Senior Development Recruitment Specialist, Bella Taylor, reflects on the value of a strong LinkedIn network.
I feel when you are new to recruitment, and new to LinkedIn, you totally underestimate how powerful building your network up can be. It can seem like a really long-winded task, trying to get those connections up into the 1000s, but trust me, it is totally worth it!
I am now four and a half years’ into recruitment, and I have spent a lot of this time building up my LinkedIn connections and also ensuring I make a name for myself in the Development space. Because I have spent so much effort into doing this, it is now making my life much easier when it comes to sourcing candidates for roles. To give you an example, I managed to secure a high-value placement in the space of 48 hours…
A client came to me with a requirement, and as I do with most of my roles, I first checked my 1st Connections on LinkedIn and thought was there anyone I knew who would be good for this role? Now, I am not saying I know every single one of my connections personally, and I am not even saying I have had lengthy conversations with them all but, contacting someone who is a 1st Connection of yours is always going to be quicker and more effective than someone you have to InMail. There is always the question of “has this InMail just come to me, or am I a part of a list of 50 people this has gone to?”. Messaging a 1st Connection shows it was them you specifically tried to contact.
I messaged a 1st Connection who I connected with back in 2018. We had very little conversation other than chit-chat here and there. To be totally honest, I nearly didn’t message him, as he had just started a new role the month before, but I thought hey, you don’t know until you ask!
He had started a new role, but unfortunately was quickly made redundant. He was perfect for my vacancy, so I quickly got him over to the client. 48 hours later, the candidate was offered the role and was due to start in a weeks’ time. Client and Candidate were both over the moon!
The point I am trying to make is I feel a lot of junior consultants can see LinkedIn as quite long winded, and you don’t always get quick wins. But if you put the work in, it can really do wonders for your desk and your billings!
If you have any questions about how to build a strong network on LinkedIn, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You connect with me on LinkedIn, or email me at b.taylor@greenfield-it.co.uk.
