An executive recruiter told me last week that his initial information source about potential job candidates is shifting from word-of-mouth references to social media–specifically LinkedIn.
An increasing number of companies are enlisting social media to identify and recruit prospective employees. Even staid Sears announced recently that it is using Twitter to recruit 7,000 employees. Giant consulting firm Accenture is using LinkedIn to help recruit the 50,000 employees it will hire this year. Fortune magazine reports that Accenture plans to hire at least 40% of its future workforce via social media.
In an article entitled, “How LinkedIn Will Fire Up Your Career,” Fortune says: “Facebook is for fun. Tweets have a short shelf life. If you’re serious about managing your career, the only social site that matters is LinkedIn.” Therefore, it’s important to properly use this business site.
I recommend the following basic rules of LinkedIn etiquette:
Don’t Be Mysterious. Fully complete your LinkedIn profile information.
No Cold-Call LinkedIn Requests. Don’t randomly invite people who you don’t know.
Engage in LinkedIn Groups. Raise your visibility by participating in the many job-related sites and groups.
LinkedIn is Not Facebook. Treat LinkedIn as the professional site it has become. Don’t use funny photos or make witty or caustic comments.
Don’t Hound Fellow Members. Don’t abuse your network by being overly aggressive in your job search.