LinkedIn is a formidable social network when it comes to your own professional career. People have the ability to network with co-workers, former colleagues, businesses, recruiters and well, you already know this by now. The list seems endless at times. We’ve seen how becoming relevant on LinkedIn can get you noticed—in a good and a bad way— no matter what industry you’re in. Today we’d like to feature some Do’s and Don’ts with LinkedIn for employers doing their own recruiting.
Professional Appearance: Before you even start connecting with potential candidates, whether it’s for a connection or emailing them, DO take the time to clean your LinkedIn Profile. Make sure your background is up-to-date, including your profile picture. DON’T ignore the small details in your LinkedIn profile. It takes mere moments for a potential candidate to evaluate you as you would them.
Recommendations/Endorsements: If you’ve got positive recommendations, DO flaunt them. You can feature your recommendation on your profile by hiding/unhiding them in your profile under Privacy and Settings. For more information see LinkedIn help.
Random Connections: This is a touchy one. Some professionals do not like random, unknown connections or correspondence. Others do. One example of a DON”T if you recall was the “Nasty LinkedIn rejection” email that went viral back in February. Take a moment to read this and be careful how you respond to random inquires. DO engage with professionals whom you have on your radar, but start with a connection first. Or even better—interact with those that are in a common group. These interactions will most likely turn into confirmed connections. And if you manage to befriend a professional online, it’s important to keep emailed inquires clear, concise and above all considerate.
Lastly, the New York Post recently featured its own list of Dos and Don’ts but for Job Seekers. It’s a great guide on etiquette and may give you some great ideas on other best practices on LinkedIn.
If you have any questions about what’s appropriate, email us, and we’ll be happy to help.
