We have taken the time to identify the helpful features that the free version of LinkedIn can offer you. Although many might think that the paid versions are the only way to go, you might be surprised at how much you can accomplish with the free one.
Using Keywords and Jobs Titles In Search
You can start your candidate or prospect search by typing in some keywords and job titles for the people you are targeting. Typically, we use both keywords and job titles in the beginning of each search. See example below.
Keyword: Human Resources OR Payroll OR Benefits OR Powerpoint OR Operations
Job Title: Administrative Assistant OR Assistant OR Executive Assistant OR Admin OR Office Manager
We suggest looking at your job or prospect description and picking out a good list of keywords to use in your search. Identify skills and software or department specifics that are essential to the job. For a job title, do a bit of research. Sometimes there are many job titles that mean the same thing or close to it, so develop a list of various job titles to search for.
Once you have the job titles and keywords ready to go, you can refine your search by using the free search filters.
Searching Using LinekdIn's Basic Filters
When you create a basic search for a particular candidate or prospect, you are given many filters to work with.
To start, you have the Relationship Filter, which allows you to search people based on 4 criteria. 1st Connections, 2nd Connections, Group Members, 3rd Connections and everyone else.
When beginning a search for someone like an "administrative assistant" we would start by searching all 1st connections (people you know or can message) and see who comes up. After you search your 1st connections select the Groups filter. Any leads that show up when you click your Groups filter are people you can message. This is helpful if you are part of a ton of groups with members that would be good prospects.
After you have used your first two filters, move on to 2nd Connections and 3rd Connections. We always make sure to create a spreadsheet with all of our prospect's first names, last names & LinkedIn URL's - to keep track of our progress.
You also have the Location Filter which, obviously allows you to search for people based in a certain location like "Greater Los Angeles Area." We like to have the location filter set before we check any of the other filters.
The next filter you have available is the Current Company Filter which is one of our favorite filters. We regularly search for people who are currently employed at well-known companies. This filter is also helpful if your boss or client says they prefer candidates from a certain company.
The Industry Filter is the next one down the list. Equally as important as the current company filter, the industry filter helps you identify candidates that might be good for your particular industry. Chances are you want to identify people with relevant experience, right?
As you move down the list you also have the Past Company Filter and theSchool Filter. We like to use these two filters when we know that our clients are looking for someone who has worked for a particular company or went to a specific school.
You also have the Profile Language and Nonprofit Interests Filters. We take advantage of the School and Past company filters but not so much the Profile Language and Nonprofit. It really all depends on the search and what exactly we are looking for.
Search Example
A typical search for us might look something like this (below) if we were searching for an Administrative Assistant in a Human Resources Department.
Keyword: Human Resources OR Operations OR HR OR Benefits OR Payroll
Job Title: Administrative Assistant OR Assistant OR Admin OR Executive Assistant
- 1st Connections
- 2nd Connections
- Groups
- 3rd Connections & Everyone Else
Location: Greater Los Angeles
Current Company: Netflix
Industry: Media & Entertainment
Past Company: CAA
School: USC, UCLA, LMU
These are your basic LinkedIn filters for searching and finding the right prospects and candidates. By using these filters, a recruiter should be able to identify a handful of qualified candidates for any of their open roles.
Because you are using the free version of LinkedIn, you will have to track your progress with a spreadsheet or outside document. Develop lists of all your target candidates, first name, last name, job title and LinkedIn profile link, and make sure to keep detailed notes on your progress with each candidate.
From here, you will be able to send connection requests to candidates in order to initiate contact about your open roles.
The more you use these filters and keywords the better you will get at searching with the basic version of LinkedIn.
Good luck with your searches and stay tuned for more on LinkedIn!
This article was written by Quintin Ford, a recruitment entrepreneur located in Playa Vista, CA. Quintin is the Founder of OCEAN | STREET and avid blogger and social media guru. Learn more about Quintin on LinkedIn.
