I talk to recruiters and job seekers every day. I hear about the great divide.Recruiters can’t find talent; Job seekers can’t find the right new position. It feels like they are miles away from each other. The crazy thing from my vantage point is that there is really so much opportunity everywhere.

LinkedIn Adds 2 New Features for Recruiters & Job Seekers

LinkedIn just gave a nice connection lift to both recruiters and job seekers with two new updates. Recruiters using LinkedIn Recruiter can find more interested candidates and reduce the time to hire. Job seekers can signal interest privately and send a signal to recruiters midway in the application process.

1. Open Candidate

Recruiters don’t always know specifically who is open to a new opportunity. Passive job seekers will not add this type of information to their profile because they don’t want to tip their hat to their current employer. Now, they can send a signal to recruiters about their general interests and availability, even if they haven’t applied to any posted jobs.

For job seekers, this signal may be activated in the Jobs tab under “preferences.”

For recruiters, click on the spotlight called “Open to new Opportunities” in Recruiter search. You can also find this information by hovering over the candidate’s summary. Look at the drop-down menu with details on roles they are interested in, available start date, preferred geography, etc.

2. Apply Starters

LinkedIn wants the Recruiter user to capture more candidates even if the application process is incomplete. Imagine all the aborted applications from mobile or for a myriad of other reasons and interruptions. This feature offers up a fresh batch of interested candidates to the Recruiter license holder.

For the job seeker, start an application process. LinkedIn will ask if you are willing to share your profile before redirecting to the career site.  Turn this feature “on.”

For the recruiter, look for any job you have posted within “manage jobs” tab to view candidates. You will also receive a weekly email digest of these partial applicants. It’s your decision if you wish to reach out to these potential candidates. Later in the year, these candidates will be viewable in a Recruiter spotlight also.

According to LinkedIn, these “apply starter” candidates are four times as likely to respond to a recruiter’s outreach vs. the average candidate.

These two features can be effectively used to expand the talent pool for recruiters, and career opportunities for the LinkedIn user. Good news all around!