LinkedIn's database includes over 800 million professionals, and smart companies are capitalizing on this massive database. However, LinkedIn is not very user-friendly when it comes to searching for great new employees.

LinkedIn's simple solution is to purchase their Recruiter product—but Recruiter licenses come at an annual cost of $6,000 to $8,000 per user.

Well, as a past CFO myself, I never really thought much of one-size-fits-all solutions—especially those with hefty price tags.

So, as your trusted LinkedIn advisor, I have some simple ideas to help you use LinkedIn to recruit great employees for your organization, and my solutions have the perfect price tag—FREE!

To learn all of my secrets for capitalizing on LinkedIn's recruiting potential, join me on Monday, February 28, from noon-1:30PM CT, for my 90-minute webinar Using LinkedIn to Recruit Top Talent Without a Premium Account. 

If you can't attend live, no worries, because you'll receive a link to view the recording at your leisure. Seating is limited, so grab your seat now at https://feb22linkedinrecruiting.eventbrite.com.

Here is a sneak peek at a few of the secrets I'll be sharing.

Personal status update. Share a status update to ask your network if they know of anyone who is qualified for the position you're attempting to fill. People in your network know you well and understand the nature of your company. If someone in your network is aware of a prospective candidate, he/she should be able to quickly introduce you to the candidate.

This is the easiest and most efficient way to find your next hire. I suggest you post your request a couple times per week, maybe even once on the weekend.

To get additional exposure, ask a few of your most connected coworkers or friends to like, comment on, or share the post. That will get the post in front of all their connections as well.

I know a president of a local company who found a new VP for his company in just five days after using a status update to ask his network for help. Think of the time and money that saved him.

Company page post. On your LinkedIn company page, post a similar update. This shares the information with all followers of your company page. Job seekers interested in working for your company are probably among your followers.

To broaden your reach beyond your followers, ask your employees to like, comment on, or share this update so all their connections view it as well.

Consider “pinning” your status update to the top of the update feed.

Company Followers.  Review the list of your company followers periodically to look for good candidates. Several HR directors have told me they found the exact right candidate (sometimes working for competitors) in that list of followers just waiting to be contacted.

If you are an administrator of your company page, you can view a list of your followers, in reverse chronological order of when they began following your company. Go to your company page, and just click the word followers next to your number of followers (see screenshot). If you find someone interesting, consider sending a connection request (or InMail) with a message asking them if they might be interested in a role with your company.

On Monday, February 28, I'll cover these strategies in depth and many more—including a simple way to start receiving regular notices from LinkedIn that include prequalified candidates for your job openings.

Be one of the smart companies that uses LinkedIn to recruit and hire top talent—without a premium account.

Get more info about the webinar and register here: https://feb22linkedinrecruiting.eventbrite.com