Larger companies or those looking to fill higher-level positions will still rely on the services of recruitment agencies to help them find the perfect candidate. All that has changed is the way recruiters search for these candidates.
Recruiters can use social networking sites like LinkedIn to connect the right candidates to the right positions, but recruiters look beyond what’s on a resume. Recruiting companies study the candidate’s specific skills, talk to them and check their reputation to make sure they are the perfect fit for the job. This is something that LinkedIn can’t do, and it’s an added expense for businesses using social media.
Yes, LinkedIn has definitely changed the way we communicate with employers and may become even more important in the future. The problem is that many good candidates on LinkedIn are invisible or downright “hiding”. Some candidates are bombarded with job inquiries and offers that aren’t right for them. Ask your senior colleague how many unreviewed offers they’ve had in the last month.
As soon as this happens, candidates start using LinkedIn in private. If a Specialist is happy at his work and is 110% sure that there is no need to change jobs, they can even remove their LinkedIn URL so that “big brother” (Google, etc.) can’t find their profile so easily.
Another thing is candidates who have changed jobs but haven’t updated their new job title/company on their LinkedIn because it looks like a CLOSED sign. This shows that they are no longer interested in using LinkedIn as their open online resume…until the next time they want to change jobs. Also, some of the top management profiles may not even be on the LinkedIn list.
This creates a clear challenge for both candidates and companies. How can you compete with thousands of others? How can you make your efforts effective?
Recruiters also face this problem. But, first of all, it is the company’s job to find the right candidates. And secondly, thanks to the already existing database of employees and employers, browsing LinkedIn will not be the only method of finding the best opportunities.