Since its launch in 2002, LinkedIn has become the professional networking site of choice for job hunters and recruiters across the globe.
Today the site boasts 500 million users and 10 million active job posts, and these numbers aren’t just puffery. A 2016 report (admittedly from LinkedIn themselves) reveals that new employees sourced from the service are 40% less likely to leave their role within the first six months.
However, the LinkedIn story isn’t 100% positive. Quora threads (like this and this) detail a mix of user frustrations. These range from random, unexplained connection requests to fake profiles, the view that the site is becoming too much like Facebook, and even claims that it’s a hotbed of sexual harassment. For some, LinkedIn has even switched from professional networking site to an office-based equivalent of Tinder, with members using to site to reconnect romantically with old colleagues.
Microsoft’s $26.2bn purchase of LinkedIn in 2016 led to plenty of negative press, along with monetisation efforts (video ads, a third party ad network, programmatic ads and more) that have turned users off.
There are plenty of alternative digital channels out there for those looking for their perfect role. Why not try these?
1. Facebook
While Facebook’s job application service is currently only available in the US and Canada, it will be only a matter of time before we get the chance to test it out here. While Mark Zuckerberg may have bigger fish to fry at the moment, the ever-expanding social network is nevertheless aiming to position itself as a major LinkedIn competitor.
Companies can now post job listings and review applications without leaving Facebook. Candidates can auto-fill applications with their profile details à la LinkedIn, communicate with companies via Messenger, and easily view job posts in their news feed and under the jobs bookmark.
The benefits? Easy access to a large network of organisations (In 2015 there were already over 50 million business pages on the site), direct communication, and no need to register with a new service. However, with over 2 billion monthly active users worldwide, competition could be fierce. Some may also question the sense in using a profile on a social site for professional purposes.
2. Reddit
This online forum and news aggregator is packed with highly engaged communities posting in subreddits – mini communities dedicated to specific topics. r/UKJobs and r/UKforhire are obvious places to start when looking for roles.
Sifting through these subreddits for relevant roles, however, may not be the best use of your job-hunting time. Instead, consider thinking laterally and using Reddit to raise your profile within your industry instead. r/cybersecurity and r/digitaltransformation are just two of the subreddits we find most useful – not only for industry news, but also for the chance to get noticed by posting and commenting, and accumulating ‘karma’ from your peers.
3. Twitter
Beyond breaking news and topical memes, Twitter is a hotbed of recruitment activity. Job sites and recruiters post links to vacancies, candidates showcase their experience, and it’s a great source of knowledge and news across industries.
“Twitter’s list function lets users create both public and private lists of other users.”
Candidates can use the network to their advantage by creating a professional profile that serves as an online business card and following relevant individuals and businesses in their field. Twitter’s list function lets users create both public and private lists of other users which, in job-hunting terms, could include relevant recruiters, industry news sources and ideal employers. More importantly, candidates can seek out the accounts of individuals within these businesses to see what they’re saying, and actively participate in conversations there.
Retweeting relevant content, sharing self-created content, contributing to industry conversations; there are plenty of ways for candidates to raise their profile on Twitter. The downside? It may seem like common sense, but think about what you’ve tweeted in the past and how it reflects on you as a candidate: even tweets from years ago can be unearthed and used against you, as Phil Neville found out in early 2018.
4. Google for Jobs
While not yet live in the UK, Google’s job search feature could be a game changer for the recruitment industry. Pulling in listings from sites such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor and Monster, it uses machine learning to sort local listings, based on keyword searches.
Results can be filtered by a number of factors, and email digests of job alerts can be triggered on and off. It’s a search method that puts the candidate, rather than the recruiter, in control, and should prevent bombardment from employment agencies.
5. Recruiters, direct
Some job hunters have a negative perception of agencies. The gripes are endless: ignoring calls, putting candidates forward for unsuitable roles; even charges of harassment are not uncommon. This is by no means the case with every agency – particularly ones like identifi, who put a premium on candidate experience. But one bad experience can be enough to put a candidate off.
With GDPR, however, things are changing. Candidates will have the right to be forgotten and will take comfort in the knowledge that their data can’t be used for any additional purpose without their explicit consent. This means no more unexpected sharing of personal information, no unsolicited contact, and the chance for candidates to truly engage with their preferred agency.
There’s no denying that LinkedIn remains a key part of the online talent ecosystem. But only part.
By failing to consider other digital job hunting channels, candidates may risk missing out on their perfect role. As LinkedIn develops, we believe recruiters will continue to diversify the talent pools they use when hiring. So go on, get that swimwear ready: it’s worth taking a dip in a few.
Find out how identifi guarantees a candidate-first recruitment experience. Learn about our Candidate Charter, here
