Have you ever heard the tale of the African crocodile and the Egyptian plover?

The story of these two species and their symbiotic relationship has been around for thousands of years. Here, both the crocodile and plover benefit from the actions of the other. Its completely mutual.

According to this myth (and loosely based facts), the crocodiles lie on the shores of the Nile River with their mouths open while plover fly into the open mouths and, like a giant piece of dental floss, eat the leftover meat stuck between the crocodile’s teeth. The plover get full and the crocodiles keep their bright smiles.

The validity of this relationship is constantly in question — in fact most believe it is a myth — but it teaches an important concept of nature where two seemingly different parts can work together for the overall good.

So how does this apply to the world of job recruiting? The rise in popularity of the social networking site LinkedIn has caused somewhat of a stir across the recruitment field. While some people see it as a great resource, there are others who view these types of sites as a threat to traditional recruitment software and services.

This is always the case when new technology threatens the existence of established methods, but in this scenario, it is important to understand how both can survive and benefit from the other. Mutualism can exist between LinkedIn and other recruitment methods.

Let us first look at how companies use LinkedIn to recruit candidates. There is LinkedIn Recruiter which lets companies access the database of millions of users to find qualified candidate. Companies can also post job opening advertisements with LinkedIn Job Postings. Currently 77 percent of all job postings are on LinkedIn.These ads can target certain types of candidates and can be very effective in reaching potential candidates compared to other platforms.

Additionally, there is LinkedIn Employment Branding where recruiters can promote jobs to a specific group. And lastly, there is LinkedIn Talent Pipeline so one can manage the steady flow of candidates who respond to these job postings.

Add LinkedIn to Your Recruiting Toolbox

A carpenter or construction worker doesn’t begin a job with just a hammer or just a tape measure in his or her toolbox and nothing else. They need multiple tools to get the job done efficiently and correctly.

The same goes for recruiting a job candidate. It’s never a good idea to recruit exclusively from one source. That is the beauty of LinkedIn. You can use it along with your other recruiting services and job posting sites. If you get a response from a posting on Monster.com, cross reference the applicant with his or her LinkedIn profile. Check and see if the resumés match and information looks consistent. There are over 200 million current users on LinkedIn. If you come across a potential applicant, chances are he or she is on LinkedIn also.

Profiles are Accurate

Because of the way LinkedIn works, it is extremely difficult for candidates to lie or be dishonest about education and work experience on their profiles. When information is readily available for anyone (including former employers) those seeking a job cannot provide false or misleading information as easy as before. This is a great benefit for recruiters and companies looking for candidates with specific work experience.

In fact, research has shows that LinkedIn profiles are in many cases more accurate than resumés because their profiles can be seen by colleagues, former co-workers and former employers with ease. It is also much easier for a candidate to update his or her LinkedIn profile than resumé.

Specialist Recruiters Aren’t Dead

Professional recruiters do two things for companies. First, they search for candidates. And secondly, they have to select the right candidates based on a company’s specific needs.

The introduction of LinkedIn to the recruiting game has pretty much eliminated the need for a professional recruiter to search for candidates, but the process of selecting the best candidate  still exists. Recruiters can now increase efficiency by using LinkedIn to view hundreds of candidates a one location. They can then begin working to match a company with a candidate who has the exact technical skills, work experience and personality to fit the company’s culture.

Recruiters are still in the business of matching candidates with companies. Now, they just have a head start with LinkedIn.

Save Money

Statistics show it costs a company $3,500 on average to recruit and hire someone. And this excludes the cost of training. Small and medium-sized businesses simply don’t have the extra capital to dedicate to recruiting. However, with LinkedIn, companies can post job openings for a reasonable price and look through hundreds of potential candidates without spending lucrative amounts of money for other recruiting tools.