With the rise of social networking websites such as MySpace, Facebook and YouTube, it seemed inevitable that someone would wed the concept with more traditional professional networking. One company doing just that is LinkedIn, an online network of more than 8.5 million people representing 130 industries around the world. LinkedIn is focused on fostering business relationships and designed to connect you with people you know as well as people they know, vastly expanding your network.

For executives constantly trolling for new talent, this can be a powerful recruiting tool. By referencing your network, you can post job openings and locate job candidates by searching on criteria ranging from education and job skills to prior companies. During the interview process, you can request references from a candidate’s former co-workers or supervisors by entering the company name and relevant years, and asking for opinions of your applicant. And as you scout talent, you can keep in touch with candidates long before you need to hire.

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