how to be a rockstar recruiter
TRANSCRIPT
LinkedIn Master ClassHow to be a Rock Star Recruiter
You recruit like a rock star when you...
Stop sourcing. Start networking. Is your existing database your only fall back for all vacancies?Widen your reach with social professional networks.
Stop interviewing. Start connecting. Do you have a list of must-ask interview questions?Try a new approach to connect with candidates even before the interview.
Stop hiring. Start nurturing. Do you think hiring is a one-time exchange?Plan a career path before you bring a new hire on board.
Who is this book for?
Recruiting managersTalent acquisition leadersHiring managersLine managers
There are two sides to a recruitment story
The recruiter and the candidate. Talent connects the two. Read on as 8 rock star recruiters tell you how they build relationships and hire outstanding candidates.
Rock Star Recruiter Meter
Lesson 1: Build for the future
Lesson 2: Make relationships matter
Lesson 3: Leverage social for wider reach and niche skills
Lesson 4: Focus on candidate journey
Lesson 5: Be a brand advocate
Summary: Rock Star Recruiter Check List
Additional resources
Discover yourself on our Rock Star Recruiter MeterMark Yes/ No to the following set of questions
This quiz should take you approximately 5 minutes to complete
04
Have you initiated steps to building a personal brand online?
02
Can you leverage your network of followers to help you connect with the right talent?
03
Are you synonymous with your employer brand and can people link the two?
05
Do you engage with candidates and stay in touch with them via social platforms?
01
Have you put in a conscious effort to research and identify talent hubs?
06
Have you built or are a part of talent communities that you tap into for your hiring needs?
07
Have you built a talent pipeline for your hiring needs in the future?
08
Have you segmented talent pools as per your hiring needs?
09
Do you ask your candidates about their dreams and aspirations and map it back to their role?
10
Do your recent hires talk about an excellent candidate experience journey?
12
Are you a new age recruiting practices evangelist in your organization?
11
Do you track new age recruiting practices regularly?
Y
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Y N
Time for your results!Count the number of Yes and No on your sheet
NO
On your sheet you see...Mostly yes? Mostly no? It’s a tie Mostly Yes
Congratulations rock star! Check out how your peers navigate the recruiting maze
You’re a rock star in the making! Record your journey of transformation and allow our rock stars to guide you
Is it a tie?Try marking unanswered questions as “No”Pick a side and run with it!
Mostly No
The anatomy of a Rock Star Recruiter
Social recruitment savvy
Intuitive
)BT�B�TUFMMBS�QFSTPOBM�QSPmMF
Builds candidate relationships
Wears multiple hats - data guru, artist, marketer
Stays on top of professional networking
Is a brand advocate
*T�B�DFSUJmFE�-JOLFE*O�3FDSVJUFS
Is there a Rock Star in your midst?
Let the master class begin!
Lesson 1: Build for the futureGetting you prepared for talent pipelining
Gopi Krishnan R
Talent Sourcer- APAC
Paypal
Leverage LinkedIn projects for talent pipelining
“Building a talent pipeline is very useful for future requirements and also helps us improve turn around time and return on investment. I build talent pipelines using LinkedIn projects”
What excites you about social recruiting?
“It helps me find & connect with leaders in my industry. It gives me access to a vast global talent pool. That’s more than I can ask for as a recruiter!”
jobs closed via social networks
90%
2 day response time for a job post on Linkedin
hired through LinkedIn last year
85%
InMailsfavorite LinkedIn Recruiter tool
Stay on track with LinkedIn projects instead of maintaining records manually
Gopi’s social recruitment dashboard
(PQJ�,SJTIOBO�TBWFT�QPUFOUJBM�DBOEJEBUF�QSPmMFT�JO�SFMFWBOU�GPMEFST�using LinkedIn projects. He keeps in touch with his talent pipeline by sending messages and engaging with their content e.g. liking their updates. When a relevant opening comes up, he feels connected enough to directly interact with them.
01 Optimize search and screening 03 Stay on track effectively
How to use LinkedIn Recruiter for talent pipelining?
02 Manage projects effectively
a. Tags Recruiter lets you add custom tags to DBOEJEBUF� QSPmMFT�� 6TF� UIJT� GFBUVSF� UP�NBLF�QSPmMFT�FBTZ�UP�TFBSDI�
b. Projects
Recruiter lets you save searches into TQFDJmD� QSPKFDUT�� 6TF� UIJT� GFBUVSF� UP�create a talent pipeline.
c. Connection path
Recruiter shows current employees to potential candidates. Connect with them for an inside opinion.
a. Reminders
5BHHJOH�SFNJOEFST�UP�DBOEJEBUF�QSPmMFT �team members and projects helps you stay connected.
b. Reports
Sharing actionable project reports with your team to make timely decisions and course corrections.
a. Saved searches
4BWJOH�#PPMFBO�TFBSDI�TUSJOHT�BOE�mMUFST�allows Recruiter to notify you of new DBOEJEBUFT�UIBU�mU�ZPVS�TFBSDI�DSJUFSJB�
b. Update-me
By using this feature on Recruiter you can stay updated on the career progress of DBOEJEBUF�QSPmMFT�ZPV�SF�JOUFSFTUFE�JO��
Lesson 2: Make relationships matterYour journey to buiding stronger connections online
Ashrith Nonda
Social Media Recruiter
HCL Technologies
Focus on building relationships Identify the right pitch by understanding career aspirations
“I advice recruiters to build a connection with the candidate and not just limit interactions to filling a particular requirement. Integrating social media into the recruitment process can give you an edge in building and maintaining professional relationships”
Ashrith Nonda ensures he maintins a healthy connection with his potential candidates even if there are no openings available immediately. He builds niche groups to attract the right kind of talent and initiate connection with them and understand their career aspirations. $BOEJEBUFT�mOE� JU� FBTJFS� UP� JOUFSBDU� JO�B�HSPVQ�EJTDVTTJPO�TFU�VQ�BT�opposed to an interview context.
On building relationships with LinkedIn Recruiter...
“Start with an InMail, after this we focus on building a personal connect from interview to onboarding, LinkedIn Recruiter helps us stay connected at each step.”
jobs closed via social networks
100%
1 day response time for a job post on Linkedin
mid/ senior positions filled last year
69
Tagsfavorite LinkedIn Recruiter tool
Ashrith’s social recruitment dashboard
Lesson 3: Leverage social for niche and wider reachFrom tips on mastering search for sourcing to cracking the InMail code
Build influence while connectingwith varied talent pools
What excites you about social recruiting?
“Social professional networks like LinkedIn help us nurture our vast network of existing relationships. All my existing employees can be potential recruiters here”
response time for jobs posted on LinkedIn
InMailsfavorite LinkedIn Recruiter tool
2 days
Shreetam Subhrankar’s existing network of Microsoft alumni and current employees gives him an army of potential recruiters. He mOET�TPDJBM�QSPGFTTJPOBM�OFUXPSLT�XJUI�GFBUVSFT�MJLF�HSPVQT�BT�POF�PG�the best ways to stay connected with this vast pool of potential talent that may not be actively looking for jobs.
Leverage current employees as potential recruiters while looking for talent
Shreetam’s social recruitment dashboard
senior profiles closed in 3 months
4
Groupspreferred tool to build influence
Shreetam Subhrankar
Staffing ConsultantMicrosoft
“While we were looking for an editor with new age journalism experience for MSN, we couldn’t rely on traditional sources. One of the major challenges was accessing exclusive talent in this niche. LinkedIn’s advanced search feature helped me create a funnel of relevant candidates and reach out to exclusive talent via InMails”
01 They leverage their own network
4 ways rock star recruiters build reach differently
02 They make the most of LinkedIn groups
a. They explore beyond first degree connections
b. They invest time building links with their extended network
a. They work on building influence with candidates on groups
b. They use groups as a platform to reinforce authenticity
03 They engage their profile views
04 Their existing employees are potential recruiters
a. They reach out to profile viewers outside of their network
b. They actively work on increasing their profile views
a. They motivate hiring managers to refer star performers
b. They encourage employees to spruce up their LinkedIn profile
Access niche talent pools acrossexperience levels
How do targeted search filters help your efforts?
“While developing a talent pool for niche skills we look at applicants from Top 50 technology schools in US. LinkedIn was the fastest channel to access this.”
response time for jobs posted on LinkedIn
Targeted Search Filtersfavorite LinkedIn Recruiter tool
<24hrs
jobs closed via social networks
80%
talent sourcing via LinkedIn Recruiter
Niche
Sivakumar Kairvelu proactively reaches out to candidates from the iTVHHFTUFE� QSPmMFTw� mFME� PO� -JOLFE*O� BOE� FYQMPSFT� VQ� UP� �SE�degree connections while looking for niche talent. He uses the advanced search feature to create a funnel of candidates from most relevant to least relevant while connecting with talent.
Sivakumar’s social recruitment dashboard
Make the most of “suggested profiles” field on LinkedIn
Sivakumar Kadirvelu
RecruiterFlipKart
“The windows mobile app development space is niche. I was sourcing for the role of ‘Mobile Product Manager’ which is even more niche, LinkedIn helped me map relevant applicants from organizations that focus on mobile talent in a quick span of time, I presented 4 quality candidates to the Hiring Managers, of which 1 got hired.”
Widen your reach across variedgeographies
Your proudest moment in social recruiting?
Followersfavorite talent pool to access
What are your key drivers for social recruiting?
ReducedBetterReach
cost per hire
quality of talent
exclusive talent
senior positions filled last year
25jobs closed via social networks
70%
Surbhi’s social recruitment dashboard
Use analytics to identify talent pools across geographies that may be potentially relevant 4VSCIJ�(VQUB�EFFQ�EJWFT�JOUP�HFPHSBQIZ�TQFDJmD�BOE�SPMF�TQFDJmD�information that she can gather on LinkedIn to identify and connect XJUI� QPUFOUJBM� DBOEJEBUFT�� )FS� mSTU� TUFQ� JT� UP� FYQMPSF� HSPVQT �company pages that her potential candidates are following.
“Successfully hiring for US and UK while based in India. Delivering a seamless candidate experience across the recruiting life cycle with social recruiting.”
Surbhi Gupta
Senior HR ExecutiveWipro
“The position for a Global head of Treasury based out of US was on escalation for several months. I started my search on LinkedIn even though I had limited knowledge of the US geography. My first step was to tap the right groups where we built a series of connections to finally arrive at the right candidate. LinkedIn helped us access a global talent pool from the comfort of our local region”
01���:PV�XJMM�TIBSF�B�SFWJFX�PG�UIF�SFDFJQJFOUT�QSPmMF
02 You will always make an effort to personalize your InMails
03 You will refer to mutual connections as recommended by LinkedIn
04 You will demonstrate how you have been selective
05 You will use a conversational tone
Ten Commandments of rock star InMailsFollow these 10 commandments to initiate rock star conversations
06 You will make it brief
07 You will always highlight what’s in it for the recipient
08 You will always attempt to include useful and relevant content
09 You will always include a call to action
10 You will invite sharing by asking goals and interest levels in new opportunities
Lesson 4: Focus on the candidate journeyUnravel the art of making a lasting impact on your candidates
Stay connected with the candidatefrom interview to onboarding
What excites you about social recruiting?
“Good turn around ratio from sourcing to offer and conversion conversion. Cost effective proactive recruiting channel”
response time for jobs posted on LinkedIn
Export PDFsfavorite LinkedIn Recruiter tool
<24hrs LeadershipHiringprimary channel LinkedIn
usage of LinkedIn Recruiter
Daily
Veena V makes an effort to ensure there are low drop out rates from PGGFS�UP�KPJOJOH��4IF�mOET�-JOLFE*O�3FDSVJUFS�UP�CF�BO�BQU�QMBUGPSN�UP�share updates, invite feedback and stay connected even with candidates who are not actively looking for jobs in her talent pipeline. She uses a hands on approach while preparing candidates to join the company.
Veena’s social recruitment dashboard
Adopt a proactive approach while taking a candidate through the recruitment process
Veena V
Senior Recruiter Amazon Development Center
“As a recruiter, I stay connected to the candidate till they come on board as ‘employees’. I share company and job details, prepare them for interviews, address queries at each stage, keep them engaged & excited about joining the organisation, by furnishing the right information and work as a team to get the right person on board”
Keep them engaged with scheduled communication
How has social recruiting improved candidate journey?
“The movement from agency based recruiting to developing an in-house focus on social media presence has resulted in increased ownership of the candidate journey”
response time for jobs posted on LinkedIn
Groupsfavorite LinkedIn Recruiter tool
2 days
jobs closed via social networks
50%
mid/ senior positions filled last year
69
Namita Vyas follows an inside out approach to ensure each candidate journey is smooth and relevant. She starts with understanding her hiring manager’s need and then connects potential candidates and hiring managers for exploratory discussions. She also leverages common contacts to keep candidates engaged. Namita’s social recruitment dashboard
Keep communication lines open between potential candidates and hiring managers
Namita Vyas
Manager - Technology LeadershipInMobi
"While hiring candidates, I make use of available networks – employees, top management and my own. I keep them engaged from initial connect message till finalization. I partner with the hiring managers to ensure that there is a continuous chain of communication with the candidates. Be it exploratory calls or in person meetings with the hiring managers, or regular status updates by me, I keep the candidate warm and engaged with InMobi”
Lesson 5: Be a brand advocateFind out the secret to bringing your brand to life in your conversations
01 Participate in groups
Represent your
employer brand by
participating in niche
groups on LinkedIn
02 Personalized InMails
03 Connect key leadership 04 Information updates
05 Live brand experience 06 Continued interactions
Bhajneet Singh Dhingra
Senior Manager Hiring
Sapient Consulting Pvt Ltd
Advocating the employer brand across the recruitment lifecycle
“While sourcing a creative technologist (director level) our first bet was to get a dedicated global search firm which didn’t work out for us. I took charge of the search on LinkedIn - from groups to targeted InMails- a well planned candidate experience helped us convert an exclusive candidate.”
Bhajneet Singh Dhingra takes us through how he hired exclusive niche talent by advocating the Sapient Brand
Plan and send out
personalized InMails
with relevant and
useful content
Connect candidate
with key leadership to
give complete clarity
on role and goals
Candidate specific
information updates
and updates on
company and brand
Invite candidates to
live brand
experiences like an
event (Sapient Xi)
Stay in touch with the
candidate at planned
intervals with relevant
updates till they join
Take charge of your candidate experienceFollow this 12 point to-do list to deliver a rock star candidate experience
A how-to video of your application process on the website
Detailed info on the website and LinkedIn Career Page
Introduction to employees on LinkedIn
Branded personlaized InMails with useful information
Clear instructions and information on your availability
Staged and planned process, non repeated questions
Weekly calls, InMails and updates
“Is there anything you didn’t get a chance to tell us today?”
What you can do
Real answers that enables improvement, feedback forms
Call and connect up don’t just sms or email a rejection
Nurture niche communities on LinkedIn
Make a planned process map and keep improving
4JNQMJmFE�BQQMJDBUJPO�QSPDFTT
Transparent application process
Know more about the existing team
Personalized and relevant emails
Option to check in and follow up
Smooth onsite interview
Stay in touch through the application process
0QQPSUVOJUZ�UP�DPNQMFUFMZ�QSFTFOU�UIFJS�QSPmMF
What your candidate wants
Constructive and two-way feedback
Respectful rejection
Keep in touch even if they didn’t interview
Stay commmitted to their experience
Every brand advocate needs a stellar profileFollow these steps to build a rock star personal profile on LinkedIn
02 Dress it up with rich media
03��"EE�DFSUJmDBUJPOT
04 Make your updates interactive
05 Add recommendations
01 Craft a catchy opening
.BLF�UIF�NPTU�PG�UIF�mSTU�����DIBSBDUFST�PO�ZPVS�QSPmMF��*ODMVEF�TLJMMT�UIBU�NBLF�ZPVS�QSPmMF�EJTUJODU��
Include presentation, videos, portfolio items that can help potential candidates set quality benchmarks.
*ODMVEF�BMM�DFSUJmDBUJPOT�UIBU�BSF�SFDFOU�BOE�SFMFWBOU�
The perfect way to showcase your experience and to strike up a conversation with a new candidate.
Recommendations from team members on a hiring NBOBHFST�QSPmMF�XPVME�IFMQ�QPUFOUJBM�DBOEJEBUFT�
The Rockstar Recruiter Check List
You have a plan for talent pipelining
You are ready to build relationships online
You have access to varied talent pools
:PV�IBWF�SFWBNQFE�ZPVS�QFSTPOBM�QSPmMF
You have a well planned candidate experience
You can pack more power into InMails now
You are an employer brand advocate
:PV�BSF�DMPTFS�UP�-JOLFE*O�3FDSVJUFS�DFSUJmDBUJPO
Are you ready to unleash your inner rock star on LinkedIn?
Let the rock star recruiting begin!
Meet the authors
Megha Nayak Associate Field Marketing ManagerMegha is a Marketer with a passion for business, technology and new ideas. She is a part of the trade marketing team in India. She plays enabler in helping talent leaders leverage the power of LinkedIn.
Aadil BandukwalaSenior Customer Success ConsultantAadil is a Social Talent Evangelist who consults with LinkedIn’s Enterprise Customers in India on their Talent Strategy and advises them on their Employer Brand. SHRM India has ranked Aadil as one of India’s Top 20 Most Influential People in Human Resources on Social Media for two consecutive years.
LinkedIn India’s Customer Success Team
Ketaki KadekarAssociate Customer Education Consultant
Somi JacobCustomer Education Consultant
Aditya KumarSenior Technical Consultant
Sebastian JohnAssociate Customer Education Consultant
Gunjan GovaniSenior Customer Success Consultant
Jacqueline AzariahSenior Customer Success Consultant
Mahesh Prabhu
Senior Customer Success Consultant
Niraj Vasani
Customer Success Consultant
Ragini Jaswal
Customer Success Consultant
Sani SharsarCustomer Success Consultant
Vandana SinghCustomer Success Consultant
Rudra Prasad Nanjundappa
India Head, Customer Success
Aadil BandukwalaSenior Customer Success Consultant
Prachi Banga
Senior Customer Success Consultant
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