Irving Knight Group delivers executive search across 20+ core industries.

Home
Sectors
All Sectors Industrial Ingredients Life Science Healthcare Built Environment
Solutions
Retained Search Contingent Search PSL & RPO Services Executive Search Technical Search Sales Leadership Cost of a Bad Hire Talk to an Expert
About
About Us Mission Culture & Values Why Us Approach Testimonials
Jobs Team Why Us Contact Us
Irving Knight Logo
Top Ten Tips on how to boost your chances of being approached on LinkedIn

07 November 2021

Written by Amber Penrose

Top Ten Tips on how to boost your chances of being approached on LinkedIn.

The way companies choose to recruit is ever evolving, and now, many companies are choosing external recruiters as their preferred method to attract the top talent.

All Recruitment Agencies use LinkedIn as their main tool to source the best talent for the opportunities they are scouting for – so here are some of my top tips to make sure your profile stands out!

  1. Always connect with recruiters who specialise in your market! A recruiter is more likely to look at their connections when conducting any search – so by simply adding recruiters to your network will boost your chance of being noticed or selected for their long list.
  • Make sure you are following the recruiters you connect with and regularly check their page. Many recruiters will post the vacancies that they are recruiting for to their LinkedIn page. This will ensure you are making yourself aware of all new opportunities in the market which may not be advertised for by the company.
  • The best way to attract recruiters is to make sure your profile highlights that you are “Open to new opportunities”. We will always approach those proactively looking in the market. If you are open to new opportunities and it is not highlighted on your page – we could miss you and you could miss out on an amazing opportunity.
  • We highlight “keywords” when conducting searches for top talent – so please ensure that your “Industry Knowledge” section on your LinkedIn page is filled with topics relating to your industry and experience. The more key words, the better!
  • Any additional information added to your career history on your LinkedIn page will also boost your chance of being noticed. We appreciate and value those who take the time to highlight their experience and it clearly shows us where your talents lie.
  • Make sure your location on LinkedIn is accurate. If you have highlighted your location to a remote town that you live in, but you are looking for opportunities in a big city, then you need to put your location down as the city you are looking for work in/or are already working in. Recruiters often narrow down searches to key locations, so again, we could miss an opportunity to approach you with new career prospects.
  • For the multilinguals amongst us – please highlight your language proficiencies on LinkedIn. Many of our clients look for candidates who are linguistically skilled. Therefore, by highlighting your linguistic abilities will also boost your chances of being approached.
  • Check-in with recruiters! Every month it may be a good idea to send a quick LinkedIn message to recruiters to see if there are any opportunities that they are working on which may be a fit. This will also boost recruiters’ chance of thinking of you when they begin working on a new vacancy.
  • Try and make your “About” section on LinkedIn as thorough as possible. List your number of years in a management position, areas of expertise and the number of years you have specialised in an industry for. This will again, make your profile stand out to us when conducting a search.
  1. Final tip – check your In Mails! Recruiters don’t always have access to your email address, therefore; we will send you In Mails on LinkedIn to see if you are interested in an opportunity we are working on.

If you follow these Top Ten Tips, then you are more than likely to have plenty of new opportunities to consider in 2020.

Trustpilot

FAQs

We’re here to make Executive Search easy to understand. Find answers to the most common questions below.

Our priority is fit, not speed. We take time to understand your background, goals, and motivations, then provide clear insight into each opportunity so you’re only considered for roles that truly align with your experience and ambitions.

We specialise in senior, specialist, and leadership appointments across the markets we serve. Our focus is on roles where experience, judgement, and cultural alignment are critical — typically mid- to senior-level management through to executive and board appointments.

You’ll gain honest market insight, access to high-quality opportunities, and clear guidance throughout the process. Our aim is simple: to help you make the right move, at the right time, with confidence.

No. Our services are completely free for candidates. We are retained by our client partners to manage their hiring processes, meaning there is never a cost to you at any stage.

Our role is to represent your interests professionally, provide guidance throughout the process, and help you assess opportunities objectively — without any financial obligation.

No — if anything, it gives you an advantage. We provide context, insight, and advocacy that ensure your experience and motivations are clearly understood from the outset. Our role is to strengthen your candidacy and guide you through a transparent, well-managed process.

We operate as a retained, partnership-led search firm rather than a transactional recruiter. That means fewer searches, deeper engagement, and a far higher level of commitment to outcomes. By combining sector specialism, market intelligence, and a disciplined search methodology, we deliver hires that are aligned not only to role requirements, but to culture, strategy, and long-term growth plans.

We don’t rely on databases or job advertising alone. Our searches are driven by proactive market mapping, targeted outreach, and insight gained from long-standing sector networks. Candidates are assessed on capability, leadership style, cultural alignment, and long-term potential — not just CV fit — ensuring a robust and well-informed shortlist.

Confidentiality is fundamental to how we operate. Every search is handled with discretion, clear communication, and controlled market engagement. As your representative in the market, we protect your brand, manage messaging carefully, and ensure sensitive information is only shared when appropriate — safeguarding both your business and your candidates throughout the process.

Our retained model is designed to deliver outcomes, not volume. Because we invest the time to fully understand the role, the business, and the wider context, we achieve a consistently high completion rate across our searches. More importantly, our focus is on long-term retention and impact, not short-term placement metrics.

While our process is designed to minimise risk, we recognise that circumstances can change. In the rare event a placement doesn’t succeed, we work closely with our client to address the situation and agree the most appropriate next steps. Our commitment is to the partnership and the outcome — not just the initial hire

Let's talk

Contact Irving Knight Group for Executive Search Enquiries