Why and how to use LinkedIn for recruitment

Love it or hate it, LinkedIn has become the ultimate online business networking resource. With 810 million global users, 40% of them logging in daily, the social media giant has become a critical tool for recruiters.

In the Asia-Pacific region, LinkedIn usage is growing. Last year it became the network’s largest region, with 201 million users.

Perhaps one of the most important functions of LinkedIn for organizations right now is the ability to proactively recruit during an unprecedented talent shortage. In fact, some predict that LinkedIn will eventually replace the old CV.

Hiring managers who use the platform for recruitment say it’s a valuable tool for approaching passive candidates, with “shoulder tap” InMails receiving response rates of 34%.

In December, New Zealand announced that it was expanding its Green List to include more workers in a bid to address ongoing labour shortage across the country.

Using LinkedIn to ‘cyber-vet’ candidates

Another time-saving function for employers is the ability to “cyber-vet.” Many recruiters already use LinkedIn profiles to find information that supports or contradicts a candidate’s CV information, but there is much more to learn from profiles.

A recent study from EHL Hospitality Business School (which operates campuses in Switzerland and Singapore) suggests some of the ways hiring managers can garner for information from a person’s LinkedIn profile. (The lead author of the research paper is Sébastien Fernandez, an associate professor of organisational behaviour at EHL.)

The paper identified 33 LinkedIn indicators that may signal certain personality traits and tell recruiters what kind of person that individual is and how they will fit in with the company. Among the personality traits examined, the researchers found that a person’s openness to experience, level of conscientiousness, and level of extraversion and agreeableness could all be indicated by the way they use, or don’t use, certain functions on their LinkedIn profile.

In November, LinkedIn released its latest Global Talent Trends report.

What to look for when cyber-vetting

Here are some of the signals examined by the study, grouped by the personality trait they may reveal.

Open to experience

• They are more likely to have an artistic background photograph.
• They list skills related to curiosity or creativity.
• They report mastering more languages.
• They are more likely to report artistic extracurricular activities.
• They are more likely to report extracurricular activities related to social responsibility.
• They follow more influencers.

Conscientious

• They have an updated profile.
• There are formally dressed in their portrait.
• They completed the summary section.
• They describe their prior work experiences.
• They list the courses they attended in college.
• Their profile contains fewer spelling mistakes.
• They are more likely to report their GPA, having obtained an academic award or an additional certification.
• Their profile is more likely to contain recommendations from former supervisors.
• They are more likely to indicate extra-curricular activities.
• They are more likely to indicate organizational skills in the skills section of their profile.

Extraversion

• They have more professional connections.
• They are more likely to include a background photograph representing human interactions.
• They list more skills.
• They are more likely to list specific skills, such as leadership, social skills, or public speaking.
• They are more likely to indicate they have participated in sports activities.
• They are more likely to indicate that they had taken a leadership role in an extra-curricular activity.
• They are more likely to insert pictures in their LinkedIn profile.

Agreeableness

• They smile more in their portrait.
• They are more likely to report skills-related teamwork.
• They are more likely to recommend their peers.
• They are more likely to indicate volunteering activities and peer tutoring activities.