How do recruiters find candidates?

3 ways recruiters look for candidates so you can get noticed and get more job opportunities.

1. LinkedIn

The top place where most recruiters look for job candidates is LinkedIn. So, how do recruiters find candidates on LinkedIn? Recruiters perform targeted searches using keywords and filters (like location, job title, and more).

This allows them to find active job seekers but also passive candidates who may not be looking for a job change, but could still be convinced to make a move for the right offer.

They’ll look through hundreds of professionals, reading the job title, recent work description, sometimes viewing the list of skills, and then quickly moving on to the next.

If you want to get seen by recruiters, take the time to make your LinkedIn profile as strong as possible. This is a great way to appear in more recruiter searches and get seen more often.

Hiring managers also browse LinkedIn looking for qualified candidates, and a company will typically post each job directly to LinkedIn as well. These are more reasons to be on LinkedIn if you’re in an active job search.

Make sure you’ve got a completed profile with work experience, skills, and a good headshot. If you’re looking for a new position but haven’t completed your LinkedIn profile, you’re holding your job search back.

2. Asking candidates for referrals

When talking to a candidate, recruiters may end the call by asking the candidate if they know anyone else they can refer for other jobs they’re working on.

Some recruiters also seek out referrals in a sneakier way; they will sometimes use reference checks as a way to build their network and find new candidates to work with.

They’ll ask for two or three references and then after speaking to those people, they’ll start talking about the job market and gauging their interest in new jobs.

People in your network can also intentionally refer you to a recruiter.

You don’t need to announce your job search publicly on social media or broadcast it to all of the hiring managers in your network on LinkedIn. Instead, you should have one-on-one conversations with key people in their network to notify them about your job search.

Recruiters also utilize employee referrals. This occurs when an employee within a company refers a colleague from outside the company.

Companies will often reward their employees financially if they refer a candidate who gets hired for a job. So it’s worth asking people in your network if their employer is hiring. You aren’t bothering them, and you might even be making them some money if they refer you to a company recruiter and you get hired.

3. Talking with an existing professional network

Top recruiters will build a relationship with good job candidates and try to work with them multiple times throughout their careers.

So when a new job is posted, many recruiters go into their professional network (usually tracked through LinkedIn) to see who might be a good candidate for a newly-opened job.

For this reason, it’s worth building a strong relationship with a few good, knowledgeable recruiters who specialize in your industry and/or city.

And stay in touch with a recruiter even after they refer you for a job, because you could be a suitable candidate for more jobs in the future.

Recruiters can keep you informed about career-advancing opportunities. Even if you’re not actively job searching, it can’t hurt to hear what type of talent companies are looking for and what those companies are willing to pay people who they’re hiring.

What types of positions are you hiring for right now?

What do you look for in a candidate for those roles?
Are you planning to hire employees? We have just given you some tips to optimize your selection. Remember that today, with teleworking and home office, it is possible to hire employees from all over the world. You do not know how? Contact Us