How LinkedIn Attracts Top Talent with In-Person Networking Events
LinkedIn has made online networking easier and more effective than ever before, yet the company still values the importance of in-person networking. LinkedIn organizes offline networking events to existing employees to connect with future talent. Associate Social Media Marketing Manager, Ish Verduzco, and Program Manager, Arin Mitchell, share their favorite events from last year.
With such high competition among companies to attract top talent, companies have turned to hosting events as a way to give candidates an inside look at the corporate culture. Through these events, attendees are able to experience what it would be like to work for the company first hand and assess if he or she could be inspired to come to work each and every day.
So, why do we prioritize hosting these events? These events allow students and professionals to feel comfortable and effectively navigate what can historically be the “uncomfortable” networking scenario. Our goals here are to create environments that encourage diversity of thought and build relationships between attendees and potential future colleagues.
Below are three of our favorite events from last year. Happy hosting!
1) Intern Hack Day
LinkedIn’s Annual Intern Hack Day attracts between 200-300 Bay Area Technical Interns every year. The 24 hour-long Hack-a-thon allows for attendees to build cool projects, while having fun, and networking with other interns from different companies.
2) Next Play Open Mic
The Next Play Open Mic is a networking event that incorporates the arts in connecting sales hiring managers with diverse prospective candidates. The objective is to create a more relaxed environment where attendees feel welcome, and to enable our guests to experience our unique culture, feel a strong sense of belonging and subsequently be interested in working at LinkedIn. We took the Open Mic event on the road and hosted the second one out of our New York Office in the Empire State Building!
3) Accelerate U
Accelerate U is a learning day for students consisting of workshops, activities, and the opportunity to network with LinkedIn Employees. This past year, LinkedIn hosted two Accelerate U’s in San Francisco and Atlanta, attracting over 400 students from 30+ different universities.
Ish Verduzco is an Associate Social Media Marketing Manager within Talent Acquisition at LinkedIn. He focuses primarily on hosting world class recruiting events that help attract top talent, as well as using social media to promote company culture. Arin Mitchell is a Program Manager for LinkedIn’s Business Leadership Program – Global Sales track, a program focused on attracting and developing future business and sales talent. Learn more by following LinkedInLife on Instagram.
