When a recruiter invites you to connect on LinkedIn...

Written by: Eric Garlinger, Executive Recruiter, CFS Grand Rapids

Most recruiters use LinkedIn to varying degrees as a tool to stay connected to top talent and successful professionals- that’s no secret. Regardless of the business or industry, most people are connected in some way to both independent and corporate recruiters that specialize in your industry. This begs the obvious question that many people have, “A recruiter wants to connect with me, but what does that mean?”

While I can’t speak for every recruiter and their intent, it’s worthwhile to shed a little light on the subject so that you, the hard working business professional, can look at this as a benefit rather than an annoyance. Here are the 3 categories that most every person will fall into:

• Non Candidate – The person who is very happy with their career path and has no intention of making any changes

• Passive Candidate – The person who is very happy with their current situation, but may be open to hear about a different opportunity if it is truly exceptional

• Active Candidate – The person who is aggressively pursuing new professional opportunities

Regardless of which category you fall into, having these connections can be beneficial to you. Most recruiters who are utilizing LinkedIn as a networking tool will continuously post relative content to help educate both candidates and companies about trends in the hiring market, interview tips/suggestions, and information regarding positions they are currently working on staffing.

 Let’s look at the following scenarios: 

A Non Candidate gets a request to connect to a recruiter and they think, “I’m very happy and not interested in a new job right now.” If this is you, congratulations! It’s great that people are happy and finding success in their current role. If the timing isn’t right, that’s okay. If things ever change though, having those connections may allow you to explore the “what if” scenario.  

A Passive Candidate has the ability to stay as involved as they want with a particular recruiter. Having that connection allows them to passively keep an eye out for opportunities that may be stronger than their current role. 

An Active Candidate should take full advantage of position listings and other helpful content that a recruiter can provide through connecting. Even if they might not have the type of job you’re wanting, they could know someone who does. It’s a great way to have an additional resource for the job search.

Establishing this type of networking relationship can be beneficial to both parties. Even if it's not now, you never know what may happen down the road!

We love to hear your questions and insight, so please comment below! You can also reach out to one of our expert recruiters. Find the closest CFS office to you here.