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How to make your LinkedIn Recruiter profile stand out
Your recruitment branding matters more than you think.
When candidates have more choices than ever, you don’t pick talent, talent picks you. Your LinkedIn recruiter profile can make or break their next move. Your professional recruitment branding needs to stand out and show who you are — authentically. Improve your professional LinkedIn profile in these four easy steps and thrive in a candidate’s market.
Use an engaging, friendly profile photo.
Your picture is the first thing candidates see, so a friendly photo will get you a lot more profile views and messages.
Make sure your photo is professional and approachable. Connecting with people is your job, so ideally get a pro headshot or use smartphone portrait filters.
Your photo should have good lighting and a simple background. If you’re using an existing photo, choose a current one so candidates will recognize you. You want to communicate warmth and friendliness, so practice your expression — smile with your eyes. Wear what you’d wear to work, ideally solids since they look better on camera.
Customizing your cover photo adds a personal recruitment branding touch. Ideas include your company logo, nature, or city skyline. Let your creativity guide you.
increase in connection requests*
increase in connection requests*
more likely to get messages*
*Source: Linkedin Profile Photo Tips
Write a profile headline that demands attention.
Think of your headline as your tagline. It’s the single-most-important factor to make a strong first impression. A good headline helps candidates understand your unique talents, opportunities you offer, and impact you make.
There are three things to remember when crafting your headline:
- Make it quick: Sum up what you do in a sentence or two.
- Make it catchy: Write a memorable sentence that gets attention.
- Make it you: Show how your personality and job set you apart.
Leadership habits to avoid if you want to encourage change
Hook readers with a headline.
Example 1
“My job is to find and hire the current and future amazing talent in the technology industry.”
Example 2
“Want to see what a transparent, real-time recruitment process looks like? Let’s talk.”
Create a LinkedIn recruiter summary that tells your story.
A generic profile that reads like a resume won’t stand out. What do you bring to the table that’s different? Why are you passionate about your job? What makes you, you? These are key ingredients to gain trust with candidates and motivate them to connect with you. Be authentic, write in the first person — not too formally — and most importantly, be yourself.
Consider working in elements from these five areas. Each recruiter is different, so focus on the areas that work for you. Check out these profile summaries for examples.
Spotlight experience.
Don’t be shy about showing your number of connections, listing big-name companies you work with, and detailing impressive career highlights.
Share a story.
Telling stories is a powerful way to connect with candidates and relate on a personal level. It also shows that you are a friendly and open person.
Get creative.
Hook your audience with unique but clear ways of expressing your role and hiring focus. This helps communicate how you’re approachable and unique.
Weave in humor.
Be professional but also show your sense of humor where it works in a skill or story. This will instantly make you more relatable.
Express enthusiasm.
Telling stories is a powerful way to connect with candidates and relate on a personal level. It also shows that you are a friendly and open person.
Build credibility with recommendations.
Candidates want to work with people they trust and who know what they’re doing. There’s no better way to earn confidence than by showing that you’re good at what you do.
- Focus on getting a variety of recommendations from people that prove your depth of experience.
- Ask potential references to include how you helped solve professional challenges.
- Encourage people to make your accomplishments crystal clear.
- Request that they include key details about you and your unique working style.
DID YOU KNOW?
Recommendations from previous hires, colleagues, and clients is one of the most viewed areas of a LinkedIn profile.
Build trust with recommendations.
Sandra Davis
Sandra was a client of Gabe
“Gabe is an excellent technical recruiter. He helped me with a recent job replacement and I’m very happy with his service. Gabe always gave me feedback during the recruiting process.”
John Shogan
John was a coworker of Joseph
“Joseph’s ability to manage difficult stakeholders is one of the key reasons we were able to win repeat business in the construction industry. He knows how to manage expectations.”
Sarah Byers
Sarah was an employee of Alex
“Alex is a gifted instructor. Because of his vast experience in sales, he knows a variety of creative methods, and ensures you learn what you need to. His calming personality makes you feel comfortable.”
More resources to help you better connect with candidates
Build trust with recommendations.
Create memorable Career Pages.
Showcase why your company stands out and drive candidates to the next step.
Learn more about Company Career Pages.
Help candidates find you.
Get noticed by potential hires with help from recruitment marketing.
Find out more about recruitment marketing.
Learn more about how LinkedIn Talent Solutions can help you improve your quality of hire, delivering the most value to your business.
Planning
Make informed talent decisions around diversity, hidden talent pools, and more with real-time data.
Hiring
Get the right people in the door with easy-to-post jobs, smart sourcing, and thoughtful branding.
Developing
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