4 Quick Tips to Help Your Nonprofit Hire Great Talent on LinkedIn
Filling nonprofit jobs takes time. While you don’t want to rush the process and hire someone who isn’t the right fit for the role, you also don’t want your nonprofit hiring timeline to drag out indefinitely — leaving the role empty for longer and increasing the chances that your top candidate will accept another offer elsewhere.
Looking for quick tips to help your organization hire more efficiently on LinkedIn? Here are some tactics used by the best nonprofit recruiters that you can use to fill your next role faster!
1. Check out other nonprofits hiring before you start
Before you post nonprofit jobs on LinkedIn, it’s worth doing a quick search to find other nonprofits hiring for the same role. This allows you to:
Check which job title is most commonly used for the role. Using recognizable job titles makes it easier for candidates to find your job post when they’re searching for new opportunities.
Get a sense of typical responsibilities. While there will be variations from one organization to the next, it can be useful to see how other nonprofits usually describe the role, especially if you’re less familiar with this job function.
See things from the candidates’ perspective. The best job posts are concise, using short paragraphs and bulleted lists to break up the text. Find one that is easy to read on both desktop and mobile and use that as your guide when you start writing.
Of course, your job post should be unique to your nonprofit. Take inspiration from existing posts, then weave in your organization’s distinctive identity, voices, and goals.
2. Turn on LinkedIn’s #Hiring feature
Did you know your LinkedIn network can help your nonprofit hire? There’s a good chance that one of your connections knows someone who might be interested in your nonprofit jobs — and the #Hiring feature can help them to help you.
This free LinkedIn feature:
Adds a #Hiring photo frame on your LinkedIn profile picture
Lists the open position at the top of your LinkedIn profile
Notifies your network that your nonprofit is hiring
Click this link to learn how to turn on the #Hiring feature.
3. Look for the #OpenToWork photo frame
The #OpenToWork profile photo frame is a way for job seekers to let you know that they’re ready to explore new career opportunities. If you’re proactively searching for candidates, rather than waiting for people to apply for your nonprofit jobs, keep an eye out for this frame. Here’s what it looks like on someone’s profile:
If a candidate has indicated that they’re #OpenToWork, they’re more likely to be interested in hearing from you. So, don’t be afraid to connect with them and send them a message about your nonprofit’s open jobs.
4. Ask for recommendations
Sometimes, you’ll find the ideal candidate only to learn they’re content in their current role. In these instances, don’t be disheartened. Let them know you’d like to stay in touch about future opportunities, then politely ask if they know anyone who might be interested in the role. Their professional network on LinkedIn is likely filled with people who have similar skill sets and they may be able to introduce you to your next great hire.
Find the right people for your nonprofit jobs
Ready to build a world-class nonprofit team? To help you out, we’ve collaborated with Classy to create the Nonprofit’s Guide to Hiring on LinkedIn.
This guide is full of tips, best practices, and advice from recruiting experts to streamline your nonprofit hiring process — and help you find the right people for your nonprofit jobs. Download the guide today.
