LinkedIn is set to improve their recruitment capabilities with a systems update this year, which means it’s more important than ever that HR understands how to engage in social media recruiting. Are you ready?

Remember the scene in Mad Men when a young Don Draper, his ambitions set on employment beyond the furrier trade, marches to the doors of Sterling Cooper and demands that Roger Sterling hire him on the spot? Just as mini bars at advertising agencies are now a thing of the past, scenes like this are gradually fading into a mid-afternoon whisky haze.

In the war for talent, having yourself and the company you represent ever-present on social media and on the radar of prospective employees is more important than ever. LinkedIn’s recently announced website redesign is set to make the process of social media recruiting easier for both HR managers and job seekers, setting the agenda for a more organic recruitment process.

Along with a website redesign aimed at getting the desktop version more in-line with its freshly minted mobile app, the social network will also be introducing a cleaner and more relevant feed.

Most illuminating for those working in HR, however, are LinkedIn’s new contextual messaging suggestions. The upgrade makes its messaging service smarter and more agile, with more of those ‘people you might know’ connections presented to someone viewing or publishing a job ad. For example, if you’re looking for a role, the messaging interface will suggest contacts at the company to message – including HR managers.

An improved search function will also aid in accurate job hunts, and an upgraded filter will help you get a better picture of who else on the network belongs to the company that you are considering.

LinkedIn’s updates to its social media recruiting tools highlight the evolving trend towards proactive recruitment, operating on a concept that is as true in the digital world as it is in real life:  “Job opportunities that come by personal connections have the greatest chance of inspiring people to act,” as senior HR director at Oracle Corporation Yazad Dalal explains.

Methods of advertising jobs are seeing innovations as diverse as gamification, video recruitment and interactive websites yank forward the revelatory and highly personal experience of assessing (face-to-face) whether a company and individual are a good fit.

By increasing opportunities for us to become aware of, connect with, and engage with professionals we’re interested in or admire, social media recruiting allows HR to establish a mindset about the recruitment process that doesn’t just start when a position becomes open.

For those of you who baulk at this state of ‘perpetual connectivity’ – suppress the shudder. When executed well and paired with strong brand marketing, use of social media recruiting can result in your ideal candidate basically coming to you. That’s a pretty compelling reason to understand how best to utilise social networks to your advantage.

“Your greatest asset is your workforce,” Dalal reminds us. “Establishing deeper connectivity is a force multiplier in your effort to infuse new talent from this asset.”

Update: As of Friday October 7, LinkedIn Australia has announced the launch of the ‘Open Candidates’ feature: a way for its 8+ million members here to signal their interest in new job opportunities to recruiters.

Using on-off switch style functionality, this feature will allow members to privately indicate to recruiters the kinds of opportunities they’re interested in, and would like to hear more about.

Accompanying the launch is a re-designed Careers Pages, which offers employers new ways to engage with the network’s members – including tailored experiences to viewers based on their profession.