Dear Matt: I'm on LinkedIn and have applied for jobs on the site. Should I also apply online through the company website? Why do companies and recruiters use LinkedIn? Why is it so popular?
Ask Matt: Why do employers like to use LinkedIn?
November 25, 2014 at 4:11PM
Matt says: The advantage of using LinkedIn is that 94 percent of recruiters are using this and other social media to source candidates, says Gretchen Stanford, a Senior Marketing Recruiter for MARCOMM (marcommdept.com), a Minneapolis-based professional services company that specializes in recruiting, hiring and dedicating marketing and marketing communications professionals to large and mid-cap companies in a contract employee or contingent workforce capacity.
"When an applicant applies for a job posted on LinkedIn," says Stanford, "I receive a template e-mail message identifying the candidate and specific role they're applying for. Also in this message is a link to the applicant's LinkedIn profile, as well as their résumé. How these messages are received can be customized by their recipient. I chose to have them directly populate my inbox. This makes the process incredibly convenient and the follow up timely."
If a job seeker applies via LinkedIn, there is no reason for them to duplicate efforts and apply on the company website unless instructed, says Stanford. In this case, more is not better.
With a database of more than 332 million members worldwide and counting, LinkedIn is the ultimate recruitment database of both active and passive candidates, says Stanford.
"I consistently find that candidates applying through LinkedIn job postings are the best and most qualified for my roles," she says.
Though the biggest and arguably best, LinkedIn is not the only resource that recruiters and HR professional use when hiring. Company websites and professional job boards are also essential components of a successful candidate recruitment strategy, says Stanford.
To succeed using LinkedIn, you must have a professional profile that is complete — meaning it should include a career or professional summary, listing of professional experience, recommendations and a profile picture.
While LinkedIn is a great resource, you can't just have a profile — you have to be active to get the most out of it. Use LinkedIn as a networking resource in your searches and to prove your expertise. "The best way to connect with professionals in like industries or positions is through a personal invite or by joining professionally relevant groups," says Stanford. "Another great way to get noticed on LinkedIn is by providing other professionals with valuable content such as industry relevant articles, studies or blog posts. The more active a job seeker is within their LinkedIn network, the better chance they have in finding their next professional opportunity."
Contact Matt at jobslink@startribune.com.
The new plant, expected to come online in 2028, will scrub PFAS chemicals from the city’s water supply. Much of the cost will be covered by 3M settlement money.
