Linkedin in the classroom

Level: Intermediate- Advanced Time: 60- 90 minutes Language Focus: work-related vocabulary Skills: Reading, Speaking, Writing Great with: HR employees/ managers/ job-seekers

Aims to introduce learners to the website: www.linkedin.com. to check their understanding of the concept behind the website and how it works through a reading comprehension exercise for learners to use the website to collect information and make recruitment decisions during a role-play

1. Warmer Find out if the learners are already familiar with Linkedin: some may never have heard of it and some may already have their own profile. Have learners who have heard of it explain to those who dont know what it is. If no one has heard of it, the teacher should explain what it is. For more specific details of what Linkedin is, you can look at the text used in the reading exercise (Task Two). 2. Reading Comprehension In the text the readers can find out more information about what Linkedin is as preparation for using it in Task Three. Depending on the group, it might be necessary to pre-teach vocabulary items such as, micro-blog/ blogging, head-hunt/ headhunting, wealth (my learners always seem to find this word difficult), at your/their/my disposal. Answers: 1. T, 2. F, 3. F, 4. T, 5. F, 6. T 3. Using Linkedin to collect information This activity is dependent on having access to a computer with an internet connection in the classroom and the existence of a Linkedin profile. If you dont feel comfortable logging into your own personal profile, although you wouldnt necessarily have to show the learners all of the details on it, then you could just create a profile for the purposes of teaching this lesson (although you should be aware that you can only

connect one profile to one email address). Depending on the group, you could consider asking one of the learners to log on to their profile, if they have one and they feel comfortable with that, or to create a very basic profile with just their name and email address. The good news is that even on company computers where social networking sites are blocked, Linkedin is usually still available. For the searching itself: go to the search box and click on people, then enter a key word, such as Human Resources. You can filter people according to the companies they currently work for or the language of their profile. So that the learners dont drift into looking at profiles in their L1, encourage them to filter out profiles which are not in English. The location of the potential candidate is irrelevant. The company will pay the right person enough money to make them want to relocate. While you are collecting feedback encourage the learners to justify and explain their decisions as much as possible: just saying because she is the best person for the job. for example, is not enough.

4. Your Company- Personalising the task Using authentic, company materials can help to make this activity feel more real, more relevant and more engaging. The majority of companies will advertise vacancies on the website, and accessing these jobs, in English if possible, and then using Linkedin to find suitable candidates for them will help to personalise the activity. It will also give learners practice using vocabulary specific to their field which they will find in the job descriptions. 5. Follow-up or homework activity This activity provides the activity with a written element. The learners can write a formal email to a person they have selected for one of the positions, either one of those given in Task Three or one from their company website. Review the elements of a formal email before they start the task, e.g. salutations, closes, more formal vocabulary (obtain instead of get), more use of passives etc. Learners could also practise using persuasive language here, as they attempt to convince the potential candidate that they would like to work at their company.

Linkedin and the World of Work

Task One You are going to read a text about the website: www.linkedin.com and the impact it is having on the world of work. Before you read the text, discuss your responses to the questions below with your partner or in a small group. 1. Have you heard of Linkedin? 2. a. If you have, what do you already know about it? b. If you havent, what would you guess about the type of website it is from its name?

Task Two Now read the text to find out more about Linkedin and then decide if the six statements that follow are true or false. Linkedin was set up in December 2002 by Reid Hoffman and launched in May 2003. The company has its headquarters in Mountain View, California. This year the site reported in excess of one hundred million registered users around the world. What is Linkedin for? The aim of the site is to provide an online platform for professional networking: its not the kind of site where people micro-blog about what they had for breakfast! Linkedin provides you with a directory of the contact details of people you want to stay in touch with, perhaps after meeting them personally while on a training course or at a conference. At the same time, the site also provides you with the opportunity to establish contact with people who share your professional interests or with whom you share mutual contacts. What is known as a gated-access approach operates on the site, which means that you can only add someone as a connection if you already have a relationship with them, e.g. youve done business with them or they are a colleague of yours, if you share a mutual contact or if you are a member of the same group. The result of this policy is lesson unwanted contact. The recruitment landscape has recently undergone significant changes. The economic downturn has resulted in fewer jobs being available and those who do want to secure employment need to make use of every weapon at their disposal to do so. Professional networking has become increasingly important for those seeking to progress in their careers. For companies, it has also become more difficult to know which talent is the right match for their business, and Linkedin gives them easy access to a wealth of potential employees, who they can then establish contact with and head-hunt.

Such is the strength of Linkedins reputation as a recruitment platform, that some companies are willing to accept a Linkedin profile, which usually contains an uploaded CV or rsum, as an alternative to sending the CV or rsum itself. As a rule, everyone on the site is there for the same reason: to build and maintain contacts which will enhance their working lives.

Which of the following statements about Linkedin are true (T) and which are false (F)? 1. The gated-access approach helps to ensure that other users can only invite you to become one of their connections if you already have a connection to them, either in real life or through shared contacts or group membership on the site. 2. All employers in the USA are now willing to accept Linkedin profiles as an alternative to sending in a rsum. 3. Linkedin was founded by Mark Zuckerberg.in 2002. 4. Companies turn to head-hunting when they want to recruit new talent. 5. The principal purpose that Linkedin was intended for is micro-blogging. 6. Professional networking involves establishing and building contact with people who could collaborate with you, employ you, recommend you to an employer or inform you about interesting work opportunities, amongst other things.

Task Three Imagine that you are Human Resources executive in companies that want to try using Linkedin to recruit new employees. Go on to the site and do the following: 1. Search for people who would be suitable candidates for the roles 2. Collect evidence for their suitability. 3. Present the evidence to your boss (the teacher)

Jobs to fill: 1. An experienced Human Resources executive who has experience with e-learning. 2. Someone with experience in telecoms sales. 3. A new business English trainer for your company. 4. A customer service manager for an IT company

Task Four- Your Company Go onto your companys website and find out what positions your company is currently recruiting for. Use Linkedin to find suitable candidates for these positions.

Follow-up activity- Head-hunting As a follow-up write a message that you could send to one of the people on Linkedin that you have chosen as a suitable candidate for one of the roles. Try to convince them to apply for this position.