In today”s techno-centric culture, social media is much more than just a way to connect with friends. It”s actually a powerful business networking tool that can provide opportunities for professionals to market, brand, and grow their businesses. LinkedIn is at the forefront of business social networking on the web, and more and more employers are turning to LinkedIn to recruit talent.

Should you use LinkedIn to find employees?

Read on to learn more:

Why LinkedIn?

LinkedIn really is the “World”s Largest Professional Network” it proclaims itself to be, home to more than 175 million members and counting. People use it specifically for business purposes, from making industry connections to job hunting. Therefore, LinkedIn is ripe with opportunities for finding applicants who are not only qualified for the position, but who are enthusiastic about working.

How can LinkedIn help with the recruiting process?

True to its purpose, LinkedIn provides its members with a wide array of features to help match up employers and potential employees. Some of these features are premium - or paid - features, while others are simply employment-friendly interface elements. If you have money to spend (your costs will depend on your needs, and can vary drastically), then you can run job ads and/or make use of LinkedIn”s professional recruitment service.

However, even if you don”t want to make an investment, you can use it to your advantage, as long as you are willing to learn the ropes. Basic LinkedIn features like Search, Search Alert, Groups, InMail, and more can greatly increase your chances of finding new hires online.

Will LinkedIn work for you?

Whether or not you choose to play casino use it to find new employees is a personal decision, based on your individual circumstances. Can you afford to use LinkedIn”s paid features? If not, then you will have to invest more of your own time in the recruiting process. That means searching LinkedIn for qualified individuals, connecting with each, and guiding them through the application process. That in itself can be like a full time job.

Also, it is more useful for employers recruiting for high level positions. If you have a large number of lower end positions to fill, then you most likely won”t have a lot of luck finding those employees through LinkedIn. You will need to consider all of these things when deciding whether or not you can afford to invest your money and/or time in LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a huge professional network that you can tap into to find your next great employee. However, LinkedIn”s usefulness is dependent on a number of factors, and you should weigh out all of the information at your disposal before deciding whether or not to invest your time, money, and energy into LinkedIn.

Joane Stas loves using the site and other social media sites to direct potential employees to her recruiting software. She pays special attention to applications submitted by those she”s found on social media sites and has had great success.