How LinkedIn helps people find jobs

How LinkedIn helps people find jobs

Introduction 

Background of the study

Today, digital network platforms are applied in communication. The communication can either be personal or professional. LinkedIn is a social network service based on career development and business connection. The primary objective of this network is to provide professional networking through online platforms. The employers post jobs on LinkedIn and job seekers post the resumes on the platform to be seen by potential employers. Technology development continues to create society differences. The internet plays an essential role in building society differences.

Today organizations use technology in their human resource practices hence revising the strategy for job posting advertisements, external and internal hiring, selection and recruitment. The most popular social networking platforms are Facebook, Twitter and Linked. Social media has completely changed the conventional approaches to employees’ selection and recruitment. Globally, companies are currently using these social networks to post new opportunities. This makes it easy for employees to reach potential employers.

Significance of the study

This research is aimed at exploring how LinkedIn as a social network has disrupted the traditional approaches of job searching. The study also outlines the effects of LinkedIn to job seekers over the past five years. Further, the study provides an overview of the extent of how LinkedIn is applied by employers and recruiters to recruit the best talents. Also, the research assesses what the factors that affect the employer or recruiter hiring decision are. Today most of the recruitment agencies use LinkedIn to hire people. Brightwater Recruitment Agency states that 90% of online job seekers are currently using LinkedIn to connect with potential employers (Campbell, 2010). Previous studies indicate social network has a positive effect of successful career advancement and satisfaction. Social network helps in acceptance and participation within the global labour market. Given the role of social networks on the success of a career, the knowledge of network acceptance and cooperation is necessary.

Also, Smith (2011 noted that the social network noted that social networking plays a key role in career development. Candidate searching for job opportunities frequently employs social sites like Facebook and LinkedIn to create a professional profile that helps them connect with potential employers.

It is hoped that the findings of this study will help jobseekers to make effective use of social sites like LinkedIn network and connect with other professionals as well as potential employers. This will not only help them to find employment opportunities, but the research will be an effective tool for helping the active and perceive job seekers to be successful and more productive.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

This chapter presents a review of relevant review to recruiters, jobseekers and LinkedIn. Besides, the chapter highlights the emerging trends and critical trends from previous studies. The chapter also gives a theoretical framework on how job seekers use LinkedIn to connect with potential employers.

Social networking development plays a critical role in opening new opportunities for job application, endorsement creation, peer interaction, visualize candidate’s network connections and bring more arguments to help in recruitment decisions. Social network connection plays a crucial role in creating social identity and impression management (Kwon & Wen, 2010).  Different social connection plays various roles. A social network like LinkedIn allows employers to compare different profiles posted on the social site.  Users are also able to get the contact of potential employers as well as build human-relationship (Park & Kee, 2009).  LinkedIn also allows the individual to compare both public and private profiles, traverse and view the list of connections and articulate a list of other users.  Like other social networking sites, LinkedIn is characterized by interpersonal connectivity and social enhancement.

Social network sites can be used by job seekers to correct information about potential employers. This critical play a role in maintaining interpersonal relationships and fulfilling their desires (Seidman, 2013).  Individuals can relate to other individuals on the platform. People use social network services for communication and social interaction. This increases the strength and number of ties among individuals, which offer a useful digital environment that is easy to spread and capture knowledge as well as attract quality skills. A social network connection is not just limited to professional or connections. Still, social media such as LinkedIn is currently being applied in the labour market as a tool for recruitment.

LinkedIn helps jobseekers in personal branding, which refer to the practice of marketing yourself in the marketplace (Brooks & Anumudu, 2015). The personal brand reflects on individual abilities, skills and lifestyle. It involves capturing and promoting the unique qualities and strengths of an individual to potential employers (Schwabel, 2009). Personal branding has increased with increased usage of LinkedIn in job search due to its resourceful opportunities offered to jobseekers to employers or potential recruiters. The influential sociology theory refers to the effort made to regulate the data within the social interaction.  Potential job seekers can now use social connection services to market themselves in securing gainful employment opportunities.

Jobseekers can differentiate themselves from other crowds through personal branding (Harris & Rae, 2011). The employer can know what an individual does, how he does it, why he or she should be considered for a specific position, and what makes an individual unique (Hughes, 2013). The employers are interested in the personal statement on the LinkedIn profile.

 Using LinkedIn for job search

The Linked profile can be applied in shaping idealized portraits of a person’s professional identity by explaining one’s ability and skills. Edward et al. (2015) analyzed members in linked responded. The previous study indicates that a significant difference between social presence condition and social evaluation and attraction. The previous study demonstrates that individuals who have photos on their social media account are evaluated more compares to those who refrain from uploading a profile picture. An online profile plays a significant role in predicting person job prospects as it influences the perception of other people. LinkedIn members are required to manage their professional profile adequately and apply it as an instrument for impressing the potential employer.  The profile of job seekers should be presented in a manner that the recruiters have a positive image of their image (Jansen et al., 2012). An attractive LinkedIn profile should include personal and academic history, explaining personal achievement. The job seeker LinkedIn Profile should have a keyword to assist recruiters and search engines in finding their social network profile.

Self-presentation management in the digital platform plays an integral role in professional and private life (Rui & Stefanone, 2013). Despite the physical distance between individuals and a strong reliance on technology, online communities manifest the physical communities. The information provided in the social sites should, therefore, be consistent with the true image of an individual. Today social sites play a key role in controlling one’s digital identities as well as empowering other people to brand them, hence, making them competitive for employment opportunities.  Self-branding in online platforms is affected by personal goals; hence, it is critical for job seekers to give information relevant to recruiters’ interest and specific topics that may promote the possibilities of obtaining recommendations for recruitment (Schwämmlein & Wodzicki, 2012). The professional Linkedln profile should be consistent and accurate.

Using LinkedIn for job search

The job searching process determines whether an individual will be successful for a given opportunity or not. The platform through which an individual uses to search for jobs determines whether a person will secure a job or not. Traditionally job search has been classified into formal and informal methods. Formal job search strategies include use recruitment agencies or responding to the advertisement published in journals, newspapers and the internet. The informal method involves the application of personal contacts to search for jobs.

Job-search methods employed determine the quality of people to be recruited by the company. LinkedIn helps job seekers to connect with potential employers.  The study by  Dekay (2009) indicted the majority of people today are using LinkedIn as a tool for searching for job opportunities. It is, therefore, difficult to underestimate the role of LinkedIn job searching.

Methodology

The research sought to discuss the role of the Linkednl to jobseekers in securing opportunities in the job market. The research findings for this research are obtained from the data from the previous researchers. The research involved reviewing the data from previous publication, including The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Library and Information Science Research, Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology and Information Research.  Journal and article dated back to 2009 were used to identifying the information explaining the research topic. The information gathered from secondary literature is then analyzed based on the research question.

The literature review played a critical role in identifying the gaps in the topic under the study. The keyword was used to help the researcher gather the relevant information relating to the subject matter of this study. To ensure academic ethic, the researcher reference the work used from the other publication.

Results

The study indicates that the majority of job seekers are have been using LinkedIn as a tool for a job search in the last five years. The people active young job seekers are estimated to be around 62%. The researcher also noted that LinkedIn has gin more populating in the last one year as compared to five years ago. More than 55% of the members in LinkedIn visit their accounts weekly, while around 20% of the members in LinkedIn visit the site once a month. Job seekers prefer using LinkedIn to connect with potential employers as compared to the use of traditional methods when applying new employment opportunities. The use of social sites is perceived to be easier, effective and professional when it comes to the job application. As compared to traditional methods of job hunting, it was observed that jobseekers find it more convenient and easier to connect with potential employers using LinkedIn.

The research findings indicate that interpersonal connectivity on Linkedln help jobseekers to enhance their employability.

Discussion of research finding

Based on the findings of the study, job seekers can optimize their employability by having a professional and natural online presence that helps them gain results and visibility. The literature of this study indicates that jobseekers should aim at improving their endorsement, achievements, and skill on Linkedln and other social network services. Sharing of ideas likes and posting of comments to demonstrate knowledge play an important role in selling the candidate to potential recruiters and employers.

Based on the research finding use of information management have a positive influence on the employability of the candidate. According to Skeels & Grudin, 2009, interpersonal connectivity also affects the employability of the candidate. Regular engagement with professionals and connections plays a critical role in promoting visibility hence enhancing employability. The other item discussed in this study is self-branding. According to Gehl, 2011, self-branding contributes to the formation of the first image and will affect the employer’s and recruiter’s decision on jobseeker’s employment.

Conclusion

LinkedIn is one of the frequent social sites used by job seekers to connect with potential employers. Technology advancement has disrupted every sector of the economy, including the labour market.  Based on the literature and research findings of this study, LinkedIn plays a critical role in enhancing the employability of online job seekers. Jobseekers are therefore required to create a LinkedIn presence as well as regularly interact with other professionals to promote their employability.  Candidate’s Linkedln profile plays a critical role in influencing the perceptions of other people. This indicates that members are required to manage their online professional identities strategically and apply it as an instrument for impression management.