Once and Future King (of Online Recruiting): 20 Reasons Why LinkedIn Is Still the Recruiting Portal of the Future

Last week, our post on why new recruiting platform Geekli.st might represent the future of tech recruiting — and why LinkedIn may become “the MySpace of hiring” — generated quite a reaction. It’s only fair we post a rebuttal.

Representing the flip side of the argument is well-known HR thought leader Dr. John Sullivan who, in a recent post for ERE.net, lists not one, not two, but 20 reasons why LinkedIn will be the #1 recruiting portal of the future. “I’m the first to admit that LinkedIn still has many flaws, but even with them, the power of the portal in the recruiting field is unmistakable,” Sullivan writes. “If you are a corporate recruiter and you are looking for a database or source that includes a large percentage of passive prospects, LinkedIn is simply alone at the top.”

Among the reasons Sullivan cites for predicting LinkedIn’s continued rise is the easy search and comparability of LinkedIn profiles, the platform’s built-in job-posting/applying capabilities, and its recommendations/introductions features. Sullivan also points to LinkedIn’s integration with many other services and vendors, such as SlideShare, Taleo, etc. It all comes down to breadth of information and capabilities — in that regard, nothing else comes close. And with “LinkedIn…certainly making continuous progress on improving its recruiting and other services,” it will likely be a long time until anything will.

What’s your take? Is LinkedIn primed to stand alone at the top of online recruiting for years to come, or is the field open to disruption?