Although it comes as a surprise to many, LinkedIn has not offered a “follow company” button until very recently. The new feature was announced on the LinkedIn blog Monday, February 27^th and was designed to make things easier on both a consumer and the company. Being that LinkedIn is the network for professionals, this was a long time coming for many. With almost all other social networks creating a “follow” feature for businesses, it is no wonder LinkedIn hopped on the bandwagon.

This new button is expected to make a big impact on the recruiting aspect of a company. Once users follow a company, they will be able to see status updates and engage with the company via the company page. This is great for a few reasons:

• Career opportunities can be shared.
• Company news will never be missed.
• Companies will be able to see users who are serious about the company.

This new feature will allow companies to do more than blindly post a job opening or a news article on their account. They will now have followers, so those interested in the company will be the first to see the job opening. Those who follow a company are also likely up to date on the latest company news; thus furthering the chances of nabbing a great candidate for the open position.

The follow button has been added to company pages such as AT&T, Starbucks, American Express OPEN, and Sony Electronics amongst others, and according to LinkedIn, 70% of users would follow a company on LinkedIn.

How to Set Up the “Follow Company” Button on Your Company Page

Just because the feature is available does not mean that it will automatically show up on your page. You actually have to add the button to your account if you want to allow users to follow your company, but fortunately this is quite simple. All you have to do is go to the LinkedIn Developer website and you will see a screen that looks like this:

You then hit the yellow “Get It” button and will be taken to a screen that asks for your company name. You can decide whether you want a horizontal count mode or no count mode at all. Once you have typed in your company name, a code will be generated. Place this code right into your profile and you’re done!

Does your company use the follow button? Have you found it to make a difference when recruiting talent?

Amanda DiSilvestro is a writer on topics ranging from social media to credit card processing. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including workers compensation to small businesses and entrepreneurs for the leading business directory, Business.com.