LinkedIn for Searching Better Job Opportunity: Passive Jobseekers’ Perceived Experience

Abstract

LinkedIn is a famous online social networking platform for the jobholders, jobseekers and employers although their purposes vary. Passive jobseekers are those who already have jobs but are searching for better alternatives. In this paper, we tried to identify the passive jobseekers’ perceived experience towards LinkedIn as a job searching platform. We used Focused Group Discussion (FGD) method to unmask the perception of 150 respondents from Bangladesh and India who use LinkedIn as professional social networking site frequently. After summarizing the FGD results, it was revealed that LinkedIn is the most preferred source of job search tool among the passive job candidates in terms of all aspects such as information availability, accuracy, relevance, reliability, timeliness and cost effectiveness. In addition, the authors revealed that the participants did not care much about privacy, fairness and ethics on LinkedIn as a professional social networking site (SNS). We expect that the results of this qualitative study will be helpful as a groundwork for further research. We also hope that the results will aid the recruiters to efficiently attract competent passive candidates as well as the job seekers to utilize LinkedIn in finding better job opportunity.