Utilizing Social Media for Recruitment

Yesterday I wrote a hiring post that got 50,000 impressions and generated dozens of applications Depending on how you want to look at it, this saved CoLab $1,700-$30,000+ Here's how you can do it too: First of all, the bar for hiring posts is LOW Most people just share a link to the role with the auto generated "I'm hiring! Know anyone who might be interested?" Do better than that and you're already ahead of 90% of people. Some tips: 1) A hiring post is a marketing exercise. Differentiate the job. I didn't post about just any AE role yesterday. I described the exact stage of growth that CoLab is in and why that might be ideal for our ideal candidate. I got lots of messages like "thanks for your candor" or "that really resonated with me" 2) Know your ICP. Yesterday, I was recruiting for sales. And I spoke directly to their pains: In small startups, there's often not enough pipeline. In big companies, you're a cog in the machine. The people that applied felt one of these pains in their current role (some of them even reached out and told me which one!) 3) Flex your copywriting skills! Cut the buzzwords. Make your post easy to read. Make the message clear. When a prospective candidate reads it, they should know immediately if they are the type of person you're looking for or not. 4) Check the boxes on social media best practice. Original content gets way more reach than re-sharing, so take the time to write something original. Engagement from other people will boost the post, so encourage it (not just from prospective applicants, but from anyone in your network that wants to see you succeed) Shout out to everyone who engaged with my post yesterday. I appreciate you! 5) Give when you can and take when you need to I've spent 4 years building in public and sharing insights with this community. That goodwill goes a long way when you need to make an ask -- Whether it's recruiting or searching for a job yourself. If you want to engage the top 1% of talent, you need to be in a recruiting mindset 24/7/365! #hiring #recruiting

For the first time in life, I was on the other side - people were reaching out to me for referrals. I never thought I would learn so much from the process. Lets start with numbers first. I had 1000+ connection requests. Only 35 had notes attached with them. And, only 8 of them were well written. Within 12 minutes of posting, I had 4 direct messages (this is to tell you most people have crowded inboxes). It was impossible for me to respond to everyone who reached out to me. The biggest learning i have had is that I cannot refer you if I haven’t talked to you or know you. So even if you connect with me after a job posting goes live - if there is no prior relationship - I cannot refer you. This is why I always emphasize that building relationships is important. Now, let’s come to the messages/in-mails I received. There are four important keys to a referral message ✅ brief but informative. do not write 5 paragraphs. ✅ mention WHICH job you want to apply to. attach a link or job id number. ✅ attach your resume. ✅ address the person correctly. Most of the messages didn’t spell out my name correctly. While it is so simple - most messages missed one or two of the above mentioned things. You need to make it very simple for the person referring you. I cannot spend time asking you for information. Some things that I noticed people did which I really liked: - they researched all open positions. - asked me for insights/tips or which one would be a better fit. - did not ask for a referral but showed interest. Thinking back, I am more inclined to forward these people’s resume to the HR because they GENUINELY INTERESTED. A HUGE LEARNING and hope you can learn from this and make your referral reach-outs better too. #career #job #jobsearch #referrals

Last year, my talent acquisition team started creating "Job Trailers" for all of our roles – short, engaging videos that give candidates a clear understanding of the position, the team, and what we're looking for. Candidates have responded incredibly positively; they really love them! 💡 Tip: These short, engaging videos provide a snapshot of the role, team, and what we're looking for, making it easier for potential candidates to envision themselves in the role – especially helpful if you're a fully remote organization, offering a virtual window into your company culture! Why Job Trailers? 🔹 Enhanced engagement: Videos are more compelling than text and accessible to share on social media, helping us reach a wider audience. 🔹Inclusivity: Videos cater to diverse learning styles, making the application process more accessible for everyone. 🔹Transparency: Provides a genuine look into the role and company culture, setting clear expectations for candidates. 🎬 Creating the Video: Creating the Video is simpler than you think. Partner with hiring managers or team members to showcase the role's responsibilities, team dynamics, and any unique perks. Remember, authenticity is key! A simple video shot on a phone is all you need! 📣 Sharing Your Masterpiece: Once your video is ready, embed it in the job posting or share it across social media platforms. Job Trailers are a win-win. They create a more transparent, engaging, and inclusive candidate experience while helping you attract top talent. (Picture below is a screenshot of the one I did last fall for the Candidate Experience Specialist!) #CandidateExperience #Recruiting #Hiring #JobTrailers #VideoRecruiting #TalentAcquisition #InclusiveHiring

Here’s exactly how I’d approach a recruiter at Google, Meta, or Amazon on LinkedIn (if I were job hunting today) LinkedIn is still the best place to connect with recruiters — but most people either overshare or ghost after connecting. No, you don’t need a 500-word pitch. No, you don’t have to wait for a job to open. Here’s a 4-step roadmap I recommend to job seekers in the U.S. (especially immigrants): Step 1: Find the right recruiter Search for: Meta recruiter or Talent acquisition at Google. Then filter: → By location (target U.S. cities you're applying in) → By department (e.g. "technical recruiter" for SWE roles) Step 2: Send a short, specific connection request Keep it human. No essay. Example: “Hi [Name], I noticed you focus on [backend/data/scaled hiring] at Amazon. I’d love to connect and follow your updates as I explore roles in that space.” Avoid: - I need job. - Generic “Hi, I want to work at your company.” Step 3: Follow up after they accept (2–3 days later) This is your chance to be clear and polite. Example: “Hi [Name], thanks for connecting! I’m really interested in the [job title] role at [Company] and have attached my resume for reference. Would love any tips on applying or learning more about the role.” You’re not begging. You’re being prepared and respectful. Step 4: Build visibility, not just messages Recruiters respond better when you stay visible. → Comment on their posts → Share 1–2 updates about your job search or projects → Stay top of mind without being spammy Timeline recap: Day 1: Connection request Day 3: Follow-up message with resume Week 2+: Stay visible, share progress or comment on relevant content Not every recruiter will respond — and that’s okay. But this approach gets you 10x better results than “Hi sir, job please.” Share this with a job seeker you know. P.S. Follow me if you’re an Indian job seeker in the U.S. trying to land yiyr dream job. I share job search strategies that actually work.

Last week I spoke with an enterprise AE at F100 company who closed over $5M in 2023 (3x his quota). The surprising part? He generated 90% from Linkedin. Here’s what the enterprise social selling playbook looks like: 1. Community: Successful sales reps are constantly enhancing their community on Linkedin. They invite key prospects, customers and other stakeholders to their network. As an AE or Exec, it helps to stay in the same domain over time so you can engage with the same community but across different employers. The compounding effect of your network is exponential. 2. Content: Engage frequently with your community. Stay ahead of the curve and ensure your content reflects that. Not all content has to be original and unique. Most Linkedin users are looking to consume content that will help them be better at their job today. Share best practices, success stories and recommendations. If you stay in the same domain, the quality of your content will grow as you build trust within your community. 3. Signals: Get a good understanding of the triggers and signals that impact demand in your target segment. Use these signals to focus your attention on select individuals as they become active. 4. Offer Help: Be mindful of any request for assistance within your community. If you are going to stay in the same domain for long, expect your community to do the same. Offer to assist even if it does not directly help your business. Chances are these interactions will lead to deep relationships in the long run. 5. LinkedinOps: This is often an ignored part of social selling. For the same reason that Inbound leads perform so well (because they are warm), somebody that visited your profile also has a relatively high probability to respond in the first 24hr. It’s the job of LinkedinOps to run all active engagers through an ICP filter and then follow up on good fit candidates. 6. Outreach: I have seen some successful reps use personalization tools to find the right messaging or conversation opener for Linkedin outreach. It makes sense to do an outreach with the good-fit engaged audience within 24-48 hrs of the engagement. Don’t hesitate to ask for referrals. 7. Tracking: Track engagements and metrics. Score and rank your audience every week for good fit top engagers. Your top engagers are the ones who will likely take your call. Your LinkedinOps can help you with analytics. 8. Convert: Know when and how to move your conversation outside Linkedin. Linkedin is great for capturing demand signals or for generating trust. Look for the right moment to share a calendar link or an email to move the conversation to a different platform. TAKEAWAY: Your buyers are already on Linkedin. With a little discipline and LinkedinOps, you can close revenues while enhancing your brand and handling objections at scale. I've been helping GTM teams for 15+ years. Never before have they had access to such a powerful platform. Take advantage.

This post will teach you how to find recruiters, hiring managers, and referrals on LinkedIn in under 10 seconds and with one search. 90% of jobseekers miss out simply because they don’t know this trick.  It’s not a tool, it’s a simple technique called BOOLEAN Search.  ►  What is BOOLEAN Search?   BOOLEAN search is a way to combine keywords with operators like AND, OR, and NOT to refine your LinkedIn searches.  Recruiters use this technique to find candidates, but you can flip the script and use it to find recruiters, hiring managers, and potential referrals.  ► How does it work?   You combine:   - Job Titles   - Keywords like hiring   - Locations or Company Names  Using operators like AND to include multiple terms or NOT to exclude unwanted results.  ► How to Use BOOLEAN Search on LinkedIn  Finding Recruiters and Hiring Managers:   Type these into the LinkedIn search bar:  1. "job title" AND hiring AND remote      → Example: "software engineer" AND hiring AND remote   2. "job title" AND hiring AND location      → Example: "data analyst" AND hiring AND bangalore   3. "job title" AND hiring AND company name      → Example: "product manager" AND hiring AND google  This pulls up posts from recruiters or hiring managers actively hiring for those roles.  ► Finding Referrals or Professionals for Networking:  1. "job title" AND company name      → Example: "backend developer" AND amazon   2. "job title" AND company name AND location      → Example: "UX designer" AND adobe AND london  Pro Tip: Add your college to the search string to find alumni.   Example: "software engineer" AND amazon AND IIT   This helps you break the ice when reaching out.   Tips for Mastering BOOLEAN Search:  1. Play with Keywords: The more specific you are, the better your results.  2. Use AND, OR, and NOT:      - AND → To include multiple terms.      - OR → For alternative terms (e.g., "developer" OR "programmer").      - NOT → To exclude terms (e.g., "developer" NOT "intern").  3. Capitalize the Operators: Always write AND, OR, NOT in all caps.  

Recruiting today isn’t about posting jobs and hoping the right people show up. It’s about knowing your audience. And they’re not all searching in the same places (or for the same things). Gen Z is using TikTok and Instagram over Google. They’re searching for career content, not job ads. Think short-form video, real employee voices, and values they can see (not just read about). If your brand isn’t showing up authentically where they are, you’re invisible. Millennials are more pragmatic. They’re still on Facebook and YouTube, and they’re asking: “Will this role set me up for long-term success?” Show them growth stories, real benefits, and how you support work-life balance. Gen X came up in a more traditional job market. They’re still active on LinkedIn and job boards—and they’re looking for roles that respect their autonomy and help them step into leadership. One message, one platform, one-size-fits-all? That approach doesn’t just miss the mark. It misses entire generations of talent.

When we started HireSweet, I had zero LinkedIn presence. 8 years later and after a lot of testing and iterating, LinkedIn drives ~30-50% of our leads & revenue. Lately, I've been getting a ton of questions about our learnings. So, here it is - the founder-led LinkedIn playbook I've been giving to anyone who asks 👇 1. Start with the lowest hanging fruit: invitations to connect. They work (30-50% conversion rate) and they allow you to control the direction in which your network grows. Start with 2nd degree connections in your target audience, based in your area. Surprisingly no personalized notes will yield +80% more connections! Free users can send ~50 per week. Paid users ~150 per week. Hit that quota every single week, or lose it forever. 2. Optimize your profile. Clear headline, nice picture (I would avoid AI-generated), and a detailed company description. Use the "featured" section, include a nice call to action and illustrations. 3. Enjoy the process, listen to your audience, build relationships. Play the long game. Build a real sense of community. Don't be pushy, nurture people over time with posts, so they come to you when they're ready. 4. When reaching out to cold prospects, add value. Send a guide, white paper, or video that helps your prospects succeed in their job. Personalize. 5. Post 3-5 times per week, high-quality posts. Turn on Creator Mode, get a paid LinkedIn account, and add a "Visit my website" button to your profile. 6. Best times to post: mornings on Monday to Friday, as people are getting to work (8-9AM) or heading to lunch (12PM). 7. Create a process to help you generate posts. Examples: What have you learned recently? What unique industry beliefs do you hold? What do you often find yourself explaining to clients or new hires? 8. Don't come up with 5 new ideas per week. Find 1-2 good ideas and repurpose them as text, images, videos, and polls. 9. Posts perform better in that order: - Polls (+100% vs text) - do one per week - Text + relevant picture (ideally a selfie - I don't really do this myself but it works) (+50% vs text) - Text with no picture - Videos (about the same as text but more time-consuming) - External links --> Avoid them 10. For text posts, open with a strong hook, focus on readability, keep it simple (one key idea per post), and end with a question to make it simple to engage. 11. LinkedIn Live is the most underrated LinkedIn feature. Each attendee can invite up to 1,000 people per week (!!) - as long as they're 1st degree connections. Do more LinkedIn Lives! 12. It's rather easy to get a "Top Industry Voice" badge. Go to the Collaborative Article page, pick a relevant topic, and leave 3 valuable comments per day. This is how I got my badge within a week. Now it's your turn - do you agree/disagree with this recipe? What are your top LinkedIn tips for founders? 👇 (If you made it this far, feel free to bookmark this post to revisit it later!)

I spoke with over 20 software job seekers last month. Here's one of their most common frustrations: "I can never talk to a real person about my skills." Yet, all of them use online applications as their main strategy. Instead, they could be talking to "real people" in less than 2 weeks. Here's how you can do it in 6 steps: 1. Find a job posting that you're a great fit for. → Take note of the company that posted it. 2. On LinkedIn, search for your target role. → Head to "People" and filter by the hiring company. 3. Send 30 connection requests with personalized notes. → Most of them won't connect back. That's fine. 4. Study the profiles of those who connect back. → Look for things in common, or things you admire. 5. Message them a genuine compliment or question. → Don't request anything from them. 6. Ask for a quick conversation for their advice. → Don't ask for a referral, just to get their thoughts. On those conversations: • Be interested in them and listen to what they say. • Relate to them, ask questions, request their advice. • At some point, they'll reciprocate interest. • Now, talk about your job search. At the end, ask for introductions to someone else you can talk to. (NOT a referral.) Now, you're building relationships in the company you want to work at. The opportunities you're looking for are in these conversations. Not in online applications. P.S. Do you mainly apply online or network for interviews?

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗗𝗠 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿. 𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸. That it was only for extroverts, salespeople, or those who knew the “right” people. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The truth? LinkedIn changed my career more than any job board ever could. From landing internships to publishing research and breaking into power & energy, the biggest opportunities in my career didn’t come from job boards—they came from building the right connections. Yet, so many professionals hesitate to network strategically because they: * Feel awkward reaching out to strangers * Don’t know what to say in a cold DM * Fear getting ignored or rejected I get it—I used to be the same way. But once I started using LinkedIn the right way, I landed mentors, internships, and research opportunities that shaped my entire career. Here’s How You Can Do It Today: ✅ 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 * Look for professionals in your target field (engineers, hiring managers, senior leaders). * Use LinkedIn’s “People Also Viewed” section to find similar profiles. * Join industry groups to see who’s actively sharing insights. ✅ 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 Forget “Hi, can I pick your brain?” That doesn’t work. Instead, try this: 💡 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗠 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲: “Hi [Name], I came across your profile while learning about [topic]. I admire your work on [specific project]. I’d love to hear your thoughts on [question]. Would you be open to a quick chat?” ✅ 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗗𝗠 * Like and comment on their posts genuinely * Share their work and add your insights * Make your name familiar before sending a message ✅ 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 People respond better when you bring something to the table: * Share an article or resource relevant to their work * Offer a fresh perspective on one of their posts * Ask a specific, thoughtful question instead of just “Can you help me?” The Outcome: I’ve used this exact strategy to build meaningful relationships that led to: ✔ Internship opportunities before I even applied ✔ Research collaborations that boosted my career ✔ Insights from industry leaders that I couldn’t find anywhere else If you’re not leveraging LinkedIn for strategic networking, you’re leaving opportunities on the table. 💡 Try this today: Pick ONE person you admire, craft a thoughtful DM, and hit send