This is a guide that explains how active job seekers and passive job seekers view a company's LinkedIn profile. It also goes into detail on how proper employment branding can help companies acquire top quality talent while minimizing their recruitment costs.
5. This is Mary.
She’s looking for a new job in
the tech industry. She knows
that LinkedIn should be a big
part of her networking &
application strategy.
3M Companies have pages on
LinkedIn (and counting!).
6. She starts her search by looking at Company A. She’s
immediately bored by what she sees. There’s no Careers Page
for this company, and all that’s on the main page is one block of
unimpressive, corporate jargon-filled text.
7. She decides that she’ll
give this company one
last shot, checking out
its employees’ profiles
in case the LinkedIn
Company Page doesn’t
give a fair
representation of the
company. (She’s a lot
more forgiving than
most job seekers.)
8. Mary skims through
a few profiles from
Company A, but
doesn’t learn much of
anything from the
employees’ job
descriptions, titles or
summaries. She has
no idea what the
company is like, or
whether anyone
there truly loves
his/her job. She thinks Company A probably doesn’t care about its
online image. These days, that’s a pretty big mistake...
9. It’s time to find
another company for
Mary to look into. She
stumbles across
Fusion Worldwide’s
Company Page, and
notices a huge
difference….
10. ...first of all, it looks much better, with photos, small
paragraphs and white space. It even has a Careers
Page!
11. On the Careers Page, there
are multiple videos, status
updates with relevant
articles, and text that’s not a
bunch of stuffy corporate-
speak.
12. Here’s an example of one of the videos Mary notices.
Click here for other Fusion videos.
13. Mary has a much better
feel of what Fusion is like,
but she’s only getting
started interacting with the
company...
14. She follows Fusion because of what she saw.
She decides to learn more about what the employees
have to say about working there.
15. Not every profile she sees is
perfect, but there’s plenty of
material to work with.
The majority of the profiles
have lots of information filled
in, so Mary can see common
themes in employees’
experiences with the
company.
16. She’s impressed by the clear
job descriptions and the
many well-rounded profiles
she’s come across.
In addition to the
responsibilities the various
employees list, they talk
about their goals and
accomplishments.
17. Job seekers like Mary make
judgments about both what is
and is not present in company
& employee profiles.
Her potential co-workers seem
to have diverse skill sets, so
they could leave Fusion if they
didn’t like it there.
18. Some time later, Mary sees an update from Fusion
(because she followed the company).
She clicks on the link, and is taken to an article on
CAREEREALISM that piques her interest again.
19. Since the post is on a
reputable career
advice site, it gives a
lot more credibility to
the information.
By not being overly
promotional, the post
shows Mary that
Fusion is dedicated to
making its industry
better every day.
20. She notices that the article & the Careers
page BOTH have links back to Fusion’s job
openings. She clicks to learn more about
them. (Click the jobs below!)
21. Mary sees how good a fit this job
description (and company) are
for her.
She gets her materials together
and applies.
22. Compared to this poor showing from Company A
(which has almost nothing at all)...
23. ...Fusion has plenty of
content, plus frequent
status updates with new
information about the
company’s philosophy.
There are also general
tips for similar positions
and a big-picture look at
the industry.
What didn’t they cover?
24. Mary is one of many job seekers
that will interact with your brand,
specifically with your LinkedIn
Company & Careers Pages.
Some will have a similar path to
hers, and others will encounter
your Employment Brand in a
different way.
Next up: we show how Paul
(a passive job seeker) experiences
good Employment Branding…
25. This is Paul.
He’s fairly happy with his
job right now, but if the
right opportunity came up,
he’d consider taking it.
He has a solid LinkedIn
profile and uses the site
every once in a while to stay
in touch with people in his
network.
26. You’re looking for the best candidates for your open
positions when you see Paul’s profile. He has the skills
necessary to thrive at your company.
It’s time to reach out to him.
27. You craft a message
to Paul, adding value
with a link he may
appreciate.
It will hopefully start
a discussion with
him, not necessarily
get him to apply right
away.
28. Paul opens the InMail message you sent him and clicks the
link because you mentioned why you were contacting him,
but you didn’t go overboard.
(A short, authentic message with one link is a lot more
likely to work than something longer that begs for an
application.)
29. Paul bounces around through
a few posts about your
company on CAREEREALISM
because they’re helpful for
him in his field, not because
they say,
“APPLY NOW! WE’RE GREAT!
WOULD YOU LIKE TO
APPLY? APPLY!”
30. Paul likes the article you shared with him, so he decides to
follow your company on LinkedIn.
31. Now that you’re in Paul’s newsfeed, your status updates
show up for him. Sometime in the future, he sees a post he’
s interested in, and clicks to read it.
(He might also be responsive if you follow up with him,
asking if he liked the content you sent to him before.)
32. Within the article, you
wisely linked to your
company’s LinkedIn
Careers Page. Since Paul
likes the content, he
decides to give that page
a look.
(He might have skipped
ahead to the job posting
page if you had shared
that with him.)
33. Paul has become more
and more interested in
your company with each
interaction he’s had,
because the content
actually provides value,
and it shows what sets
your company apart from
the competition.
34. Paul observes the profiles
of some employees, and
notices there are a few
people like him.
35. After all that he’s seen
about your company and
your employees on
LinkedIn, Paul is ready to
apply if there’s a job he
could picture himself in.
Because you already know
his skill set and his work
history, he will probably
apply. You wouldn’t have
contacted him otherwise.
36. Paul just submitted his application successfully. Because you
sought him out in the first place, you can fast-track him to the
top of the application pool. It’s time to schedule an interview!
37. If your company’s LinkedIn Company Page looked as lackluster as
this one, Paul never would have given your company a second
thought.
38. Because you had good
Company and Careers
Pages set up, Paul was
willing to learn more
about your company.
39. By seeking Paul out, you introduced him to the fact that other
companies might want him. That’s a pretty good feeling for him.
As a result, you can scoop him up before someone else does!
40. Paul is another one of the
many job seekers that will
interact with your brand
through your LinkedIn
Company & Careers Pages.
With the right approach, you
can compel him to join your
team and reach another
career milestone!
43. EMPLOYMENT BRANDING
1.0 VS. 2.0
The 1.0 strategy is like playing checkers. The 2.0 technique is like playing Monopoly.
Which one involves business?
2.0
● Treat applicants like
potential customers.
● Use social media (like
LinkedIn) to find
candidates.
1.0
● Post openings on
many job boards.
● Post the same jobs
on your
company website.
45. Include a header image
that catches the visitors’
eye.
● Bright colors draw attention;
use different colors to evoke
different moods.
● Action forces people to
carefully examine what is
happening in an image.
● People automatically make
photos more interesting to
us. We’re social creatures
after all!
46. Have a description of the
company that shows how
it makes a difference in
the business world.
● Don’t use industry
terms, because even
when used correctly,
they can sound stuffy.
● The best employees
want their work to
have a purpose. Show
them yours.
● Use simple, clear
language, and make it
brief.
47. Post status updates
that teach visitors about
the company, its news
and the values it holds.
● Each update is a chance
to show the world what
your company is like.
● If you provide value in
an update, you’ll earn the
trust of your readers.
● Post regularly to stay on
your followers’ minds &
reach a larger portion of
your audience.
49. Add an intriguing image to
engage job seekers.
● Most people are visual learners,
so give them something
stimulating to look at.
● Tell a story with your pictures.
● Sneak your logo into the image
if you’d like.
50. Include a title that shows how visitors would fit in well.
● Talk about the importance of great employees.
● Share the impact they can have on your company.
● Boil your company’s goals down to just a few words.
51. Write a description that shows what the company does
without using corporate jargon.
● Don’t give every detail you have.
● Share the details most important to your current employees.
● Chances are, they’re what’s important to potential employees.
52. Use Strong visual
elements (a video, slide
deck or infographic).
● You can say much more
with photos than text (and
even more with videos
than photos).
● Viewers are 144% more
likely to buy from you
after seeing a video.
● Why wouldn’t employees
be the same way?
54. Craft clear job postings,
not fancy titles or
descriptions. (No ninjas!)
● For LinkedIn to show your
openings to the right
people, you need to label
things clearly.
● Play Family Feud with your
descriptions.
● Make it easy to search, so
great applicants can find
you, and LinkedIn can find
more great passive
candidates!
55. Make status updates
that teach visitors
about the company, its
news and its values.
● We’re repeating this for a
reason.
● Status updates are the
building blocks of great
branding.
● Don’t take 45 days to
write ONE, but still take
them seriously.
56. Choose a title that is concise.
● If there is a commonly-used title for the job, use it!
● There’s nothing wrong with an, “Account Executive” opening.
● It’s much better than, “Sales Guru.”
57. Produce a job description
that is easy to read.
● Bullets and numbered sections
are good.
● White space makes it even better.
● Easy to read = easy to consider
applying!
58. Craft an about this
company section that
explains the company’s
strengths, purpose and
goals.
● Mention how important
employees are to your
company’s success.
● Include some visual content (a
photo, video, infographic or
slide deck).
● As usual, telling a story is
better than listing facts.
59. Regular status updates are
baaaaack…
● Pepper the jobs you have open in
with your other updates.
● Be cognizant of when & how often
you promote open jobs to get a good
mix.
● Even if they like your company,
followers won’t join your team if
you don’t ask them to!
61. Pick a catchy header image.
● There are fewer words allowed in a Showcase Page description.
● The image needs to be powerful.
● Like the other photos you have, use bright colors, action, and people.
62. Show a description of the product/service you’re promoting.
● Use a brief description of the product/service that shows how it makes a difference in the business
world. (You only have 200 characters or less. This bullet is 177 characters.)
● State the purpose of the showcase page as quickly as possible.
63. Status updates are even more
important for Showcase
Pages!
● You thought that wasn’t
possible, didn’t you?
● Treat your Showcase Page (and
its updates) as a chapter in the
“book” of your company’s
LinkedIn pages.
● Make sure the updates shared
here add up to a consistent
story.
65. Select the content format
carefully.
● Each content format has its own
strengths and weaknesses.
● Videos are great for introductory
info if they’re short.
● Whitepapers can provide lots of
details in an organized manner.
● Quotes and photos are especially
shareable.
66. Make it easy to navigate from one piece of content to another.
● Connect every piece back to other content.
● If someone is reading introductory content, link to more of that, or link to
what the next step might be.
● Don’t introduce yourself to someone then immediately ask them to apply.
67. Talk about your
employees and what
they’re able to achieve
with their teammates.
● Google chooses rock stars
and makes them rock
legends.
● Show how you treat your
employees.
● The more genuine
(or funnier), the better.
68. Give evidence that your
company is a thought-
leader/value provider.
● If you create it, it may
sound arrogant.
● If we create it, it is more
credible by default.
● A major publication
attracts major attention.
● We average more than 1
Million pageviews/month.
69. Call for applications & referrals for your open jobs.
● Include your employees in the search to amplify your reach.
● LinkedIn’s forte is the strength of networks.
● Each person that encounters your brand has a network you may not have tapped
yet!
70. Employment Branding can reduce your hiring costs
(especially if you’re currently using a recruiter),
AND it doubles as great PR!
Are you ready to get people like Mary and Paul
interested in working for your company?
71. CLICK NOW for a free Employment Branding consultation with us today by
using the code “eebee101” at the link above. It’s normally $500!
In the 30-minute consultation, we’ll discuss your current branding situation
and suggest a course of action.
We look forward to speaking with you!
72. Thanks for attending today’s webinar!
Got questions? Enter them in the chat box below or email us at
employmentbranding@careerealism.com.
Happy Branding!