Like every other recruiter on the face of the earth, I use LinkedIn to source candidates, specifically the IT kind. I am also a member of some groups on LinkedIn that are relevant to my industry and the industry I recruit for.  So one day I’m combing through my LI feed and come across a posting in the .NET Developers group.  The title of the post…”RECRUITERS: If you post a JOB on our DISCUSSION board I will ban you immediately” This is a prime example of why IT professionals HATE recruiters. Recruiters join these groups to specifically do one thing…Spam their open reqs.

As a Sr. IT Recruiter, I cringe when I see posts like this! Why? Because as a recruiter whose main purpose for joining tech groups in LinkedIn is to learn, so-called “recruiters” who spam jobs within the LI groups is unacceptable and just plain effing annoying. It is because of recruiters like these, that give recruiters like me, (who actually give a shit about the subject matter), a bad name.  And don’t get me started on overseas recruiters.  It’s very obvious that the “Post & Pray” method in LinkedIn Groups is ineffective and accomplishes virtually nothing (aside from the Group’s Job Board). Worse, it only beckons IT professionals to hate our guts even more.

If you’re a recruiter, please, please….for the love of Yoda, use tech LinkedIn groups as a place where you can learn from all of the members to sharpen your recruiting skills and better your knowledge of the subject matter. And please let it be known that if a techie is interested in seeking new opportunities, it’s not like they live under a rock and don’t know how to get a hold of us. THEY KNOW WHERE TO FIND US IF THEY ARE INTERESTED!

Fellow recruiters, here are some Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to tech LinkedIn Groups

• DO network with members in the group to establish rapport
• DO learn from the discussions and the subject matter at hand
• DO ask questions to members that will benefit your recruiting and tech screening process
• DO start discussions pertaining to specific subject matter
• DO use the “Jobs” section within the group to post your jobs
• DO reach out to a group member to ask specific tech questions

• DON’T use LinkedIn groups to SPAM your jobs
• DON’T contact group members asking them if they’d be interested in a new opportunity
• DON’T ever post your jobs in the “Discussion” section
• DON’T EVER piss off a group moderator or group members for that matter! They have the power to make your recruiter mojo go down the tubes
• DON’T be naive into thinking posting your jobs to the job boards will yield you a significant pipeline of candidates
• DON’T be that guy/gal that ends up being kicked out of the group and wonder why you got kicked out! DUH!!

So I hope I have your attention and you hear me loud and clear! Tech professionals hate some recruiters guts because they only see one thing…..$$$$.  We as recruiters should be mindful and respectful of Tech Professionals and their craft. They’ll respect you if you take the time to learn and have a general interest as to what it is they do. First and foremost, recruiters should use the LinkedIn groups to learn and to be informed about the subject matter to refine their recruiting & screening process. Secondly, LinkedIn groups should be used to network (what a novel idea, isn’t it?) and establish a certain level of rapport to gain trust and credibility. Who knows? You might get lucky and have one or many of your reqs filled by one or more of the group members because YOU went about soliciting the group the right way and a good probability you won’t be hated on. Now go out there and learn what a syntax error is!

Originally posted on TheRadRecruiter.com