How to Optimize an HR Manager LinkedIn Profile

Are you looking to optimize your HR manager LinkedIn profile?

LinkedIn is an invaluable tool for HR managers to find relevant jobs and stay competitive. Using LinkedIn, HR managers can learn about new job openings and keep up-to-date with industry trends. LinkedIn can also help HR managers build their brand and reputation by sharing their knowledge and expertise with others. In today’s competitive job market, HR managers should use all the tools to find the best jobs.

More than 87% of employers use it to hire top HR managers. To date, it has helped 35+ million people find their dream jobs.

As an HR manager, it is time you know the importance of creating and optimizing your LinkedIn profile to receive job invites and connection requests from other professionals and recruiters. Not sure how to do it? Don’t worry. We’re covering everything in this guide.

Steps to Optimize an HR Manager LinkedIn Profile

We’ve already studied the importance of LinkedIn. But instead of using it as a platform to find jobs, we need to learn how to use it to build a personal brand. Let’s study the different methods you can use to get the most out of this platform.

Make a Strong First Impression With Your Profile Photo and Video

Regardless of your experience, recruiters may not interact with you if you do not have a professional profile photo that speaks volumes about your credibility as an HR manager.

Employers will first see your profile photo, which should reflect your personality and experience.

If you want to do business online, especially on LinkedIn, prospective employers will hire you based on your professional appearance.

Here is how to add a video as well.

1. Tap your profile photo, then tap View Profile
2. Tap the Add icon on your profile photo, then tap Add profile video
   1. Enable the camera and microphone access to record a profile video
      1. From here, you can:
         1. Record: Tap the record button to record a profile video
         2. Upload: Tap the Gallery icon to upload an existing video from your gallery
         3. Add Prompts: Tap Prompts to choose a prompt to answer in your video

Please note that it should be more than 3 seconds and less than 30. Within 30 seconds, give you a short introduction and mention your name, job role, and why clients or prospective employers should hire you.

Your profile photo and video can give you the competitive edge you need to stand out from other HR managers.

You must know the right tactics to portray yourself as “the HR manager on LinkedIn.” How? Read these tips:

• Use a Professional Headshot – LinkedIn’s research has shown that profiles with headshots receive 14 times more views than HR managers with no profile photos. In another study, recruiters view you as more competent, influential, and professional if you smile in the profile photo.
• Wear Professional Clothing – Solid colors like black and blue work best for HR managers. Your profile photo should reflect your personality.
• Choose a Recent Image—Do not upload an old photo. HR managers need to depict how they look now, not what they were during their college days. It can be challenging for employers and potential recruiters to meet you in person and find you different from your profile photo. Optical glasses are fine but do not wear sunglasses, as they don’t look professional on LinkedIn.
• Keep It Simple – It is your LinkedIn profile, not your friends or family. If you upload a group photo, potential employers will have difficulty recognizing you. We’d also not recommend cropping group photos because they are unclear and may not represent the best of you. You don’t want a random hand, shoulder, or someone’s head leaning over in your profile picture.
• Be Consistent – When developing your brand, make it easy for clients and potential recruiters to recognize you. As an HR manager, it is imperative to use one high-resolution photo across all social media platforms and your website.
• Follow the Standard Size – Our profile photo should take up at least 60% of the available frame and cover your head and shoulders. A full-size picture will make it difficult for employers to recognize you.

This is an excellent example of a professional LinkedIn headshot for an HR manager at Nestle Purina:

Be Smart With Your Profile Headline

As an HR manager, your profile headline conveys your career snapshot in a single 220-character line. Potential employers, clients, and recruiters will judge your experience by skimming through your headline.

Your profile headline is the area in which you advertise your brand. Instead of listing your job title and the company you’re currently working at, treat it like a mission statement.

For HR managers, it is a great way to communicate one’s skills and connect with potential employers or clients.

“HR manager at XYZ Company” is a job title. How about you modify it to this:

“HR Manager | 5 Years of Experience | Talent Acquisition | Recruitment Strategist |

The above headline has relevant keywords about your position and describes your years of experience.

But why so much emphasis on a headline? It appears in your LinkedIn invites, messages, and activity.

Follow these tips to improve your profile headline:

• Give employers your elevator pitch
• Be unique about yourself
• Include keywords relevant to your industry and profile
• Keep it short and sweet- under 200 characters
• Focus on what you can offer, not what you’re looking for
• Consider using a call-to-action to encourage people to learn more about you

Here are things you should not do with your headline:

• Don’t stuff keywords
• Avoid using emojis
• Don’t advertise as looking for a job. This shows desperation

An example of a good headline is as follows (Merjola Bala, HR Manager at Greenfield Global):

Make Getting in Touch With You Easier

There is a high probability of people with the same name on LinkedIn. Although rare, people with the same name can have the same designations. For example, multiple people with the same name can have an HR manager as their designation.

What do you do in this case?

The simple solution is to customize your profile link. It is an excellent method to ensure recruiters can find you. Here are some tips to personalize your profile URL:

• It can have 5 to 30 letters or numbers
• Use a variation of your name or professional brand
• Make a different URL with numbers or skills if one isn’t available with your name

When sharing your profile with others in your professional network, copy/paste this link, as it will help define your brand. You can add links to your portfolio, resume, and personal website.

Not many HR managers will have their websites, but those who do will have a competitive advantage. Having a personal website means you are serious about your brand and skills as a reliable HR manager.

Here’s how to add a link:

1. Click the edit icon on the top right of your profile
2. Scroll to the bottom and click Add Website under the Website section
3. Paste the link of your portfolio in the first field and write the text for the link in the text field

Here’s an example:

You can also add your email, contact number, address, and links to social profiles. Here is what a customized URL with links to the portfolio will look like:

Give Your Sweet and Short Introduction

Nice profile photo? Check.

Creative headline? Check.

Introduction? Missing!

When your introduction is missing, employers will switch to other candidates. Remember, there are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of HR managers on Linkedin. When someone lands on your profile, you must do your best to hook them.

But why do you need an introduction?

It describes you as an HR manager and all the recruitment strategies you’ve used to help companies maintain their targets. Recruiters need to know you to understand yourself better before inviting you for an interview.

This is a 2000-character space. Here are some relevant keywords you can add when writing about yourself:

• HR Manager
• Talent Acquisition
• Talen retaining
• Talent hunting
• Day-to-day management of HR operations
• Screen, shortlist and interview candidates
• Help HR subordinates
• Introduce employee training programs
• People-oriented

Focus on your USP (unique selling proposition) and what makes you different from other HR managers, the verticals of your interest, and your work experience.

Here are some tips to take into account when writing your HR manager LinkedIn profile introduction:

• Who you are
• What are your skills as an HR manager
• Mention your achievements with past employers
• List projects you have worked on
• Use people-oriented language
• Write as if you would talk to your boss or a friend
• Be authentic and don’t talk about things you didn’t do
• Prove your worth with numbers and data
• Add in your USP (Unique Value Proposition)
• Optimize your profile with multiple keywords related to management and leadership

Here is what an HR manager’s profile should look like:

Upload a Customized Resume to Your Profile

If your LinkedIn profile is complete with all the details and the resume is missing, you may not hear back from prospective employers. Even today, employers prefer having a soft copy of your resume.

But why?

Not everyone will have time to open your LinkedIn profile and skim through it. When recruiters have hundreds of candidates to screen, it will only add to their burden without a resume.

That’s why you must have a resume attached to your LinkedIn profile.

Your LinkedIn profile summarizes your career and you as a person.

Your resume is a one-page snapshot of your work experience, education, and skills that is tailored to each managerial position.

While there are multiple ways to add a resume to your profile, here is one way.

Create a new post and click the Add a document option at the bottom of the window. Feel free to add relevant hashtags related to HR management.

Show Your Brief Work History

You’ve got a nice photo, a fantastic headline, and a powerful introduction that captivates your audience. What if you don’t have work experience to prove all of it?

The Experience section on your profile highlights current and previous work experience. This should be the same as it is on your resume. Potential employers, search consultants, and clients will skim your work experience to determine your job responsibilities.

Here are some tips on optimizing your work history on Linkedin:

• Add Company Name – Arre your company name. Most of the time, the company will be on Linkedin. Once you start typing, you can see it in the drop-down menu.
• Enter the Job Title – Mention your exact job title, such as “HR Manager”, or “Senior HR Manager.”
• Add the Location – Which city and country did you work at? Mention “New York City, United States”, instead of “United States.”
• Provide the duration – Do not mention dates. List your experiences in months and years, such as November 2020 to Present, or November 2020 to January 2022.
• Write Description – Use 3 to 6 bullet points to describe your role.
• Mention Achievements – Provide a number of your achievements. For example, “Managed a team of 100 employees and introduced new training programs.”
• Attach Media – Wherever applicable, include links to projects, videos, or presentations. Videos and multimedia attachments increase conversions and will help boost your chances of landing your dream job. For HR Managers, you can include presentations on recruitment strategies and samples of training videos

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Exclude any work experience not relevant to an HR manager
• Use the reverse chronological order to list the most recent work experience at the top
• Focus on achievements with numbers
• List your areas of focus
• Proofread before publishing

This is what your Experience section should look like (Russell Small):

Mention Your Education and Skills

While skills are vital for potential employers, recruiters must know your education level. Human resources managers plan, direct, and coordinate an organization’s administrative functions. They oversee the recruiting, interviewing, and hiring of new staff, consult with top executives on strategic planning, and serve as a link between an organization’s management and its employees.

Human resources managers need a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field, although some jobs may only require a high school diploma or equivalent.

Many organizations prefer candidates who have a master’s degree in human resources, business administration, labor relations, or a related field. Many human resources managers start as specialists or generalists before becoming an HR manager.

In addition to this, employers value soft skills such as strong communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.

Profiles with a filled Education section have 10 times more profile views than those HR managers with no education. More visibility means better opportunities.

There are three different sections on Linkedin to add to your education:

1. General education
2. Certifications
3. Courses

Formal education isn’t mandatory but will make a positive first impression on others. Mention your degrees, the name of your educational institute, and the years you attended. It’s also great to add GPAs and activities you did during your studies.

Here is what the Education section on LinkedIn should look like:

Some employers also prefer candidates who have HR certification from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) or the HR Certification Institute (HRCI). With over 3000 learners and a stellar 5.0-star review, you can also find certifications that HR University offers.

Here is a screenshot of an HR manager’s profile with all the certifications:

Do you have any volunteer experience? Don’t miss it out. Volunteer work shows you are willing to give back to society.

A volunteer experience is a unique opportunity for an HR manager to use their skills and knowledge to help improve the lives of others. By volunteering, HR managers can make a difference in their community and learn new skills that will benefit their careers. An HR manager can show volunteer experience in the following ways:

• By working at an NGO
• By providing consultation to a community and helping them in hiring the best talent
• By giving volunteer hours at a company that has a policy of giving back to the community

For employers, volunteer experiences can provide valuable insight into an applicant’s character and work ethic. Furthermore, employers may view volunteer experiences as evidence of an applicant’s commitment to professional development and social responsibility.

Add relevant skills and ask others in your network to endorse you. Here are some for an HR manager:

1. Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills
2. Excellent organizational skills
3. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
4. Ability to delegate tasks
5. Training and development skills

Remember, relevancy is the key to success.

Here’s an excellent example of listing volunteer experience and skills:

Broadcast Your Location

Provide your accurate location. You want employers to perceive you as credible. If you’re looking for a job in Denver and you mention Houston on your resume, it will not help you. Only list Denver as a location if you reside there or plan on moving soon. Employers will use location filters to narrow down their search results.

Request Recommendations From Connections

LinkedIn recommendations act as a vote. The more you have, the better your job prospects. It is a great way to get more eyeballs on your profile. HR managers who get recommendations from others will get better exposure than those who don’t.

Here’s a perfect example of recommendations:

Reach out to your previous hiring managers, colleagues, and clients. Ask them to share their work experiences with you. There are two ways of getting recommendations:

1. You can request it from someone in your network

You can write a recommendation for others and have them write one back for you.

Use the Creator Mode

Regarding content creation, LinkedIn isn’t the first place you’d imagine. But did you know that there is a growing number of LinkedIn influencers similar to Youtubers and Instagrammers?

Turning on Creator Mode increases your organic reach because your content will start generating views regardless of your audience and connection.

Set up your profile on creator mode and start publishing content relevant to the HR management field. This will increase your visibility on the platform. It will also help you to grow a loyal audience of experts and develop a brand for yourself.

Here are some topics you can cover in the form of articles, blog posts, and videos:

• What is HR management?
• What are the top qualities of an HR manager?
• How to build an effective team working as a remote HR manager?
• Why do you need certifications to grow your HR management business?

Here is what this feature does:

• It changes the Connect button on your profile to Follow, helping you grow your audience
• It lists your posts and followers on the profile
• It highlights posts to help you prioritize showcasing your content over work experience
• It gives access to the LinkedIn Live feature, which helps build and nurture a community of followers.
• It gives access to a newsletter feature, meaning subscribers receive push and email notifications whenever you publish a LinkedIn article.

Here is an excellent example (Asma Ashfaq):

FAQs

Here are the most frequently asked questions about crafting an effective HR manager LinkedIn profile.

How can I enhance my LinkedIn summary as an HR professional?

To create a compelling LinkedIn summary, HR professionals should focus on highlighting their unique HR expertise. This means showcasing specific HR strategies and accomplishments that illustrate their contributions to previous organizations. Including keywords relevant to the HR field will also help improve visibility in searches and attract potential employers or networking opportunities.

What role do HR strategies play in an HR leader’s profile?

In an HR leader’s LinkedIn profile, effective HR strategies should be emphasized to demonstrate their capability in driving organizational success. By outlining specific initiatives they have led, such as recruitment drives or employee development programs, HR leaders can convey their impact on overall business performance and employee engagement. This not only enhances their credibility but also showcases their leadership in HR.

How important is it for an HR professional to showcase employee engagement skills?

Highlighting employee engagement skills is crucial for HR professionals. Demonstrating experience in fostering a positive workplace culture, implementing feedback systems, and increasing overall employee satisfaction can significantly elevate a profile. This focus on engagement shows prospective employers that the HR professional is dedicated to creating a thriving work environment, which is a key factor in organizational success.

What should HR leaders include to demonstrate their HR expertise?

HR leaders should include specific examples of their HR expertise in areas such as talent acquisition, performance management, and compliance in their LinkedIn profiles. By detailing achievements and the results of their initiatives, they can effectively position themselves as thought leaders in the HR community. This approach not only builds trust with potential employers but also sets them apart from other candidates in the field.

How can HR professionals utilize their LinkedIn profiles for networking?

Networking is essential for HR professionals, and a well-crafted LinkedIn profile can facilitate valuable connections. By engaging with industry-related content, participating in discussions, and connecting with other HR experts, professionals can expand their network. It’s also beneficial to share insights on the latest HR trends and best practices, which can help establish their authority and foster professional relationships.

Why is it essential for HR professionals to tailor their profiles with relevant keywords?

Using relevant keywords in an HR professional’s LinkedIn profile is essential for optimizing visibility in search results. Including terms such as HR strategies, employee engagement, and expertise ensures that the profile aligns with what recruiters and hiring managers are looking for. Tailoring the profile with these keywords can significantly enhance the chances of being discovered by potential employers.

What are the best practices for HR professionals when updating their LinkedIn profiles?

Best practices for HR professionals when updating their LinkedIn profiles include keeping the content up-to-date, engaging in regular networking, and sharing industry-related articles or insights. They should also periodically review their profiles for relevant keywords and make adjustments to reflect their current strategies and experiences. By actively maintaining their profiles, HR professionals can ensure they remain relevant in a competitive job market.

Josh Fechter

Josh Fechter is the founder of HR.University. He's a certified HR professional and has managed global teams across 5 different continents including their benefits and payroll. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.