LinkedIn versus Diversity

For the executive recruiter – be she working in an executive search firm on in a corporate setting - LinkedIn Recruiter is typically the “go to” tool for candidate sourcing purposes.

A huge population of (largely) accurate and up-to-date profiles ensures that it is a great starting point. However, for the recruiter seeking to find a genuinely diverse candidate pool, the evidence suggests the nature of the platform may actually be doing recruiters a disservice.

 

The Challenge of Keyword Search

One of the primary features of LinkedIn Recruiter is its keyword search capability. In some recruiting contexts, the candidate sourcer is likely to focus more on hard skills – this is particularly the case in technical sourcing, for example. A Java Developer is likely to have “Java” as a skill in the skills section of her profile. It is a simple search.

Executive search is different. 

Senior-level recruiting tends to be focused far more on finding candidates based on their experience. If I am looking to source a CMO for a furniture retailer, I am likely to seek candidates with exposure to that sector. “Furniture Retail Marketing” is not a recognized LinkedIn skill – so keywords come into play.

Of course, keyword search only works if candidates use the right keywords. The problem is, many do not. As a case in point, Jesper Brodin, the CEO of Ikea, does not use the keyword “furniture” anywhere on his profile.

Why is this relevant to diversity?

Simple. Using keywords inadvertently creates a bias in favor of individuals, who possess the most comprehensive profiles, which often tends to favor men over women.

Gender Disparity in Profile Keywords

Multiple studies have shown that men tend to have more keywords on their LinkedIn profiles compared to women. The most recent example of this was researched by the team at Talentis, who compared the “about” section of 250 female, U.S.-based VP-level individuals with that of 250 males. The result? The average male candidate had 10% more words than his female equivalent.
Why is this? Potentially a combination of factors, with suggestions including social conditioning, cultural expectations, and differences in self-promotion tendencies. 

Men are more likely to explicitly mention specific skills, technologies, certifications, and achievements, aligning with traditional gender norms that encourage assertiveness and self-promotion.

Conversely, women may downplay their achievements or lack confidence in self-promotion, resulting in fewer keywords associated with their profiles. 

Whatever the reason for it, this disparity in keyword usage between genders creates an inherent disadvantage for women when recruiters rely heavily on keyword search functionalities within LinkedIn Recruiter.

Unintended Bias and Missed Opportunities

When recruiters predominantly rely on keyword search to identify potential candidates, they may unintentionally overlook highly qualified individuals who do not have the same keyword density as their male counterparts. Talented and capable candidates who possess valuable skills and experiences but fail to explicitly mention them in their profiles can be inadvertently excluded from the hiring process.

This unintended bias perpetuated by LinkedIn Recruiter can further exacerbate the underrepresentation of women in various industries and perpetuate gender disparities in the workplace. So, what is the solution?

The concept of augmented keywords is one approach. Essentially, this reduces the impact of a limited profile by adding words to the profile that “should” be there. Unfortunately, LinkedIn Recruiter does not support this type of functionality – yet.

However, a variety of other products have been developed that do – one of them being Talentis. Talentis is specifically designed for executive-level recruiters and works by supplementing candidate profiles with additional information on the organizations for which a candidate has worked. The result can be as many as twice as many candidates being found on a search when compared to simply searching on LinkedIn Recruiter.

The team behind Talentis is running a series of webinars to explore this issue and showcase the Talentis platform. All attendees will receive free access to the platform for a week. To participate, register for one of the sessions below:
 

• June 27 – 9 AM Central / 10 AM Eastern – register here
• June 27 – 3 PM Pacific / 5 PM Central / 6 PM Eastern – register here

To book a one-to-one demo, register here.

Jason Starr is the Chief Executive Officer of Ikiru People. Jason joined Dillistone Group in 1994, becoming Marketing Manager in 1996 and Managing Director of the UK business in 1998. Following an MBO, Jason became the Chief Executive of the Group. Dillistone Group develops and markets a range of rectec products via its Ikiru People brand - including Talentis executive search software. Jason was appointed a Non-Executive Director of AIM-listed PCIPAL PLC on January 1,  2015. Jason has a BA (Honours) business studies degree from the London Guildhall University.