Are you looking for (a) a date, or (b) a candidate to interview? If you answered Option A, best jump on Tinder. If you answered Option B, LinkedIn is likely your best bet. Tinder is, of course, a dating app. LinkedIn is, among other things, a recruiting tool. So, what, if anything, do they have in common? The answer is: quite a lot, actually.
On LinkedIn, you’ll also need to consider what makes your company a better, sexier option than the competition
Whether you’re after a hot date or a hot candidate, you’re going to need a standout profile. On Tinder, you need to think about what makes you unique and appealing to the opposite sex, and then you need to convey this via images and copy.
Dating on LinkedIn and perusing for candidates on Tinder could see you, (a) not getting a date, (b) unsuccessful in lining up an interview and (c) locked up
Why would a hot candidate swipe right? Truth is they’ll swipe right if you have a clearly defined, unique and compelling offer that is well represented visually. In People Culture, as well in Employment Branding terms, that means you need a clearly outlined and differentiated Employer Value Proposition (EVP).
On both platforms, visuals matter. Great imagery is extremely important if you’d like to elicit a response, in the form of a job application. The next most important thing to consider is the bio. On LinkedIn Company pages, the equivalent of the Tinder bio is the ‘About Us’ section. The About Us section needs to include compelling copy in the form of succinct Employment Brand messaging that demonstrates how your organisation is unique.
One of the similarities between these two social media platforms is that the private messaging functionality is the medium through which both parties have the opportunity to arrange a date.
On both platforms, the messaging protocol is all about wooing, be it the hot date or candidate. The idea is to gain the potential candidate’s attention by differentiating yourself from the competition. So it’s important to make them feel special, and this is done via personalised messaging that demonstrates you’ve read their profile and are interested in them specifically. The big mistake that many employers make when communicating with prospective candidates via LinkedIn InMails is that, quite simply, they forget to romance the candidate.
Right off the bat they fire off an email asking a candidate to come in for interview, the romantic equivalent of, ‘can we skip the latte and go straight to yours?!’
Not only will you seem needy (read: desperate), but chances are you’re going to blow your opportunity. Why would they meet you when they don’t know who you are or what it is you offer? In contacting candidates you have to, subtly, of course, sell your opportunity, outline the benefits, engage with them and be patient throughout the process. The messages need to be tailored, and must demonstrate that you’ve read the candidate’s profile. As such, you’ll write a message that resonates with them. With passive candidates (candidates that are currently in a relationship with a different employer), you must also be patient, and may need to communicate via email and/or phone for weeks before meeting up for a coffee. So no suggesting anything intimate, like a meeting, until you’ve gauged their interest.
Again, I’ll pose this question to you: are you looking for (a) a date, or (b) a candidate to interview? If you went with Option A, definitely jump on Tinder. If you answered Option B, LinkedIn is the way forward. Whatever you do, and regardless of what you may have learnt in this article, DO NOT confuse Tinder LinkedIn.