In short
The question: how can recruiters use LinkedIn more effectively in 2026 to source better candidates, stand out in a crowded market, and build a personal brand that actually gets responses?
The answer: Winning on LinkedIn is about search tactics, but also about building a credible personal brand that makes candidates more likely to trust you and respond. This blog explores the tools and tactics on how recruiters can use LinkedIn in a more strategic, human, and sustainable way.
The result: Recruiters turn LinkedIn from a time-sucking haystack into a repeatable system that delivers better candidate matches, higher response rates, and more trust, faster. The result is smarter sourcing and a stronger personal brand, so candidates recognise you, engage with you, and say “yes” more often.
Table of contents: How recruiters are winning on LinkedIn
You’ve got five roles to fill, three hiring managers asking for updates, and 100 profiles to sift through all before lunch. If sourcing on LinkedIn feels more like searching for a needle in a haystack, we understand.
Recruiters today are under more pressure than ever to deliver fast results to their clients. Even in a candidate-rich market, the war for high-calibre talent rages on, as businesses and recruiters fight to secure the best for their open roles.
This rings true as we step into 2026. Research conducted by Robert Half in October 2025* found 61% of businesses cite their biggest hiring headwind for the year is anticipated to be the lack of skilled applicants and finding the right candidates.
Even with a platform like LinkedIn at your fingertips, the sheer volume of profiles, shifting candidate expectations, and the competition from other recruiters can turn what should be a goldmine into an overwhelming maze.
On top of this, sourcing candidates on LinkedIn becomes a lot harder when your own profile lacks a strong personal brand. In today’s market, candidates (especially the passive ones you really want) are checking you out before they decide to respond. If your profile feels bare, outdated, or overly transactional, you risk coming across as just another recruiter in their inbox, rather than someone worth engaging with. When your profile doesn’t feel human or trustworthy, your outreach can easily be ignored, no matter how well-crafted your message is.
Maybe you’ve used LinkedIn for years, but lately, it feels less efficient. Or maybe you’re newer to recruiting and aren’t quite sure how to get the most out of the platform, both from a candidate sourcing side and a personal branding side.
Either way, you’re likely juggling more requirements than ever, with less time and tighter margins. You likely know better than anyone that candidates are people with complex motivations and are likely being approached by dozens of recruiters a week. Standing out while staying human isn’t easy.
There’s also the emotional toll. You care about finding the right fit for both the candidate and the company. But when your inbox is full, your Boolean search results look the same as everyone else’s.
That’s where this blog comes in.
We’ll walk through how recruiters (whether brand new or seasoned pros) can use LinkedIn more strategically, empathetically, and efficiently. We’ll talk about sourcing tactics, yes, but also about mindset: how to cut through the noise, build genuine connections, and create a workflow that feels more human (and a little less soul-sucking).
We’ll also dive into the importance of personal brand and how recruiters are using LinkedIn to position themselves as a trusted advisor.
Some of Robert Half’s successful recruiters share their thoughts and experiences on how they are winning on LinkedIn. They will help you understand that if you're stuck in a sourcing rut or just looking to sharpen your strategy, you’re not alone in the chaos and with the right approach, LinkedIn can be less of a haystack, and more of a map.
Related: The experience and qualities needed to be successful in recruitment
Our experts
There’s no better way to hear how recruiters use LinkedIn than directly from our recruiters, and the people who recruit recruiters, themselves!
Clinton Marks is the Director of Robert Half for Melbourne and Perth, where he leads teams across finance, accounting, technology, and business support recruitment. With more than two decades of experience in talent acquisition and leadership, he has built a reputation for helping organisations attract and retain high-calibre professionals while guiding them through an increasingly complex workforce landscape. His focus is on combining data-driven insights with a deep understanding of people and culture, ensuring businesses make hiring decisions that deliver long-term success.
Sarah Steinhoff is a results‑driven Client Solutions Manager with two years’ experience at Robert Half within the technology practice, specialising in the temporary and contract infrastructure market. With a background in business management and people leadership in fast‑paced environments, she delivers swift, accurate recruitment solutions tailored to each client’s needs. Sarah is an avid user of LinkedIn and has built a strong personal brand over her recruitment career.
Stewart Selwood is a Senior Manager based in Brisbane who specialises in working with finance and accounting professionals looking to take the next step in their career; mainly working across permanent opportunities but also working closely with the Management Resources team (senior interim placements). Stewart began his career with Robert Half in London, where he spent three years, before transferring to Brisbane in 2017. He has also carved a distinctive personal brand on LinkedIn through a variety of engaging and well-written posts.
Kristie Baker is the Learning and Development Manager for Australia & New Zealand at Robert Half. Kristie leads the design and delivery of training programs for new and existing recruitment consultants in both contract and permanent recruitment. She began her career in contract recruitment for Business Support in the Brisbane office and later became Division Manager, overseeing both permanent and contract hiring for Finance and Accounting. She moved to Los Angeles as Practice Director before returning to Sydney in her current role. Having worked across recruitment types, industries, and international markets, Kristie has a deep understanding of the distinct skills (digital and personal), pace, and client expectations involved in sourcing candidates and building a strong personal brand.
Hayley Bacher is a Talent Acquisition Partner for Robert Half in Australia & New Zealand. She plays a strategic role in workforce planning, connecting top talent across sectors, and shaping the employer brand across the region. Hayley works closely with hiring managers to anticipate workforce needs, foster sustainable growth, and ensure Robert Half remains a trusted recruitment partner.
Alex Minter is the APAC Talent Acquisition & Inclusion Manager at Robert Half based in Melbourne. Since joining the business in 2015, initially as a recruiter, he has led internal hiring across the APAC region and now combines this with a regional leadership role in our inclusion programs. Alex partners closely with hiring leaders to align recruitment with business goals, embed inclusive hiring practices, and build a strong, future-ready workforce.
Why LinkedIn can feel like “famine or feast”
How recruiters use LinkedIn can make the platform feel like “famine or feast”. LinkedIn is powerful but only if you know how to make it work for you.
Unfortunately, the algorithm doesn’t always play nice. What worked in search last month might give completely different results today. Connecting with passive candidates is tricky: the moment you hit “Send” on that carefully crafted message, you’re competing with 10 other recruiters in their inbox and waiting for a response which may never come, can feel disheartening. Then there’s the time factor. Manual outreach is a productivity killer and with copy-pasting messages, switching tabs, personalising intros... it all adds up.
Clinton says “LinkedIn has become crowded and noisy. Most good candidates are already being approached, often with generic messages, so response rates suffer. Many recruiters rely on surface-level searches or templates, which makes it harder to cut through. The platform is effective, but it rewards clarity of thinking, effort, and judgement rather than shortcuts.”
Stewart adds to this, stating, “Every recruiter is doing the same, we’re all looking at the same people and good/great candidates are likely to be over-messaged and probably a bit tired of being contacted. This can be difficult if they’re being spammed by agencies who don’t look at their background and as such we’re lumped together with the less professional people in our industry.”
“Additionally, strong profiles don’t always go into detail about capability/duties so you’re going from job titles only and that can be a bit of a ‘hit and hope’ scenario.”
But LinkedIn isn’t just for finding candidates. It’s a powerful platform where recruiters get found, trusted, and remembered. And yet, personal branding is the piece most recruiters skip… often because it feels awkward, time-consuming, or just out of reach.
You already spend your day promoting roles, advocating for hiring managers, and coaching candidates. But turning the spotlight on yourself? That’s a different story. For many recruiters, personal branding feels like another task on an already overloaded to-do list and one that gets pushed aside in favour of “more urgent” work.
But your brand is an important step in getting the most out of LinkedIn. Here’s why:
Candidates check out your profile before responding to InMails.
Hiring managers size up your credibility based on what you share.
In a sea of sameness, your personal brand is what makes you stand out as a trusted advisor in the talent space.
Still, it’s not easy. Maybe you’re not sure what to post. Maybe you're worried about saying the wrong thing, or sounding too salesy, or getting crickets when you hit “publish.” Maybe you're just exhausted, and the idea of content creation feels like a luxury.
Sarah says, “Building a presence takes time, and many people hesitate to post, especially social content on work-related platforms. Staying consistent and knowing what’s relevant or valuable to share can also be challenging.”
But here’s why it’s worth pushing through: when recruiters consistently show up on LinkedIn with value, authenticity, and perspective, it builds the kind of trust that cold messages fail to do. A well-crafted post, a comment that adds insight, or a profile that reflects your personality are the signals that make people want to respond, refer, and remember you.
“I would also add that I sometimes find LinkedIn cringey, particularly when engagement is mistaken for value. It is your personal brand, and not all content is helpful or wise simply because it attracts likes. Staying on brand matters. I would avoid anything political, divisive, or reactive. By all means show personality and perspective, that human element builds trust, but it should be intentional. Remember that what you post can be read by anyone, not just now but years from now. When in doubt, less is more,” says Clinton.
So while sourcing may get you in front of candidates, your personal brand is what makes them say yes.
How recruiters use LinkedIn for smarter sourcing
To thrive in today's talent sourcing landscape, recruiters need strong systems that work well for them. The ones who are consistently filling roles faster are usually working smarter with LinkedIn.
Alex echoes this by saying, “I get asked ‘how are the best recruiters using LinkedIn' and after 18 years in staffing, here’s the honest answer: LinkedIn isn’t just a tool. It’s the recruiter’s operating system.”
Here's how they do it.
Smart search strategies
It starts with how you search. Instead of endlessly clicking through filters or relying on guesswork, you can use Boolean logic to make your results more precise. So rather than typing in “marketing manager” and hoping for the best, try building a query like: "marketing manager" OR "brand strategist" combined with "B2B" AND "SaaS" and a location like "remote" OR "Sydney". The more targeted your query, the better your matches. You can also save your searches and set alerts, so LinkedIn notifies you when new candidates fit your criteria which saves you time without missing out. And when you're using filters, don’t overlook powerful combos like “past company” and “title” to surface top talent from competitors or proven teams.
Effectively scanning profiles
When you're scanning profiles, do it with intention. You know what a high-quality passive candidate looks like. They are someone with clear growth in their career, who's been in their current role long enough to add value but not so long that they’re totally rooted. Look for signals of engagement:
profiles with detailed descriptions
recent updates
activity like commenting or sharing posts.
For niche roles, go deeper and check for certifications, volunteer work, side projects, or involvement in professional communities. These are often the clues that help you spot someone who’s qualified and invested in their craft.
Outreach that gets responses
Your outreach has to feel human. It’s best to skip the generic intros and send a short, personalised message that references something specific, like a project they’ve worked on or a mutual connection. Timing matters, too. Aim to reach out between Tuesday and Thursday, either mid-morning or late afternoon, when people are most responsive. And don’t overthink it. A message that sounds like you will always land better than one that sounds like a template.
Using LinkedIn tools strategically
If you’re using LinkedIn for free, you can still stretch your reach with smart tactics like Boolean search, tracking competitor job posts, or using the “People Also Viewed” section to find similar talent. If you have LinkedIn Recruiter, go deeper with features like Spotlights to quickly surface candidates more likely to respond, and use project folders to keep your pipeline organised. InMail templates with performance data can help you refine your messaging. And don’t forget about browser tools extensions like Lusha can help you find contact info and connect faster.
Robert Half has LinkedIn licenses for recruiters to use to get the best sourcing results. But the way the tool is used dictates the yielded results. Clinton echoes this by saying, “We do best when we treat LinkedIn as a capability, not just a licence. That means coaching on messaging quality, candidate psychology, and personal brand, not just how to search. Sharing examples of what good looks like internally, reviewing outreach together, and encouraging recruiters to think about long term reputation rather than short term activity would all help lift results.”
Related: Explained: The difference between permanent and contract recruitment
How recruiters use LinkedIn to build their personal brand
The secret to how recruiters use LinkedIn to source: they build their brand.
Recruiters with strong personal brands consistently outperform those without. Why? Because they’re attracting. When you regularly show up on LinkedIn with insights, authenticity, and value, you create a magnetic presence. Candidates begin to trust you before you even reach out. They reply because they’ve seen you commenting on posts, sharing hiring insights, or simply showing up as a human, not just a job-pusher.
Sarah has had great success on LinkedIn as a result of the effort she puts into building her personal brand.
“The recruiters who do well are the ones who show who they are. That visibility allows both candidates and clients to get a sense of their style and approach. Consistent role-related posting also helps candidates keep tabs on you and often leads to proactive outreach, rather than always having to chase. LinkedIn works best when it feels genuine. People respond to consistency and authenticity far more than overly polished or sales-driven content,” says Sarah.
Clinton says the strongest recruiters treat LinkedIn less as a database and more as a long-term relationship platform. “They build credibility through what they post, how they comment, and how personalised their outreach is. Winning recruiters use LinkedIn to signal expertise, curiosity, and trustworthiness, not just to transact. That brand building compounds over time and makes sourcing warmer and more effective.”
But don’t think you need to go viral. It’s about being visible in a way that builds trust. Recruiters who commit to this (even with just one or two posts a week) often find their cold outreach turning warm, their response rates improving, and their overall sourcing efforts becoming less of a grind and more of a conversation.
If you’re looking for inspiration on what to post, Sarah explains how she gets her content ideas.
“Incorporating seasons, public holidays and current events helps keep your content timely and relatable. Equally important is monitoring post‑performance data to understand what resonates, when it resonates, and why. I like to analyse factors such as timing and content type to refine my approach and build a more effective long‑term and easy content strategy for my personal brand.”
Alex shares another example of how recruiters use LinkedIn effectively.
“One of our consultants is a brilliant case study. They consistently post short market insights twice a week, spotlight candidate wins (with permission), comment meaningfully on client content, share real-time hiring advice that’s actually practical and use video updates to humanise their brand. The result? Their inbound referrals are much more than before they did this. Talent comes to them before they even start actively searching. Clients trust their expertise before they meet them. That is the power of using LinkedIn well”, explains Alex.
Stewart is also an avid user on LinkedIn and mixes up his content to engage potential candidates and clients.
He says, “A constant and consistent personal brand builds credibility, as does a mix of posts that focus on job opportunities, market insight, and thought-provoking posts. It’s these actions that mean your name is recognised in their inbox before they even read the message. We encourage the liking and sharing of posts in our Brisbane branch as it gives greater access to a bigger network. We also share job adverts from the Robert Half website to drive engagement and get people used to looking at us as a source for open jobs rather than SEEK.”
On the flip side of the coin, these personal branding principles see other teams at Robert Half winning on LinkedIn. Hayley explains how her talent acquisition team effectively use their strong personal branding on LinkedIn to source potential Robert Half recruiters.
"Our talent acquisition team across APAC leverages LinkedIn extensively for a range of purposes like posting roles and strengthening the Robert Half brand to showcasing our people. We share market insights, highlight office culture through video content, spotlight our colleagues, and celebrate milestones such as anniversaries and new joiners.
“LinkedIn also functions as a core sourcing database for us. We use it proactively to identify potential recruitment consultants and engage them through personalised outreach. Notably, 40% of my placements this year came directly from proactive sourcing on LinkedIn.”
Are LinkedIn skills necessary when going for a recruiter job?
If you're considering a role in recruitment, it's completely normal to wonder whether you need to be a LinkedIn expert from day one. While you don’t need to master every feature right away, having a working knowledge of how to navigate LinkedIn can give you a real head start and make the learning curve feel a lot less steep.
At Robert Half, LinkedIn is one of our primary tools for finding talent. We use it every day to identify, connect with, and engage potential candidates. It’s a critical part of our sourcing and networking strategy, helping us discover professionals who may not be actively applying or looking for a new role.
So this begs the question, does Robert Half require recruiters to already know how to use it when they are hiring open consultant positions?
"It matters, but not in isolation”, says Clinton.
“I look less at technical mastery of filters and more at judgement. Do they understand how candidates think. Can they write well. Do they tailor messages. Do they show patience and consistency. Strong LinkedIn use is often a proxy for good communication, discipline, and commercial awareness rather than a standalone skill.”
Alex says when hiring recruiters, whether they’re seasoned or brand new, he always looks at two things:
How they show up online: are they active? Do they engage? Do they demonstrate credibility?
How they think about LinkedIn strategically: are they using it purely as a database, or as a platform to build reputation, network depth, and inbound opportunities?
He says, “You don’t need 10,000 followers to impress. Honestly, if I see someone boasting of their number of connections in their headline, I’m a little put off. But I do want to see awareness, consistency, and a willingness to build a digital presence. Today’s most successful recruiters understand that LinkedIn is part brand, part sourcing tool, part networking platform - and all of it matters.”
How Robert Half supports skills growth and training
Robert Half provides structured and ongoing training to ensure recruiters maximise the use of LinkedIn and other sourcing tools. We have a dedicated learning and development department and a resource to help with “all things tech”.
Kristie Baker, who heads up L&D in ANZ says “having used LinkedIn throughout my entire recruitment career, I have developed a strong understanding of the platform’s varied and strategic applications for business development. At Robert Half, we provide comprehensive training across the suite of LinkedIn products available to our consultants, ensuring you can fully leverage the platform to maximise your effectiveness and results.”
For those who join us without prior recruitment experience (whether coming from a client-facing, sales-oriented, or industry-specific background) partnering with Kristie, we provide comprehensive training on LinkedIn Recruiter, including how to source, filter and build talent pipelines efficiently. We also run personal branding workshops, offer guidance on content creation, and support consultants in crafting effective outreach sequences. Our goal is to ensure every recruiter feels confident in their digital presence.
Hayley says, “At Robert Half, every recruiter receives structured, high-quality training. It starts with a 13‑week onboarding program covering sourcing strategies and LinkedIn best practices and goes all the way to self‑paced learning modules and ongoing guidance from industry veterans. We offer continuous development in advanced sourcing, relationship building and leadership, all designed to help you use LinkedIn strategically and stay ahead of industry trends.”
Related: How to find the right recruitment agency for you to join
How recruiters use LinkedIn – now it’s your turn
Explore RH careers
Recruiting isn’t slowing down and neither is the competition. But LinkedIn doesn’t have to feel like a maze of missed messages and time-consuming searches. As explained by our team of experts, when used strategically, it becomes your platform to attract, engage, and build lasting trust with candidates and clients alike.
As you’ve seen from the experiences of Robert Half’s recruiters, the ones who are truly winning on LinkedIn are showing up with purpose, clarity, and a personal brand that speaks before their InMail does.
Whether you’re navigating five open roles or just learning the ropes, remember: the goal isn’t to do more, it’s to do what matters most.
One final reminder from Stewart: “In an age where the next generations are social media savvy, and often prefer to respond to texts or emails rather than pick up the phone, it is essential that people embrace this platform and know how to generate interest, build relationships, create engagement etc. LinkedIn is the place where a lot of people will look to see who you are and whether they should engage with you – it’s practically a live representation of your reputation. Therefore, consistency is key rather than turning it on only when you have a live job.”
Ready to take the leap?
Explore what a recruitment career at Robert Half has to offer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do recruiters find candidates on LinkedIn?
Recruiters find candidates on LinkedIn by using targeted search strategies, such as keyword and Boolean searches, filters for role, skills, location and experience, and tools like saved searches and alerts to surface relevant profiles. Beyond search, successful recruiters also attract candidates by building a strong personal brand, so passive talent recognises them, trusts them, and is more likely to respond to outreach.
What keywords or criteria do recruiters search for on LinkedIn?
Recruiters search LinkedIn using a mix of job titles, skills, industries, locations, and company backgrounds, often layered together with Boolean logic to narrow results. Beyond keywords, they also look for signals like career progression, tenure, certifications, recent activity, and profile completeness to identify candidates who are both qualified and likely to engage.
Why do recruiters like LinkedIn?
Recruiters like LinkedIn because it combines powerful candidate sourcing with the ability to build visibility and trust at scale. It allows recruiters to find and engage both active and passive talent, while also using personal branding and content to warm up outreach, improve response rates, and build long-term relationships rather than relying on cold messages alone.
Do recruiters use LinkedIn Recruiter or LinkedIn Search?
Recruiters use both LinkedIn Recruiter and standard LinkedIn Search, depending on their role and access. LinkedIn Recruiter offers advanced filters, Boolean search, Spotlights, and pipeline management for more precise and efficient sourcing, while LinkedIn Search is often used alongside it for quick research, networking, and broader visibility.
Do recruiters also check LinkedIn or just resume?
Yes, recruiters check LinkedIn as well as your resume. Your LinkedIn profile helps them validate your experience, understand your career story in more detail, and assess your communication style and professional presence, often before they even open your CV.
Why would a recruiter look at my LinkedIn profile?
A recruiter looks at your LinkedIn profile to quickly understand your experience, skills, and career progression, and to see whether you could be a good fit for current or future roles. They also check how complete and up to date your profile is, as it helps them gauge your credibility, communication style, and whether you’re likely to be open to a conversation.
Do recruiters check LinkedIn?
Yes, recruiters regularly check LinkedIn. They use it to review experience, career progression, skills, and activity, and to get a sense of how a candidate presents themselves professionally before deciding whether to reach out or progress a conversation.
What can jobseekers do to appear in recruiter searches?
To appear in recruiter searches, jobseekers should optimise their LinkedIn profile with clear, role-relevant keywords in their headline, summary, and experience sections. Keeping profiles complete and up to date, showcasing measurable achievements, and engaging occasionally with industry content also helps signal credibility and increases visibility in recruiter searches.
What does “open to work” mean to recruiters?
To recruiters, “open to work” signals that a candidate may be more receptive to new opportunities and open to conversations about their next move. It helps recruiters prioritise outreach and tailor their messaging, but it’s only one signal among many, as some of the most in-demand candidates prefer to stay passive and discreet.
Can recruiters see everything on your LinkedIn profile?
No, recruiters can only see what your LinkedIn privacy settings allow. They typically see your public profile information such as your headline, experience, skills, and activity, but sections you’ve limited or hidden will not be visible, and private profile settings can restrict what recruiters see when they view your profile.
