SMEs need great staff – that much is obvious. But surely, you can do better these days than the old-fashioned paper CV and interview?

Online recruitment in Dublin and other parts of Ireland has never been bigger, and LinkedIn is the social media daddy. It’s where you’ll find hundreds of millions of candidates from around the world, and it’s affordable for SMEs, too.

Be careful what you spend

However, there are different levels of service depending on what you need from LinkedIn, and how much you’re willing to spend. A lot of it’s free – you can immediately start building up a professional network and message your contacts as much as you like.

But there are also paid packages allowing you to better reach those outside your network. Meanwhile, for getting at those elusive ‘passive’ candidates – those not even seeking work – there are really powerful search tools costing thousands.

Needless to say that if you’re an SME, you’ll probably leave the latter to the big corporations.

Networking and groups

For SMEs needing just one or two new staff members, it may be best to stick to the most basic bits of LinkedIn. Build up a pool of contacts from your free profile, and if you have relevant friends and colleagues on the site, ask them to peruse their own networks for any good candidates for the roles you’re recruiting for.

The groups system is pretty useful, too. See who’s talking about what subjects, and get in touch if their interests and skills seem to make them a great match for your vacancy.

Is it worth forking out for more as an SME?

The obvious perk of the premium end of LinkedIn is the ability to use the InMail messaging system to get in touch with those who aren’t in your network. There are also profiling and advanced search functions enabling pinprick targeting of candidates.

Remember that even free users can still send InMails – you’ll just need to pay for them, that’s all.

All in all, LinkedIn certainly has its benefits for smaller firms engaged in online recruitment in Dublin – but watch your wallet if you’re considering the premium options.