13 Candidate Networking Faux Pas Recruiters Need to Avoid on LinkedIn

In LinkedIn, containing 610 million users in more than 200 countries and regions globally, it provides a great platform to not only build business connections but also expand your candidate network.

My profile connections is just about weighing in at 21,956 connections.

In fact, it took some time but taught me a thing or two about connecting with candidates.

Again I said to get it all so it's not necessarily the size of the network but it's the size of the people in the network :) Right?

And in any service-oriented profession, your reputation is key.

LinkedIn networking is much different than other forms of networking, so it's essential that you take the time to do your research and avoid some common mistakes.

These include: not proofreading your communications, sending generic or impersonal messages, and failing to follow up after meeting someone new.

If you can avoid these pitfalls, you'll be on the path to developing strong relationships with LinkedIn candidates.

Your LinkedIn profile is publicly viewable, which means that it not only displays your professional accomplishments, but also projects your personal brand.

You should focus on networking and developing your own brand if you want to be successful long-term.

Building a network is extremely relevant in terms of increasing your ′recruiter ecosystem′ more on this soon.

Faux Pas (French) :?a significant or embarrassing error or mistake?: BLUNDER

Here are 13 things you should consider on LinkedIn in building a strong candidate network:

• Failing to keep in touch after making first contact.

Failing to keep in touch after making first contact is a huge networking faux pas.

If you don't follow up, it shows that you're not really interested in building a relationship.

This puts you at a disadvantage when you're trying to build a strong network, because it's harder to gain trust and credibility when you've already made a poor impression.

• Overselling yourself.

When networking with someone on LinkedIn, it's important to be aware of how much you're selling yourself.

If you find that you're constantly pitching your accomplishments, you may be overselling yourself.

Instead of overselling yourself, focus on building a rapport with the other person.

• Trying to connect with too many candidates at once.

When you're trying to connect with too many candidates at one time, it's easy to come across as inauthentic.

This is because you're not taking the time to tailor your message to each individual person.

It's important to focus on the recipients and make sure that your message is personalized to their profile.

• Lurking Candidates.

Lurking gives off the impression that you're not interested in networking or engaging with others in your field, which is the opposite of what LinkedIn is for.

If you want to grow your network, you need to be an active participant by sharing your own insights, engaging in conversations, and connecting with like-minded individuals.

So instead of Lurking, focus on networking and building relationships with other members of LinkedIn.

• A lot of off-brand random posting on LinkedIn.

Posting off-brand or random content is a surefire way to turn candidates away.

If you want to build a strong network of potential candidates, you need to be clear about who you are and what value you can offer potential followers.

Only then will you be able to engage with them in a meaningful way.

• LinkedIn profile is only halfway complete.

A complete profile should include your photo, background image, headline, bio, experience, and any other essential information.

This gives off a clear impression and first impressions are key when networking.

Make sure it includes relevant keywords and phrases, highlights your experience and successes, and is free of grammatical errors.

• No differentiation in your approach.

LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool for recruiters, but they need to stand out from the crowd by thinking like marketers not recruiters.

This means considering the candidate's journey and what will resonate with them at each stage.

What's important are the results you've been able to deliver for your clients and candidates - as well as how you achieved them.

• Joining groups that are not niche-specific.

If you are a member and a part of the conversations in relevant groups in your candidate niche on a regular basis.

It will be evident to them when making decisions about whether or not you understand that world.

When you join relevant groups, it will show on your profile and your profile will be more visible to them for connecting and networking potentially.

• Not having a custom URL related to your niche or differentiator.

When networking on LinkedIn, it's important to show that you are invested in a focus area of expertise.

Failing to have a custom URL related to your niche or differentiator is another way to show that you are all in and not working any role that comes across your desk.

This is another simple step, you can ensure that your LinkedIn profile is attractive to potential candidates and that you're able to build relationships with the right people.

• Connecting randomly.

When expanding your candidate network on LinkedIn, it is important to only connect with people who you have interacted with before.

Sending unsolicited connection requests not only clutters up the recipient's inbox but makes you look bad.

Instead, focus on connecting with a few key individuals who are relevant and you have interacted with previously will help you grow a true network that is valuable.

• Set unrealistic expectations for LinkedIn networking.

When recruiters don't take the time to properly network on LinkedIn, they set unrealistic expectations for the candidates they're trying to reach.

Most candidates are only active on LinkedIn when they're looking for a job, so for example expecting them to have an intention to build ′500+ connections +′ and be highly engaged is often unrealistic.

Instead, focus on building a good rapport slowly, you're more likely to get the information you need and be able to keep in touch for future opportunities.

• Using LinkedIn autoresponders.

One such pitfall is using auto responders.

When you use an auto responder incorrectly on LinkedIn, it immediately puts you at a disadvantage.

It shows that you are not really interested in networking, but are more interested in automating the process and growing your connections.

• Getting into fights with tolls.

These are people who try to drag you down or attack you, and they can damage your networking efforts.

The best thing to do is to simply ignore the troll and move on.

If you engage with them, you'll only be giving them more attention and hurting your own chances of networking successfully.

Some Guiding Principals:

-Be genuine and authentic.

-Instead of taking shortcuts, focus on building real relationships with your connections.

-If you want to be successful on LinkedIn, take the time to connect with people manually.

-When sending connection requests or InMail messages, be sure to personalize them and make them specific to the recipient.

-Finally, avoid getting into fights with trolls.

To make LinkedIn networking more effective, follow these tips.

In the comments, let me know your own challenges with developing a candidate network on LinkedIn? And if you found this helpful, give it a like and subscribe to get new articles straight to your inbox.