Linkedin - Just How Good is it?

I have like all of us in the recruitment industry seen the huge growth of Linkedin and have written about it and what it is on many occasions - Is Linkedin a Job Board? seemed to be one that got the “chattering classes” chattering.

But in talking with a recruiter pal of mine who is a heavy user of LinkedIn has revealed that ” when we use Linkedin we find that at least 20% of LinkedIn profiles are essentially defunct in that the email address is no longer current and the user is no longer therefore receiving any message alerts from LinkedIn”. Furthermore, this contact confirms that “at least 40% of their premium ‘Inmail’ messages are not read by the intended recipients within a week of being sent”.

For me this portrays a rather different view of LinkedIn where millions of people have created profiles on the site but where it’s actually a far smaller core group of users who regularly access the site and can be reached via LinkedIn’s paid services.

So couple of points;

- This is one users experience but is it one shared by other recruiters? please share your experiences

- Could this be because this company operate in a specific sector? and handle a “certain audience/user”?

- Is this an issue as to how they use Linkedin?.

- Does it really matter?

I decided that given I attended the Top-Consultant conference last week and they talked about social media and how recruiters and job seekers were using it to talk with Tony Restell Co Founder of Top-Consultant. Tony’s quote below highlights that yes social media is being used but and my words maybe those on Linkedin expected to be “found on it – not find a job on it”? They build their profile and wait to be found rather than use it as a networking tool.

Tony comment that the “Strengthening the impression that LinkedIn is more of a CV database than a job board are statistics collected by Top-Consultant, the careers website for management consultants. In a poll of over 1,000 candidates, Top-Consultant found that whilst 45% of candidates say they regularly use LinkedIn, only 5% have actively responded to a job advert placed on social media sites like LinkedIn. ‘When we asked candidates to indicate how they would go about searching for their next jobs, hardly any said they would apply for jobs via social media sites. So the lines seem to be being clearly drawn, with social media being a means of researching firms and allowing oneself to be seen by headhunters… whilst job boards remain the places where candidates will actively head to seek out a new job.’

Also could this be a UK cultural issue? we do compared to the US be less inclined to “market Brand Me, Network Brand Me and Sell Brand Me” or maybe I am being to harsh.

Would love to get the thoughts and experiences of others using Linkedin – both recruiters but would like to get a job seekers perspective.

Thanks for reading.

Comment by Keith Robinson on March 23, 2010 at 4:25pm: Thanks to all for commenting - starting with

Valentino - some good advice and one I will share in UK and re networking areas. But as Gerry comments we seem to use Linkedin differently in UK (both recruiters and jobseekers)

Next my friend Gerry - spot on and I hope this changes in UK as we take "more control" of our careers. HR outsources hiring to 3rd parties and job seekers outsource -career management/job seeking to 3rd parties - madness.

Chandra - I know eGrabber and like it very much happy to bring to UK!!

Ron - don't disagree re "a few glitches" built a very successful job board business and "always glitches" but a tip as economies pick up and candidates become tougher to find you will need multi channel sourcing strategies.

Joe - Thanks re disclosure - great gig and know the team in European Kevin et al. in 80's I was a publisher of controlled circulation magazines - we stared with 3 year reverification but with T/O natural or "death" we realised how "bad" our circulation was and I went to annual costly BUT my clients got what they had paid for. Huge challenge for Linkedin but the quality of your data is your "business" But great job sir.

Comment by Christine Bell on March 25, 2010 at 11:41am: I've been using LinkedIn for a couple of years now, but have only just started posting jobs - with very little valuable results. But it is a great place for finding candidates even though they may not respond to your inmail for a few weeks. It's also good for reconnecting with candidates who have been on your database for a while and who's contact details have changed. I can understand the frustration of recruiters trying to contact someone for a contract position, but for the permanent market I find it a great tool. But definitely not the be-all and end-all for active and urgent resourcing

Comment by Rowena Simpson on March 26, 2010 at 5:23am: Interesting article Keith. I think my own experience reflects the research you site. My use of Linked In is based mainly on the search facility. Advertising occasionally brings a useful candidate but in the main attracts applicants who I can't help. However networking and searching using this medium is excellent in my sector (engineering). I do post free ads on here but the networking and profile / brand building facility is definitely the strong point on LI