Have you Discovered LinkedIn’s ‘Connection History’ Feature?

Home / Insights / Have you Discovered LinkedIn’s ‘Connection History’ Feature?

Do you ever see a face at a conference or corporate meeting and think, ‘I recognise that person but I can’t think why?’ This real life scenario is no different to your network on LinkedIn – you may have 500+ connections, but remembering how or why you connected with all of these individuals is a difficult task.

That’s where the ‘connections history’ feature comes in. LinkedIn will tell you when you connected with someone, as sometimes a date is enough to trigger your memory of where you may have met.

Adding an extra tool to our kit

As a recruiter, you’ll have hundreds, potentially thousands, of contacts on LinkedIn. Remembering when you connected with an individual will allow you to work out which positions you have contacted them for. It will also provide a useful timeline for updating your information on that individual’s requirements/personal information. LinkedIn are sure that the new feature will improve our networking:

“

“Ever wonder when you met someone? We’re making this easy for you with easy access to your connection history. Simply go to a connection’s profile and click on “Contact Info” to see when you first connected. This is a great way to add some personal detail when you reach out.”

“

Why is this useful for recruiters?

Someone typing on a laptop

Provide a context for conversation – If you know when you connected with a contact, it allows you to figure out which meetings or conferences you attended around that date. This will help to make your message more personal. For example, you could write: ‘Hi, we connected previously after meeting at the UK Recruiter Conference’.

Plan your activity with a contact – Knowing where you started in terms of connection history allows you to work backwards and map out your contact with that individual, record which job roles you have contacted them about, or they have applied for.

Relationship building – As with any contact you make, you’ll have familiarised yourself with a potential candidate’s personal information, work history and experience. Knowing when you connected can also act as a great ice breaker when you speak with them again.

Don’t miss the opportunity to connect

In the world of recruiting, you’ll meet hundreds, perhaps thousands of people throughout your career. The connection history tool on LinkedIn is one way you can add that personal touch, when reconnecting with old faces who have the potential to be the ideal fit for a role.