Should Employers Post Jobs on LinkedIn?
Should employers post jobs on LinkedIn? We all know LinkedIn as one of the prime social media sites for networking and job marketing, but it has never really promoted itself as a traditional job board -- until now, that is.
But not so fast.
According to Forbes, LinkedIn's newest premium membership plans for prospective employees may cross an ethical line. The "Job Seeker Premium" membership is sold to those looking for work, for $29.95 a month, no less, and also guarantees that when you apply for jobs posted on LinkedIn, the candidate's "premium" application will magically move to the top of the employer's pile, regardless of the candidate's qualifications.
With that said, should employers still consider posting jobs on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn's Other Practices
It may also be important to know about LinkedIn's other practices, so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not the site is for you. For example, a court ruled late last year that an employer could hijack an employee's LinkedIn account. This means that as a small business employer, you could potentially manage your employees' LinkedIn profile -- especially if your employee gives you the password to it, as the employee in this particular case did.
Also, LinkedIn has recently changed their terms of services to ban prostitution (or related) services from being posted and exchanged on their site. This applies even to states like Nevada which has counties where prostitution is legal. So, if you are operating a business involving prostitutes or escorts, LinkedIn is not the networking site for you. For everyone else, this sounds like good news, doesn't it?
Size Matters
Aside from their presence in the news, however, LinkedIn still has one major pro going for their service -- they are one of the largest networking social media sights around, and arguably number one amongst professional services. LinkedIn recently boasted 200 million members. So, ethical questions or not, this means that LinkedIn is still one of the forerunners when it comes to professional sites prospective employees will turn to as one of their options during the job hunt.
For that reason alone, it may be smart to maintain an active account for your business.
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Related Resources:
- Is LinkedIn cheating employers and job applicants? (SmartPlanet)
- Should Your Business Get a Google+ Page? (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)
- Should You Use Facebook for Job Recruiting? (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)
- A Biz Owner's Legal Guide to Summer Hiring (FindLaw's Free Enterprise)