Keep your sourcing strategy efficient and thorough, and you’ll be more likely to find the best candidates and gather an applicant pool with higher levels of overall talent. The better the average candidate in your pool, the better your odds of a successful hire. This means scouring the landscape for the best of the best (however you define the term), and recognizing red flags when you see them. If you’re using to LinkedIn to reach out to potential accounting employees, keep these tips in mind.

Use the right keywords during your searches.

Look for employees using meaningful keywords that don’t apply to every candidate in the world. Skip terms like “hardworking” and “motivated” and use the specific certifications, degrees, and qualifications that you need. Use multiple versions of the same terms, like “CPA certified” and “certified public accountant”.

Beware of too much fluff and not enough content.

Of course inexperienced candidates will speak more about their ambitions and general employability than they will about their track record of real accomplishments. This is fine, and if they’re new to the profession they won’t have many alternatives. But as you skim through profiles, look for a match between years in the field and substantive, quantifiable accomplishments rather than support roles and bluster about future plans.

Get help.

Professional recruiters and staffing experts have seen countless profiles and have had exposure to real world study samples regarding the links between profile details and successful hires. Rely on their experience, and leverage this experience to your advantage.

Use geographic area in your searches.

The best candidates in the world won’t have what you need if they live three states away and you can’t afford relocation costs. Don’t clutter your search results with brilliant candidates who are unavailable for geographic reasons.

Watch out for suspicious claims and numbers that don’t add up.

You don’t have to conduct a detailed background check on every LinkedIn profile you review. Just keep in mind that if an accomplishment seems suspicious, employment dates are missing, or if a story doesn’t seem to check out, you can always keep looking. Trust your instincts.

For more on how to make the most of your LinkedIn searches and how to review the maximum number of profiles in the shortest possible time, contact the financial staffing experts at Cordia.