LinkedIn InMail changes lead to mixed feelings in recruitment industry

Professional networking site LinkedIn is changing the way InMails are credited this month, resulting in mixed feelings within the recruitment sector.
Tue, 6 Jan 2015 Professional networking site LinkedIn is changing the way InMails are credited this month, resulting in mixed feelings within the recruitment sector.

As of January 15, InMails that do not receive a response will not be credited back. Instead, credits will be received for every InMail that does get a response, including ‘not interested responses’, provided that happens within 90 days.

InMails are emails sent specifically through the LinkedIn site and only users with premium accounts can send such messages to people they are not connected to.

In a blog published on LinkedIn's site, master sourcer and recruiter Irina Shamaeva said due to the policy change, “even those of us with expensive LinkedIn Recruiter accounts will not have enough InMails for the ‘normal’ volume of messaging potential candidates”.

She goes on to discuss a way recruiters can get around the change.

Other recruiters though do not think the changes are necessarily bad.

Technical recruiter CBSbutler’s training and development manager Rob Harper told Recruiter the change would reward recruiters for sending quality messages that promote engagement.

He added the new policy would “no doubt lead those with low response rates to really raise and sharpen their game in terms of their InMail approaches, while this will be good news for candidates in terms of better crafted, more relevant and targeted approaches”.

“With positive candidate engagement being so vital within the highly competitive market areas we operate, raising the bar in terms of ‘best practice’ surely cannot be a bad thing for all concerned.”

Engineering, construction and industrial recruiter Maxwell Bruce managing director Roddy Donaldson agreed with Harper.

He told Recruiter: “This may encourage recruiters who continue using it [LinkedIn] to send more compelling and specific messages which have more chance of receiving a positive response. For example, receiving a credit for a ‘not interested’ response is all well and good – but you’re no further forward with the prospective candidate.

“Connecting online shouldn’t replace good, old-fashioned networking. Online relationships should be taken offline as soon as possible to forge a personal connection. The market will be challenging this year, and I’d suggest that the most success will come from agencies and consultants adopting a more well-rounded approach to candidate generation.”


In addition to the changes, some users, including those on Recruiter accounts, will get a greater allocation of InMails.

Those using a Recruit Lite account will get 30 per month instead of 25, Recruiter Professional Services users will get 100 instead of 50 and those using Recruiter Corporate accounts will get 150 instead of 50.

The credits can be accumulated from month to month but will expire after 90 days.

Users can purchase up to 10 more InMail credits than their accounts allow.

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