LinkedIn has gone through a recent metamorphosis. As with all technology, it’s never a constant for long. Once again, we’re faced with acclimating ourselves to a series of new features. This most recent change, however, could possibly impact your school’s hiring season.
LinkedIn has completely made over online profiles to be more attractive for recruiters and job scouters. The company’s mission behind the recent upgrades was to make its profiles the next-generation resume. It wanted to streamline the process of getting to know the person your viewing. The new look hopes to allow viewers to get a quick sense of who they’re viewing without spending a lot of time scrolling and investigating—it’s all about the data!
One of the most important new features, according to online reviewers, is how much information surfaces without taking much room on the person’s page. You can quickly see who’s connected to whom, commonalities, and recent updates to their information. These new highlights may come in handy for the HR Manager researching candidates. They can easily see how dated the persons profile is, who they are connected with, and quickly get a feel for their experience(s).
These features are not new. However, the way they are displayed has been updated. Before you need to scroll, you’ve already acquired the candidate's most recent position, his/her previous employers, education and certifications, contact information, connections, online activity, and the beginning of his/her written summary. With a swipe of the mouse, you can read the employment history summaries, learn of the groups he/she are members of, recommendations he/she has made about others, and skills and expertise listed as well as others who have endorsed him/her for.
LinkedIn hopes to attract younger audiences—college and even high school-aged students who will be entering the job market soon. The company encourages users to connect with companies they’re interested in, professors, and professionals with positive online reputations that can help candidates broaden their professional circles through networking. LinkedIn is dedicated to helping people find the right people in the right situations.
Additional ISM resources of interest
ISM Monthly Update for Human Resources Vol. 10 No. 10 Avoiding Hiring Mistakes
Private School News Vol. 11 No. 5 Start Off The New School Year With a Stellar Social Media Plan
Private School News Vol. 10 No. 4 Social Media Disasters: Costs, Dangers, and Quagmires
Additional ISM resources of interest for ISM Gold Consortium members
I&P Vol. 35 No. 1 Faculty and Staff Use of Social Media: Sample Policy
To The Point Vol. 13 No. 4 Employment Applications: An Essential Part of the Hiring Process
