LinkedIn has become the go-to platform for recruiters and job seekers alike. With over 810 million members worldwide, it offers unmatched access to professional talent and insights. But just how many recruiters are leveraging LinkedIn to source candidates and make hires in 2024?
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll provide the latest stats on LinkedIn recruiter usage and activity. You‘ll discover:
- How many companies are recruiting on LinkedIn
- What percentage of recruiters use LinkedIn to source candidates
- How much time recruiters spend on LinkedIn daily and weekly
- How many InMails recruiters send to prospective candidates
- How many applicants the average LinkedIn job posting receives
- How company follower count and size impact applicant volume
- The most in-demand roles and industries recruiting on LinkedIn right now
I‘ll also discuss the top benefits of LinkedIn recruiting and provide tips to help you optimize your LinkedIn strategy as a recruiter or job seeker.
Let‘s dive in!
Contents
- LinkedIn Has Become the #1 Recruitment Platform
- Millions of Companies Rely on LinkedIn To Recruit
- Most Recruiters Spend 5-10 Hours Per Week on LinkedIn
- Recruiters Review Profiles Rapidly
- InMail Is Used Heavily To Reach Candidates
- Job Ads Receive Hundreds Of Applicants
- Follower Count Impacts Applicant Volume
- Which Roles Are In High Demand?
- Tech and Healthcare Dominate Hiring
- Tips To Optimize Your LinkedIn Recruiting Strategy
- The Future of Recruiting is Social
LinkedIn Has Become the #1 Recruitment Platform
With over 810 million members and 58 million companies represented, LinkedIn is the largest professional networking platform. It has become the go-to resource for both recruiters and job seekers.
But just how ubiquitous is LinkedIn in the recruiting space today? Here are a few key statistics:
- 87% of recruiters use LinkedIn for sourcing candidates, making it the #1 recruiting platform
- There are over 55 million active job seekers on LinkedIn at any given time
- 55 job applications are submitted per second on average
- The average job post receives 250 applicants within the first week
LinkedIn has essentially become the central hub and social database for recruitment. With unparalleled access to professional profiles and relationships, recruiters have embraced it wholeheartedly.
Millions of Companies Rely on LinkedIn To Recruit
The number of companies leveraging LinkedIn for recruiting talent has skyrocketed:
- In 2017, around 18 million companies were on LinkedIn
- By 2022, company pages on LinkedIn exploded to over 58 million
Across industries, organizations are increasingly tapping into LinkedIn to source qualified talent. Whatever your hiring needs, you can leverage LinkedIn‘s powerful targeting capabilities.
Most Recruiters Spend 5-10 Hours Per Week on LinkedIn
How much time do recruiters actually spend sourcing candidates on LinkedIn?
- 92% of recruiters use LinkedIn regularly throughout the week
- Most recruiters spend 5-10 hours per week actively sourcing on LinkedIn
- Heavy LinkedIn users dedicate 20+ hours per week to outreach and networking
For most recruiters, LinkedIn has become a daily part of their workflow. It enables them to efficiently search profiles, contact prospects, network, and more.
Recruiters Review Profiles Rapidly
One major reason LinkedIn is so popular with recruiters is that they can swiftly evaluate candidate profiles:
- Recruiters spend just 6 seconds reviewing a profile on average
- They can screen 50-100 profiles per day when actively sourcing
- Robust profiles allow quick assessment of skills, experience, education, recommendations, and more
This efficiency allows recruiters to filter through hundreds of profiles daily to identify and engage the best prospects.
InMail Is Used Heavily To Reach Candidates
InMail allows recruiters to directly contact LinkedIn members through internal messaging. How extensively do recruiters rely on InMail?
- On average, recruiters send 56 InMails per month
- Experienced recruiters may send 150-300 InMails monthly
- The average InMail response rate is around 30%
- InMail gets higher response rates when you share a connection
InMail is a key tool for reaching otherwise inaccessible candidates open to new roles.
Job Ads Receive Hundreds Of Applicants
The competition is intense – LinkedIn job postings attract dozens if not hundreds of applicants.
- Entry-level roles receive 150-300+ applicants on average
- For manager-level jobs, expect 400-600 applicants
- Director-level openings attract 500-800 applicants
- VP and executive roles receive 800-1200+ applicants
Attracting top talent requires acting decisively and moving quickly through the hiring process. Leverage your connections for an edge.
Follower Count Impacts Applicant Volume
Does your company‘s LinkedIn follower count impact application volume? Absolutely:
- 5000+ followers = 30% more applicants
- 10,000+ followers = 60% more applicants
- 50,000+ followers = over 2x more applicants
Building an engaged following fuels recruitment by increasing brand awareness and reach.
Which Roles Are In High Demand?
While companies across all industries leverage LinkedIn to hire, some roles attract exceptionally high interest from recruiters:
- Software Engineers
- Sales Representatives
- Project Managers
- Data Scientists
- Marketing Specialists
- Financial Analysts
- IT Administrators
- Operations Managers
For these perpetually hard-to-fill positions, LinkedIn provides access to a global talent pool of qualified passive candidates.
Tech and Healthcare Dominate Hiring
The top industries actively hiring on LinkedIn include:
- Information Technology – 20.4 million members
- Healthcare – 15.7 million members
- Construction – 15.1 million members
- Retail – 12.6 million members
- Education – 11.8 million members
However, recruiters across all verticals are tapping into LinkedIn to access specialized talent pools within their industry.
Tips To Optimize Your LinkedIn Recruiting Strategy
Here are a few tips to maximize your results and efficiency as a recruiter on LinkedIn:
For Companies:
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Build out your LinkedIn Career Pages – Fully optimize them to attract candidates.
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Encourage employees to be active – Have them engage content, join groups, and network.
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Post roles internally first – Leverage your employee base before going external.
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Follow up promptly – Contact high potential prospects within a day or two maximum.
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Use analytics – Track campaign performance and tap into insights.
For Recruiters:
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Touch profiles early mornings and late evenings for higher response rates.
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Personalize InMail – Reference their experience and why they are a fit.
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Use saved searches – Create notifications for new prospects matching key criteria.
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Join niche groups – Participate in focused communities relevant to the open positions.
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Follow companies – Stay updated on new hires, promotions, projects, and trends.
The Future of Recruiting is Social
LinkedIn sits at the forefront of the social recruiting transformation. With unparalleled professional insights and relationships, LinkedIn makes sourcing qualified, motivated talent efficient and effective.
As remote work and skills-based hiring continue gaining traction, recruiters will become even more reliant on LinkedIn to connect with niche, global talent.
The future of recruiting is social, mobile, and data-driven. LinkedIn offers recruiters the tools and network to evolve their strategy and connect with talent anywhere.
So in summary:
- 87% of recruiters rely on LinkedIn as their #1 sourcing tool
- LinkedIn has over 58 million companies and 810 million members
- Recruiters spend 5-10 hours per week actively sourcing on LinkedIn
- InMail response rates are around 30% on average
- Job posts receive hundreds of applicants, often within the 1st week
I hope these insights help you better navigate the LinkedIn recruiting landscape in 2024, whether you‘re a recruiter looking to hire top talent or a job seeker aiming to stand out.