also find people with whom you have exchanged business cards at conferences, meet-ups and other industry events. In this way, you’ll capitalize on previous networking and expand your base with their help. In addition to this, check who visits your profile. There’s a good chance you’ll run into interesting people this way, who you’ll find worth having in your base.
Step 4: Build your visibility on LinkedIn
Effective planning and execution of Personal Branding activities on LinkedIn will result in new contacts in your candidate base. As a recruiter, how can you build visibility on LinkedIn? First of all, contribute – speak up on industry news, innovative HR solutions, novel recruitment methods, etc. You can also talk about your experiences – unusual situations in the work of a recruiter or interesting recruiting twists. Publish content keeping in mind what your audience wants to hear. For example, when creating a post or article for IT Candidates, talk about changing rates in the job market, or cover other aspects that will be of interest to them. In addition to this, show support to your network of contacts – not just those in the 1st-degree area: respond to other users’ publications, comment on their contributions, initiate discussions. This is important in terms of not only building relationships with your network, but also in working on your image as an expert and industry leader.
Step 5: Maintain relationships with your network of contacts
You may have thousands of contacts in your database, but to call it active, you must additionally have a good relationship with them. How do you create a bond with your Candidates? Rest assured, it’s not a matter of writing to each one individually and making sure they can count on you. When building an active base on social media, especially on LinkedIn, the most important thing is your presence – and this manifests itself in the aforementioned content you publish, comments, discussions. If you interact with your network of contacts, you can be sure that they will return the favor. In addition to this, your business card, and an extremely important component in building a recruiter-candidate relationship, is how you guide your contacts through the various recruitment processes. Partnering with, respecting the candidate, the feedback you give and everything that goes into the candidate experience will help you maintain a good relationship with your candidates. This will ensure that even if they have dropped out of a recruitment during one of your processes, they will be ready to take part in the next one, because they are assured that there is a recruiter on the other side who focuses on professionalism and cares about the candidate’s needs.
Building an active candidate base on LinkedIn requires constant work on the part of the recruiter. However, the benefits are well worth it – engaged Candidates in your database are a way to close recruitment projects efficiently and effectively. Both those managed by you and (in the case of crowstaffing-based recruitment) those managed by other recruiters located in the Community. At Talent Place, thanks to our active databases and internal referral systems, we are able to provide tailored recommendations in as little as 7 days from the start of a project. This benefits each party: the client, the recruiter and the candidate himself!
