7 LinkedIn Competitors Connecting Companies with Top Talent

In the digital world, connecting with others and keeping track of your connections is easier than ever. The rise of social media has changed the way we connect with people forever, and for professionals, LinkedIn has emerged as one of the most prominent networking sites where users can post their resumes, keep in touch with old colleagues, and find prospective new employers.

However, this doesn’t mean that your talent is restricted to using only one platform for their online business and career development. In fact, there are numerous and niche alternatives cropping up all the time; some of these might be just the hidden gems you’re looking for in your quest for a perfect fit.

Further, a candidate who’s really trying hard won’t limit themselves to LinkedIn and may be easier to find on some of the LinkedIn competitors. Let’s take a closer look at some of these alternatives to LinkedIn and you’ll see that there are plenty of options.

The Role of Professional Networking Sites

Professional networking sites are essentially online communities where people can connect with each other. These sites make it easier for people to find jobs and to hire talent, as well as to network with others in the same industry.

They are also great for building your professional reputation and brand. Most professional networking sites have features that help you find jobs, recruit employees, and build your reputation as an expert in your field. Most of these sites are free to use, and some of them have premium versions that offer additional features to boost your productivity on them.

Professional networking sites are great for finding jobs, making connections with people in your industry, and building your reputation as an expert. Of course, the most dominant of these is LinkedIn.

If you’re reading this article, chances are you already know what LinkedIn is. It’s one of the most popular social networks for professionals in the world. You can use LinkedIn to network with other professionals in your industry, upload your resume and CV, find new job opportunities, and most importantly, hunt for your perfect candidates.

As an employer, it’s worth mentioning that LinkedIn is one of the most widely used professional networking sites out there. According to statistics, there are more than 830 million registered users on LinkedIn. That makes it one of the most popular social networks on the planet - that’s a lot of talent.

LinkedIn is useful for

·        Connecting with the right candidates quickly

·        Communicating fast and effectively with candidates from within LinkedIn

·        Sharing candidate profiles with team members easily

·        Following candidates online and receiving alerts when they change their professional status

This makes it very handy for recruiting, and it remains one of the top recruiting platforms online for this reason. However, there are competitors, and some have more niche benefits for recruiters and talent of a specific industry. Not everyone prefers LinkedIn, and sometimes the increased competition can muddy the waters when it comes to talent. Further, LinkedIn covers a lot of bases, and may not be ideal as a community for more niche communities.

If these are the kinds of communities that you expect to find your talent in, you might do well to check out some of the alternatives. We’re going to take a look at some of them now and point out a few key elements that make them great for finding talent.

LinkedIn Competitors

We’ve listed seven LinkedIn Alternatives below. There are quite a few more than this, and many offer perks that are aimed at a narrower band than LinkedIn, so if there’s not something here for your particular niche, keep looking! Meanwhile, check out our seven professional networking sites to find a strong alternative to LinkedIn and see how they can help recruiters find top talent.

1. Jabord

First on the list is Jabord.

For candidates and recruiters alike, Jabord has covered a lot of bases. It’s designed specifically for presenting a much more engaging and attractive front for both sides of the recruitment equation: while it offers a lot in the way of resume value, it creates an equal amount of value in talent attraction. In short, it’s an interactive recruiting and branding platform that links candidates with employers.

For candidates, Jabord’s interactive resume provides your prospective employees with an opportunity to showcase their skills in a manner for employers to browse through at their leisure. The interactive resume comes with resume analytics, video introductions, portfolio, and reference sections, and the opportunity to really show your personality and stand out from the crowd.

But Jabord also creates interactive career pages for companies for the very purpose of attracting this talent – taking a lot of the work out of hunting for candidates. For recruiters, Jabord helps draw in top talent by creating a career page that can attract talent efficiently by presenting company culture at the offset. Finding the best fit for the role is easier than ever with an interactive career page, which promotes engagement and increases conversion.

Jabord offers:

·       Video Job Postings to create a personal and accurate presentation of your roles.

·       Sync Jobs from your ATS.

·       Multiple sharing options and job postings. 

Jabord is a fantastic self-marketing option whether you’re looking for work or for talent. The new approach to marketing yourself brings a lot more immediate and obvious connections between people and the roles they are best fit for. Breaking the third wall of resumes and career pages, it offers a refreshing and memorable experience for recruiters and candidates alike.

2. Xing

Second on the list is Xing.

Xing is a social network that’s primarily focused on the business world. It’s designed for people who are looking to connect with other professionals and for companies to recruit new employees. Xing is a network that has been around for a very long time, and it’s currently one of the most popular social networks in Germany.

In fact, Xing has more members in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland than LinkedIn does in these countries. While the majority are in Europe, there is a growing userbase worldwide.

In fact, it’s also available in numerous other countries, including the United States and the UK. There are more than 19 million users on Xing, making it the second-largest professional social network in the world. Xing’s user base is still primarily located in Europe, but it’s also available and on the way up in other countries around the globe.

Xing offers:

·       A digital recruitment assistance with special recruiting features.

·       A Talent Pool Manager to foster relations through targeted interactions.

·       Referral Manager to use the power of referrals from your employee.

Xing is good for finding talent in Europe, but it can facilitate recruitment in other places too and takes an intelligent approach to making connections to save on wasted efforts with low-fit candidates.

3. Jobcase

Next, we have Jobcase.

Jobcase is an online platform that connects job seekers with employers all around the globe. It’s a relatively new player on the market – founded in 2015 - but it’s quickly growing in popularity, and has a wide reach.

Jobcase primarily targets job seekers and people who are looking to make a career change but the platform is also great for companies that are looking to hire new talent. What makes it stand out from the crowd is the fact that it’s not just a social network. In addition to offering job opportunities, the platform also offers tools for skill development and other features that are relevant to professionals. This makes it an attractive hub for talent, especially in niche circles.

As an employee, it’s a good place to find hiring education; place your resume and work profile; and it integrates with Indeed, Glassdoor, and other job-search services. As an employer, it has numerous benefits as well, including providing a deep well of talent in a single community setting.

Jobcase offers:

·       Job Promotion through flexible, multichannel marketing.

·       Hiring Events platforms that allow you to virtually host with no contract.

·       Personal help with your hiring needs at any scale.

Jobcase brings networking and education together and makes a good LinkedIn alternative for a smaller community that can come in handy for recruiters. It’s also a community that fosters education and upskilling, potentially increasing the value of the available candidates, so it’s worth keeping an eye on!

4. Sumry

Sumry is primarily a resume builder that’s used by people in the media and marketing industries. It’s also a platform that’s used to build your personal brand and find new opportunities, such as jobs and collaborations.

Sumry allows you to create a profile that features your specialties and interests. The network also allows you to follow other users and read their articles, and if you’re looking for a social network that’s specifically designed for the media industry, then Sumry might be the best choice for you.

The network also has a paid version that offers advanced features, such as branding tools and marketing resources. Sumry is primarily used for marketing and product management, but it can also be used for networking, and it can be a great new means to find talent.

The company has boasted that: We killed the resume. You’re welcome. Sumry is founded around more personable and relatable factors in a prospect’s working history than simply where and how long they’ve worked in a place. For recruiters who find resumes stale, Sumry might be a great place to look for your best fit.

Sumry offers:

·       A place to find talent with personality.

·       Collated information on talent’s ‘LinkedIn’ information.

·       Prior introduction from prospects before submitting.

With a fresh approach to personal branding, there’s a good chance you’ll find something of value in Sumry. These new resume builders attract those who wish to go the extra mile to stand out, and this can mean big things for recruiters.

5. The Dots

The Dots is a social network that was designed for creative professionals too, such as designers and writers, but it’s since branched out to cover tech, retail, hospitality, and more. It’s a network that’s heavily focused on helping you build a portfolio and find new opportunities, such as jobs or other networking connections.

The Dots is a relatively new player on the market, but it’s quickly growing in popularity. Unlike many other social networks, it doesn’t encourage sharing your thoughts, ideas, or other pieces of information with your followers.

Instead, this network focuses on helping you build your portfolio and connect with other professionals in your field. It’s a great social network for creative professionals who want to focus on building their portfolios and finding new opportunities. For candidates, it provides a rapidly-growing network based on positivity and kindness that fosters support and caring among its members.

For recruiters, it offers:

·       Opportunities to be a collaborator or a mentor.

·       Join a variety of industries hiring top talent in The Dots’ network.

·       Opportunities to take advantage of upskilling.

This is a feel-good community that pays attention to attitude. If you’re looking for the right personality, then there’s a chance you’ll find something you want on The Dots.

6. Goodwall

Goodwall is a social network that’s aimed at students and other young professionals. It’s a network that features a feed of images and videos, as well as a wall where you can post comments, and again focuses on an inspiring and supportive community vibe to allow people to pitch ideas, connect and communicate on a more casual level.

This social network is available on desktop and mobile, and it’s free to use. Goodwall is primarily used for networking and building your personal brand. However, it also allows you to follow other users and read their posts. It’s a great place for users to find internships and jobs out of school, and therefore it’s a good place for recruiters to find fresh young talent for drawing into the working world.

For recruiters, Goodwall specializes in:

·       Providing remote work candidates.

·       Providing young people for scholarships.

·       A worldwide workforce.

If you have remote work to offer, Goodwall might be a place to hunt talent for it. Responding to the shift in modern workforce demands, this platform may well be a refreshing introduction for candidates and a deep well of young talent resources for recruiters.

7. Indeed.com

Indeed is one of the oldest professional social networks out there. It’s known for being aimed at people who are looking for new jobs; however, it’s also used with great success by professionals who want to find new clients for their businesses.

Indeed is a free platform that allows you to create a profile and search through job opportunities, as well as browse through listings from other companies. It’s a well-developed platform that focuses on streamlining the onboarding process from start to finish and as such, offers excellent organizational applications, screeners, and automation services.

For recruiters, you’ll be joining over 300,000 companies that use Indeed to find talent. This includes industry giants such as McDonald’s and Nokia.

Indeed.com offers:

·       Automated recruiting steps.

·       Scheduled interviews based on candidate screening.

·       Focus on increasing the speed of interviews and conversions.

This is a tried and tested platform for talent and recruiters alike. Mix and match the available options here for finding the best fit and picking out the top talent for your roles.

LinkedIn Alternatives 

These are some of the best options for you when LinkedIn simply isn’t going to cut it. But with so many niches and different approaches, it’s worth remembering that alternatives may not be as effective as supplements. Switching from one service to another could cost you valuable opportunities when it may be more appropriate to add new services to your portfolio.

For talent attraction, it’s important to look around as well as to present an appealing face to your prospects. And to do this, the best solution might be to combine LinkedIn with any number of the other options on this list, as well as use services that can boost your online presence and catch the eye of the people you’re looking for.

Conclusion

Depending on your industry and the kind of talent you’re looking for, there’s likely to be a network available to you for sourcing top talent, and a useful alternative to LinkedIn.

The difference between them is often in their target industry and their approach to networking. For recruiters, there may be a different platform to find creatives than the one where you would find salespeople. But rest assured, there is a community for everyone.

With LinkedIn being the most dominant professional networking platform, it’s easy to forget that there are other options, and particularly for recruiters in niche industries, they are well worth checking out.

These 7 choices span a range of cultures and offer both recruiters and prospects an opportunity to express themselves that may not be as stifled and traditional as the old ways. As such, there’s a better chance than ever for like-minded people to find one another.