What effect will the new LinkedIn features for job seekers have on professional recruiters?

Recently LinkedIn introduced a new plug-in, enabling automatic job applications at the click of a button. The new Apply with LinkedIn plug-in, when added to a company’s website, allows prospective candidates to instantly submit their LinkedIn profile to the potential employer.

CEO of LinkedIn, Jeff Weiner, said “In this challenging jobs environment, LinkedIn’s ability to connect talent with opportunity at massive scale is more essential than ever.”

Prospective employees and companies are both able to access some of the most highly sought-after jobs, and candidates, internationally, thanks to the Apply with LinkedIn button.

“Companies gain access to one of the most qualified and coveted talent pools of more than 100 million LinkedIn professionals around the world,” said Deep Nishar, Senior Vice President of products and user experience at LinkedIn.

The Apply with LinkedIn button has the potential to make the job-seeking process a lot simpler, and less time consuming for companies and applicants alike, a view shared by Cliff Rosenberg, LinkedIn Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand.

“Apply with LinkedIn makes the entire process of seeking and qualifying new employment opportunities simpler for professionals, and for employers. It dramatically expands the number of professionals in the consideration set for employment.”

When job applicants use the Apply with LinkedIn button, they immediately receive confirmation of their application being received, along with existing connections that they can contact to improve their prospects in the hiring process.

Companies that use the Apply with LinkedIn plug-in will have the ability to customise their application process; for example, they will be able to add up to three questions for the applicant to complete, or request a cover letter to be included.

So what are the implications for professional recruiters? Is LinkedIn a valuable support tool and database – or an active competitor?

In my opinion, in some ways it is both. If recruiters fail to engage with LinkedIn and embrace the abundant recruitment related features, they are likely to have a difficult future.

Good recruiters, however, add significant value over and above the simple process of publishing job vacancies and collecting and sorting applications. For example, PKL Recruitment has assisted my company in defining roles and position descriptions, reviewing organisational structure and recommending different skills and competencies. As a small consultancy, the additional layer of support from the recruiter across the HR function has been invaluable.

Similarly large organisations will still benefit from the professional support, advice and guidance available from a quality recruitment firm. The combination of the right recruitment partner and the power of the LinkedIn recruiter toolkit can streamline the recruitment process and increase the quality of the candidate pool.

I anticipate LinkedIn will continue their rollout of features and services that improve the recruitment experience for both the employer and candidate. For example, last week LinkedIn introduced the Volunteer Experience and Causes field- where members can add volunteer positions, causes they care about and organisations they support. This follows a LinkedIn survey revealing that 77% of Australian professionals have been an active volunteer at some point, but only 46% include it on their resume.

What are your thoughts on LinkedIn as a recruitment tool?