Your Nonprofit’s LinkedIn Hiring Strategy: 5 Things to Avoid

Your nonprofit staff is the foundation that enables the work you can accomplish for your mission. So, how do you find the right people to fill those roles? Many organizations rely on a LinkedIn hiring strategy. There, they can engage 50 million job seekers who use the social platform to find their future careers weekly. We’ve got you covered if you’re wondering how to level up your hiring on Linkedin.

5 Things to Avoid for Your LinkedIn Hiring Strategy

There are many ways to identify, connect with, and inspire passionate professionals to join your nonprofit team using LinkedIn. We’re looking at what not to do, so you can more easily engage with ideal candidates and find your next hire on LinkedIn.

The following advice comes from the experienced Classy and LinkedIn Talent Acquisition teams. Get ready to take impactful action to build your nonprofit teams with qualified and eager candidates.

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1. Don’t Overuse LinkedIn Messages

LinkedIn messages offer you an easy way to get in touch with professionals without leaving the platform. Today, emails can feel constant in someone’s inbox. Using a LinkedIn message helps you get in front of candidates much faster and without the risk of falling into a spam folder.

LinkedIn inboxes can also overflow and overwhelm your candidates if you don’t use discretion. Think about who else might be messaging them and how to stand out with fewer but more impactful messages. Take the time to target your communications, be mindful of your candidate’s time, and be clear about what you want to share.

Characteristics of an impactful LinkedIn message:

• Introduce yourself and your nonprofit in a conversational way
• Quickly elevate why their unique skillset matches your needs
• Help them see how they can be part of your mission
• Deliver examples of your work or achievements that may excite them
• Make your call to action clear, mentioning specific roles or opportunities
• Deliver next steps that don’t feel daunting but show you’re organized
• Thank them for their time, and give them time to respond

2. Don’t Push Too Hard

It’s exciting to see ideal candidates right in front of you on LinkedIn. You’ll want to share your opportunity immediately when they know exactly who you’ve been seeking for a specific position at your nonprofit. It’s essential to be mindful of the excitement coming across as a sales pitch that could drive people away.

Remember that you are on LinkedIn to build relationships. You’ll want to avoid any urge to be overly assertive when you’re warming people up to the idea of exploring your roles. Show people you’re interested in learning more about them as individuals before you ask them to learn about you.

Pro Tip: Avoid proposing an exact day or time to chat in your opening message. Instead, lead with a more gentle call to action that opens the door to another casual conversation.

3. Don’t Follow Up Too Soon

People are busy and only getting more active. Work has become synonymous with the home for many people following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in 2020. You never know when someone will be able to follow up on a LinkedIn message in a given week. The best approach is to give them the time to get back to you when they are most present and available to chat.

Avoid the urge to follow up through LinkedIn with a candidate to avoid making them feel rushed. Open the door to an organic conversation, establishing trust and respect around their schedule. Once you show candidates that you’re flexible, they can also associate that value with your nonprofit as they envision future employment.

4. Don’t Use Generic Language

When you get the chance to connect with an engaged candidate on LinkedIn, be sure your message is clear. Think about how you can show them your outreach isn’t just like any other they’ve received.

Candidates can easily see if your message has been copied and pasted. Avoiding generic language goes a long way to building relationships. It makes your candidates feel special and like you understand them. Take the time to craft personalized messages per candidate.

Show them you did your research by adding in specific mentions of their experience or the reason their LinkedIn profile caught your eye. From there, you can also demonstrate why the individual is the right fit to apply for your role.

Pro Tip: Be sure to help each candidate see themselves as a seamless addition to your team. Provide clear examples of how their experience would translate to a meaningful impact at your organization.

5. Don’t Lose Touch With Candidates

The reality of hiring is that you can only fill a role with one person. That doesn’t mean you didn’t engage many more candidates for that role. So, what do you do after you fill the position? You follow up.

A candidate might not be right for the role you initially mentioned. That same individual could, however, be perfect for another open requisition. Even if not, they could be a great person to have a relationship with as you build talent pools to align to roles you know you’ll hire for in the future.

Picture this: Someone could have stood out to you as a great communicator and marketer, but you filled the role they applied for. Reach out to them to let them know as soon as possible that the role has been filled, and ask if you can keep in touch for a future marketing role opening up in a few months.

Once you have that door open, you can quickly return to the conversation. Share regular organization updates to keep them warm when it is time to hire again.

Recruit Top Talent With LinkedIn Hiring

Ready to take action? Here are a few last tips to get you started and a full Nonprofit’s Guide to Hiring on LinkedIn to explore next.

Jump to the Guide

• Optimize your nonprofit’s LinkedIn Page to strengthen your online presence, showcase your impact, and boost your credibility among job seekers
• Engage with your network in meaningful ways to remain top of mind with industry professionals
• Advance your thought leadership to earn a well-trusted and highly-respected reputation within the social sector
• Share timely, impactful content that highlights the unique impact of your organization and the particular elements that set it apart

Get Everything You Need to Hire on LinkedIn

Attract skilled candidates on LinkedIn with a comprehensive guide created specifically for nonprofits.

Identify, attract, and connect with talented professionals who believe in your mission, align with your organization’s values, and offer the support your team needs to drive meaningful change using our Nonprofit’s Guide to Hiring on LinkedIn.

Download your guide to uncover:

• Must-have elements of an engaging job description
• Authentic ways to connect with qualified candidates on LinkedIn
• Opportunities to promote your job listing to wider LinkedIn networks
• Platform tools to source and screen potential candidates
• Plus, expert advice from Classy and LinkedIn’s Talent Acquisition teams