How Headhunters Use LinkedIn to Headhunt Senior Executives

How Headhunters Use LinkedIn to Headhunt Senior Executives

If you thought LinkedIn was just another social media network created for circulating the ever-present cat videos that stalk us on all platforms, and maybe just a little of your work history, then think again! An estimated 1.4 million Kenyans have a LinkedIn profile – that most left dormant years ago. A survey by Digital Rand showed that with the highest number of inactive users in Kenya, LinkedIn takes the cake. This is interesting to note as there are several out-of-work senior executives and an equally large number of the same who are unhappy with their current roles. There are around 90,000 recruiter profiles active on LinkedIn. These recruiters use LinkedIn to headhunt executive candidates. They search for professionals who can fill permanent positions, temporary positions, interim positions, and they also deal with contract-based services.

Several C-level executives fit these roles perfectly. However, because of lack of updating their LinkedIn profile, these expert recruiters cannot make a match. In a job search, your most relevant skill set and the new roles you have taken up are potentially gone if your profile states that you are still the current CFO of your previous company. Lost opportunities do cost many Kenyan LinkedIn users the jobs of their dreams.

Even while actively searching, a CEO can be stealthy in their job search. If you’d like more information on confidentiality in your job search on LinkedIn, read this.

It cannot be understated how important LinkedIn is for career progression for those who are serious professionals. Let’s take an in-depth look.

These are 4 ways recruiters use LinkedIn to headhunt executives

1. Recruiters use keywords

Therefore you must include them in your profile. What keywords should you input? The ones that reflect the requirements of the kind of role you want to advance into. If you are an engineer looking for visibility, use keywords such as “member of EBK” on your profile so that the recruiter can find you easily when they search for members of the Engineers Board of Kenya. Other keywords could detail your achievements, for example, if you are a Certified Energy Manager, include “CEM” in your title, in your summary section, in your education and your skills. Scatter your entire profile with keywords that you would like to be visible for. Detail each section as this gives the expert recruiter a clear idea of whether you would be a suitable match.

2. Recruiters lurk in LinkedIn groups

LinkedIn groups are a great source for learning industry news and making connections. Are you passionate about your role as a Mobile Marketer and have insights to share with peers? Join the Marketing Communications LinkedIn group and contribute. Engagement in this manner shows a recruiter, in whichever industry group, that you are interested in gaining more information about your area of expertise. It also shows you are willing to learn from others and enhances your global outlook in that particular industry due to the diversification of large member groups.

3. Recruiters notice active participation

Frequently publish posts on your profile and establish yourself as a thought leader in your field. As a C-level professional, these help you establish credibility. With 3 million posts to date, LinkedIn is one of the fastest growing platforms for professional publishing in the world, with an average post reaching professionals in 21 industries across 9 countries. In addition, if you are a business coach, publish public posts on challenging areas in your field. In the coaching industry, as is in many others, showing connections how much you know about your industry can also help garner people who trust in you. This lead generation offsets a chain of reactions that may end up in your profile receiving praise for a job well done, which leads to…

4. Recruiters check for recommendations

Recruiters love recommendations. These ‘referrals’ are the most straight-forward way for expert recruiters to know that you are worth that job. Colleagues or former teams you used to lead can give you recommendations. Ask each of these groups to emphasize on a particular skill set of yours. For example, if you supervised someone in the past, they could do a write-up of your leadership style and how the synergy it created motivated the team, or how your strategic thinking in establishing a customer reward program enabled the team to increase sales by a specific percentage. The most noteworthy element of recommendations is that they should sell you and because they are coming from referrals, if you will, the expert recruiter is more likely to get a better idea of who you are and how they can place you.

Need more help with your LinkedIn profile? We help senior executives build powerful Executive profiles on LinkedIn.  Schedule a quick call back to find out more about our CV & LinkedIn Audit services.