Making a Move Without Making Moves: Optimizing LinkedIn for Passive Recruitment 

The best hires are not scrolling job boards, and neither should you. Ask anyone who has found their dream role, and they will likely tell you the opportunity came about because “they knew someone” or "happened when they least expected it.” 

That’s because the best career opportunities find professionals when they’re not looking. In fact, about 90% of candidates we work with come from passive recruitment or referrals from our Talent Network.

And while timing and a little bit of luck play into making this happen, there’s a lot you can control to make these situations happen to you. 

LinkedIn can be so much more than a professional social tool. In fact, it can be one of the most powerful behind-the-scenes professional promoters of you and your accomplishments to the right audience. 

The Power Of Passive

What exactly is passive recruitment? It's when recruiters search for specific talent profiles and reach out directly instead of sorting through applications. 

How does this work? 

  • Professionals are approached based on their actual value, not application-writing skills

  • The opportunities are typically more aligned with specific expertise 

  • Candidates are in a much stronger position during conversations about compensation and role details

  • Opportunities can be thoughtfully evaluated without the pressure of needing something right now

How To Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile to Be Found

  1. Profile Photo

It sounds vain, but first impressions happen quickly, and on a profile, it’s often through your photo. Keep these tips in mind when selecting one:

  • It needs to be a solo photo of yourself (heck, you can even pay an AI app to create one for you if you don’t have a professional version). But, please avoid cropped wedding photos, mirror selfies, and glamour shots from decades ago. 

  • Avoid grainy or blurry photos. High-quality photography is highly accessible these days. Use your resources. 

  • The background should be clear and simple 

  • Attire should match the industry you are in: if you’re in a blue-collar environment, you don’t need to be in a suit, and if you’re in a professional setting, you shouldn’t be wearing workout gear.

2. Headline

Don’t just list out your current title. That’s valuable real estate you aren’t using to its full potential. That headlines show up everywhere: search results, connection requests, comment sections, etc. Make it work for you. 

Skip This: VP of Operations at ABC Manufacturing

Try This: VP Operations | Scaling Manufacturing | Operational Efficiency & Team Development

Why is the second one better?

  • It includes a core title, which recruiters actively search for

  • It adds industry keywords that trigger search algorithms

  • Quickly highlights areas of expertise

  • Signals to hiring managers a unique value proposition  

4. Experience

Think of this section as your portfolio, not your resume. Focus on achievements and accomplishments, not job descriptions. This section deserves significant attention. When crafting each of your roles, keep in mind the following:

  • Outcomes and impact, not just responsibilities

  • Metrics that showcase achievements (ex: "Scaled revenue operations team from 2 to 12, doubled ARR in 18 months")

  • Progression and increasing responsibility over time

  • Team leadership and development successes

  • Strategic keywords naturally woven into descriptions

As recruiters, we scan for evidence that you as a potential candidate can handle the
specific challenges our clients are hiring for. Make it easy to connect past
achievements to current needs by highlighting results and impact.

3. About

Do not use your “About” section to regurgitate your work history. That’s what the next
section is for. Here is your moment to tell your story. It’s a chance to share what you
have to offer, what makes you valuable, and what you’re aiming to do in your
professional career. Here are a few idea starters for your story:

  • Narrative showcasing career trajectory and growth 

  • Core strengths and specific business challenges you’ve addressed

  • A taste of industry insights that demonstrate though leadership

A subtle indication of what professional challenges energize and inspire you 

5. Skills and Endorsements

The Skills section is beneficial in two ways: feeding LinkedIn's search algorithm with critical keywords while providing valuable social proof through endorsements. Maximize its effectiveness by: 

  • Being selective. Choose skills that align with opportunities worth pursuing

  • Aim for highly relevant skills rather than diluting impact with less significant abilities (ex: Listing you know how to operate Microsoft Office will not get you on the list of high-performers)

  • Deliberately order skills to showcase standout strengths first

  • Cultivate meaningful endorsements from credible connections

  • Regularly refresh this section as expertise evolves and industry priorities shift

Historically, skills on LinkedIn have been presented as a minor detail, but as sourcing
strategies shift and more AI tools are being utilized, it’s important to not only
showcase you have those skills but allow them to be searchable within your profile. 

The Art of Being Discoverable (Without Looking Desperate)

It’s a delicate dance of being discoverable by recruiters without appearing desperate. A few subtle moves you can make that will be indicators to recruiters are:

  • Turn on “Open to Work (Recruiters Only)” in your privacy settings. This is different from the public-facing version of the “Open to Work” banner.

  • Follow companies you admire and would consider working for

  • Engage occasionally with thought leadership from executives in your target space 

  • Make your contact information readily available in your profile (email at a minimum)

  • Strategically place relevant industry terms, tech stack references, and business outcomes throughout your profile

  • Share or comment on industry content that aligns with your expertise

The perfect combination to being a passive candidate is quiet intentionality. This isn’t a set it and forget it strategy, but you also won’t find yourself scrolling through job postings and sending job applications into a black hole. 

Common LinkedIn Mistakes

We view thousands of profiles each week, so we’ve learned a thing or two about “what to do” and “what not to do” on LinkedIn. 

  • Empty experience entries: This is a complete waste of prime real estate. It tells a recruiter nothing about your impact in the role. 

  • Too many buzzwords: Let recruiters describe you as a “visionary,” “innovative,” or "dynamic" instead of saying it yourself. Your accomplishments should lead to those descriptions, not hang there without any context or validation.  

  • Profile neglect: Remember this is a LIVE portfolio showcasing your professional career. Dead links, outdated roles, or inconsistent formatting will lead a recruiter to believe that you lack an attention to detail. 

  • Typos and errors: These undermine your credibility, especially if you leave part of an AI prompt in your profile! 

These might sound small, but they are a sure fire way to be passed on by a recruiter. There’s loads of talent out there, and first impressions with your LinkedIn profile are key. 

Profile Maintenance

Consider setting a calendar reminder for a quarterly profile check in. This will allow you to add new achievements or projects to your experience without forgetting specific details. It gives you the opportunity to refresh your skills and assess if your priority of skills has changed. And it can keep your headline fresh by updating it based on your current focus area. At the very minimum, this will allow you to stay relevant.  

Your LinkedIn profile tells a story about who you are professionally. That story needs to align with the right opportunities at the right time. 


Strategic Networking

Yes, this is where some people choose to eye roll, but the reality is your network dramatically impacts the ability for recruiters to see you. Connections you initiate can significantly boost how often your profile appears in searches. 

But that doesn’t mean go out and connect with everyone that LinkedIn recommends for you. It takes a little more tact and strategy than that. A few suggestions we have are:

  • Connect with respected executive recruiters in your industry 

  • Add thoughtful leaders in your field who share valuable insights that you will be more likely to comment on and engage with 

  • Accept connection requests if they are in adjacent roles or from industries you have interest in

  • Leverage alumni network from schools and former employers 

Your network directly impacts your discoverability. Depending on the LinkedIn subscription a recruiter has, they may only be able to see and message 2nd and 3rd-degree connections. The more strategic connections you have, the more likely you'll appear when we're searching for your specific expertise.

Tasks Worth Your Time

There are small yet valuable actions that can significantly boost your profile visibility:

  • Respond to LinkedIn InMail messages, even if it's just to say "Not interested at this time, but please keep me in mind for future opportunities." LinkedIn's algorithm rewards this engagement, which keeps your profile more visible to recruiters.

  • Periodically engage with content from your network. A thoughtful comment goes further than a simple like.

  • Share occasional insights related to your expertise area.

While most professionals update their profile only when actively job hunting, the strategic ones know better. Every profile element we've covered works together to tell your professional story to the right audience at the right time. The difference between a good profile and a great one isn't complexity. 

It's intentionality.

By focusing on outcomes over responsibilities, strengths over titles, and substance over buzzwords, you position yourself for opportunities you have dreamed of. By creating this stream of passive recruitment opportunities, you won’t be searching for your next role. Your next role will find you. 

The Extra Mile

And because we know people like you are always looking for a little something extra, we highly recommend you join our Talent Network. Yes, this is a shameless plug for our Talent Network, but it’s also a way to be the first in line for opportunities we’re recruiting for. Before we even dig into LinkedIn and all the sourcing abilities there, we tap into our Talent Network database to see if someone in our circuit has the aspirations and skillset that match for our next pivotal hire.