LinkedIn Could Improve Your Hiring Practices

Making good hiring decisions helps reduce turnover rates and increase productivity. Now that many job applicants are using social media, it is easier than ever to determine if an applicant might be a good fit for your company. Some HR professionals are even using their own LinkedIn recruiting strategies to assess applicants before they conduct interviews or reference checks. Here is what you need to know about using LinkedIn to make hiring decisions.

Norrie Johnson Recruitment conducted a study to determine the role LinkedIn plays in making hiring decisions. Of the senior HR decision makers surveyed, 46 percent said they look at candidate profiles on LinkedIn, while 31 percent of the decision makers said they use LinkedIn as a headhunting tool. When asked to identify the most important elements of a LinkedIn profile, the HR professionals named the candidate description, skill endorsements and the content of the recommendations listed on each candidate's profile.

LinkedIn gives recruiters a lot of information they can use to improve their hiring decisions. If you are concerned about a candidate's skills in a particular area, you can check her LinkedIn profile to see if she has any endorsements related to those skills. If other people have endorsed the candidate for a skill listed on her resume, it is likely that she really does possess that skill. LinkedIn allows users to post articles and blog posts to the site, making it easier for recruiters to see if candidates are able to write persuasively or use their critical-thinking skills to develop strong arguments in favor of a particular position.

LinkedIn also makes it easier to eliminate applicants for consideration early in the hiring process. If you receive a stellar resume, it's a good idea to check the applicant's LinkedIn profile to make sure his job history and skill endorsements match the content of the resume. If they don't, you shouldn't move the applicant to the next stage of the hiring process. Checking an applicant's LinkedIn profile can also help you get a sense of whether he would fit in with your company's organizational culture.

It is not uncommon for HR professionals to use LinkedIn to make hiring decisions. As of November 2013, two-thirds of recruiters in the United Kingdom had rejected applicants after looking at their social media profiles, reports Angela Haggerty of The Drum. Some HR professionals are developing LinkedIn recruiting strategies, while others are checking Facebook or Twitter to see if applicants present themselves in a professional manner. If you check an applicant's profile and see that it contains inappropriate posts, you might think twice about hiring that applicant to represent your company.

It is possible to improve morale and reduce turnover by making good hiring decisions. If you have been struggling to select the right applicants, try using social media to narrow your initial applicant pool or decide which final candidates would be the best fit for your company.

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