How Your ERG Can Boost Recruiting and Lower Cost with Al Kushner

Speaker A: This is ERG Power Talk and I'm your host, Joe Santana. This program is for ERG and BRG leaders, executive sponsors and business unit leaders who want to unlock powerful, measurable business impact through their ergs while championing the goals and needs of the communities these ergs represent. Our vision is a future where ergs aren't just appreciated, they're seen as essential to business success, driving revenue, cutting costs, powering marketplace growth and creating workplaces where everyone can thrive. Our goal is simple but powerful to help you deliver so much value that your organization sees your erg as a must have investment worthy of more resources, greater influence and stronger support. We know you'll get top value from every episode. So now let's get to the show. Hello and welcome to another episode of ERG Power Talk. I'm your host, Joe Santana. In today's conversation we're diving into how a platform most of us already use, LinkedIn, can be a game changer for corporate recruiting and erg communities within organizations. Specifically, we're going to explore how erg communities can unlock the power of LinkedIn to help their companies cut recruiting costs and improve hiring results while enhancing their own personal and community profiles. And to walk us through this, we have the perfect guest. He's an award winning strategist who's helped executives, consultants and companies unlock six figure growth using a system he created called LinkVantage. What makes him stand out is that he doesn't just teach people how to show up on LinkedIn. He shows them how to show up in a way that attracts opportunity, drives influence and delivers results with deep experience and LinkedIn profile optimization, executive branding and leading generation. He's worked with everyone from financial advisors to Fortune 500 recruiters. And the best part, he's built a repeatable strategy that any organization can use to cut recruiting costs and become a talent magnet.

Speaker B: I'm um, Hal Kushner, the Author of the AI LinkedIn Advantage and it is a book that I wrote. Tell people about some of the challenges they face when using AI technology and how it could be a helpful tool, particularly when it comes to ah, LinkedIn and providing a way to make it much more user friendly and make it a platform that you can help dominate over the competition and you can find that available on Amazon as well as Spotify and audio versions is available of that too. We offer a free ebook available to help optimize your profile and certainly make your presence known more on LinkedIn.

Speaker A: Al, thank you for joining us today on ERG Power Talk. It's really A pleasure and I'm personally looking forward to this. I asked you when we first met, I said, what do you think of my LinkedIn profile? And you said, I've seen worse and I've seen better. So that left me curious. So, Al, let's jump right into the middle of this. From your perspective, what are the most common and costly mistakes that companies and people make when they try to use LinkedIn as a recruiting tool?

Speaker B: I think for the most part, if a company is going to use it, they should also look at their company profile on LinkedIn itself. A lot of times they tend to either ignore it or leave it dormant. And that's something that a lot of people who are going to search on a company to see their LinkedIn profile on their company page and see whether active, whether or not they are creating any type of postings that are current and uh, that can make a difference of employee considering working for them if they're not really being active on the platform.

Speaker A: That's interesting because I know a lot of companies spend some money and some time on their websites. From your experience, do people actually go to company websites or is LinkedIn more of their first stop? And because LinkedIn is interactive as opposed to just being a flat statement made by the organization about who they are and what they represent, is it more likely that people will go to LinkedIn and look at the company there than actually in their own website?

Speaker B: I think they do both. They certainly want to have an opportunity to understand more about the company, but also seeing their presence on social media and whether or not that's something that they'd want to consider working for a company and seeing what people say about the company itself could also make a difference. Yeah, definitely is helpful.

Speaker A: Makes sense. Employees that are involved in internal communities like employee resource groups. So you have women's groups, you have veterans groups, you have groups for all types of demographic dimensions and they want to actively support their companies. And one of the things that we talked about a little bit was exploring how these members of these groups and these groups could more powerfully, in a more effective way, support their company's recruiting efforts on LinkedIn. What are your thoughts on that?

Speaker B: I think certainly a company, if they have employees, they should be active in touting their company benefits or talking about certain accomplishments the company has received. Any type of volunteer work that the company has done on their behalf, those things should be, uh, shouted on that platform to showcase a company that is caring, a company that is making a difference on society, as opposed to a company that maybe seem aloof and not really in touch for the most part. So let's can be helpful when the employees are active on behalf of the company.

Speaker A: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I talk to a lot of people who work on employer branding and imaging, and one of the things that they say again and again is that future job candidates, they tend to believe what employees say even more than some of the statements that the organization leadership makes. So it's obviously of a lot of value to have your employees, especially when they belong to these various communities, go out there and tout what the company is doing. We also talked a little bit about how, you know, the members themselves who belong to these various groups could make their LinkedIn profiles more powerful, more authentic and more visible, because obviously attention that comes to them to some degree also shines on the company. So what are some of the key steps that you feel that these members of these groups can take to make their own personal LinkedIn profiles more powerful, more authentic and more visible?

Speaker B: Well, certainly to work on the profile, they should have a professional headshot set up and it should be a current headshot, usually within past six months to a year. That also is helpful. A background image also will be impressive. And that's usually pretty much a billboard as far as what you're trying to showcase. I guess from employee's standpoint, it may be certain skill set that they have that they may want to shine that could be helpful to any potential, uh, employer looking at it. In addition, there are certain keywords that could be used underneath the name that could be helped to optimize if someone's looking for a certain talent that should also be addressed. You can use AI technology to select certain keywords that'll be picked up. Because LinkedIn is also a search engine and for the most part, people will find other individuals by using certain key phrases that may come up and you may come to the top of that list when someone is doing a search for a certain talent or skill that they're looking to showcase.

Speaker A: Interesting. Say more about those pictures because I read somewhere a couple of years ago that when people look at LinkedIn profiles, they tend to look at those pictures more than anything else. They tend to dwell on, um, the picture, the background and the headline. So those seem to be pretty important because they seem to be like the, you know, the title of an article. It either grabs you by the lapels and says, read more, or it basically leaves you flat and you just swipe to the left and you keep on, um, going. And you mentioned about a Professional headshot. So tell us more about that. What are some of the best types of pictures, the best backgrounds? And again, you talked a little bit about that, but I'd love to go deeper into that because I think that is very important. Based on just some of the studies of what people look at when they look at these profiles.

Speaker B: We start with the worst pictures you can have because that's something that people are doing. And those of course, including selfies in the car or on a cruise ship or something in the background and other things that don't come across as being professional. So you want to have something that you would have to go perhaps into a studio in order to get a professional headshot taken. And, um, may cost 50, 100 bucks, but it's worthwhile because it's going to help represent who you are. Take a look at company websites and look at the individuals on those websites themselves. See how they're portrayed. Use that as an example of the type of headshots that are. Because it's like a law firm, for example. Take a look at the people in the law firm. You'll take a look at the bios, see how they're being represented and cities. Is this something that is an example that you want to use? Most likely, yes, because that's going to really showcase. So lead by example. See what's out there. Certainly, if you. Depending on the industry, if you're an artist, obviously you want to create a little flair for yourself. Fancy hat. If you're a woman or a man, maybe have a. I, uh, don't know, whatever you want to do, something that makes unique. But for the most part, I'd keep it conservative. Look at the examples of attorney websites or even accountants, and you see how their headshots look. And you said, I want something like that. And just go to a photographer. There are a lot of photographers available to help take a professional headshot and make sure that's part of your profile. That's the first thing people are going to look at, and you don't get a second chance to make a first impression.

Speaker A: And what about backgrounds? What are some good places to find the right backgrounds? I see a lot of people and I think this might be a good way to do it. I see a lot of people who are in companies and they're trying to promote their company as well, who actually use their companies. Let's say, for example, the wall of the company with the logo on it or something. They use those as backgrounds as well. What are your thoughts on that?

Speaker B: Again, they have to maybe be in compliance with their company rules and regulations. So they may have to adhere to certain backgrounds. So they have to check with their HR department if they're posting on social media, make sure it's compliant because they want to make sure that the company they representing looks official and looks good. So they may not have much say in that regards. But if they're independent, then certainly a lot of options like Canva has a lot of templates available that can be used for background images for LinkedIn. So again, check with your corporate to see whether or not that's something they'll allow.

Speaker A: So once an ERG member, once somebody who's a member of one of these resource groups optimizes their profile gets a better picture. Nice background. Say they go through HR or legal and they get permission to use a certain piece of art in the background that really helps promote the company. What are a few high impact ways that they can enhance that presence to help attract more talent to the organization? Because I think a lot of people say somebody sees you, that you're part of an organization. The way you present yourself probably has a lot to do with how they feel about saying, hey, that's a company I want to work for too. What are your thoughts on that?

Speaker B: I think that if they want to create a brand or become a thought leader for their company, they should create content. Content is King on LinkedIn. So any type of articles that they can use it as part of their profile could be highlighted on there. It could be talking about any type of, you know, features that the company is known for and somebody could do research and an article would help to create that type of awareness. Create videos also are great examples. Short videos, 60 to 90 seconds about maybe the corporate culture, what's happening and maybe certain challenges they faced. Case studies are also appreciated. Volunteer work that the employee may have done also is looked very highly upon and of course recommendations people who have used the services of the company or the employee and how they help solve a problem, that is also crucial and people seem to neglect that and that really makes a difference in getting, uh, noticed on that platform.

Speaker A: Yeah, clearly it's about engagement, right? So the more stuff that you do that creates engagement, the more notice that you're going to get. Okay, so what are some of the takeaways from this first segment of our discussion with Alex? 1. Treat LinkedIn as your company's front door, not an afterthought. Candidates check LinkedIn before they apply for jobs. Make sure your company page and employee profile show activity, credibility and Momentum, silence or stale content quietly drives talent away and raises your company's recruiting costs. 2. Become credible Employee storytellers, not just corporate cheerleaders. Future candidates trust what employees say more than what leadership claims, but they want to hear real experiences. Things like volunteer work, team wins, and learning moments that show how the company operates in practice, not just slogans or activity photos. 3. Optimize your own profile because you're part of the employee brand. A professional headshot, a clean background and a clear headline signal seriousness and competence. When your profile looks strong, the company you represent looks strong too.

Speaker B: 4.

Speaker A: Use keywords strategically so recruiters and candidates can find you. LinkedIn is a search engine. Use role, skill and industry language that aligns with your company's hiring needs. Use LinkedIn hashtags. These act like search and distribution signals that help the platform categorize your posts and surface it to people who follow or search for those topics, expanding your reach beyond your immediate network. When ERG members show up in these broad search results, recruiting reach expands without spending more money. 5. Create content that showcases culture through action, not promises. Short posts, articles or videos about how work actually gets done, how teams collaborate or how challenges were solved. Attract candidates who fit and repel those who do not and that improves hiring quality and speed. 6. Leverage recommendations and proof not claims recommendations, case examples and problem solving stories build trust fast. They validate the company's value proposition and reduce skepticism. This shortens recruiting cycles and and lowers dependency on external recruiters.

Speaker B: Up.

Speaker A: Uh, next, we're going to continue talking about how to turn your everyday LinkedIn presence into a powerful, low cost recruiting engine for your company. All this and more when we come back. But first this I'll see you on the other side. Are you an ERG group or committee chair struggling to balance your ERG activities with your day job responsibilities? Well, you're not alone. There are hundreds of thousands of passionate ERG leads all around the world that find themselves in the same boat. The only solution found by many is to give up lunch hours and personal time with family and friends. But there is a better way. And that better way is to master the powerful skills that enable you to 1 set realistic and achievable compelling goals and priorities 2 distribute the workload by effectively delegating tasks and responsibilities to others. 3 Communicate in a way that increases your impact with less time and effort on your part. 4 Secure the full and active support of executive sponsors and other senior business leaders and five Fit your ERG leadership work into a reasonable set of time boundaries and that and more is exactly what tens of thousands of your colleagues have learned to do effortlessly by participating in Supercharged Workshops. Supercharge Workshops was developed by us along the same easy and powerful how to framework found in our popular Supercharger ERGS book. The modular, customizable programs are loaded with fun exercises and tools that will immediately give you back hours of time each day while increasing your ability to achieve high impact and measurable results in both your ERG work and your job. For more details on how you can schedule a Supercharged Workshop session in your organization, go to superchargeworkshops.com that's HTTP p s colon forward/forward/supercharged workshops one word with no spaces.com so don't suffer silently. Take that first step towards stopping your struggle today. Check out Supercharged Workshops One of the things I was thinking about also I wanted to ask you is a lot of people that are leaders of these groups. Let's say they're the leader of the women's group, they're the chair or the lead for that group, whether the chair or the lead for the block group, or they're the chair of the lead for the veterans group. I don't see a lot of them putting that in their LinkedIn profile that I am currently or I previously was the chair of this group. But I think that would be a good thing to do because a it shows some of the stuff they're doing, but it also shines well on the company that they've got this person who's doing this. It communicates, I think, a lot of people, positive things, but for some reason people don't do that. But what are your thoughts about that? Do you think that's a plus? Let's say, for example, if I'm working in a company and I'm the and I'm heading up a particular group to put down my title and so forth, but somewhere else in in there or maybe in my headline or maybe inside the body of the experience of what I do. Also say that I as the volunteer in the organization also head this group for veterans, women or etc.

Speaker B: Again, every situation is different. Uh, you should list any type of accomplishments or roles that you play in the company as part of your LinkedIn profile and also any awards that were received that also is helpful and also write articles that kind of portray what the company is about. But again, you have also the corporate page that you could address those issues by creating content for their corporate page. As far as what the outreach they're doing or any type of volunteer work they've done or any kind of, uh, awards that's on the company page. And for the CEO of a company, I would say that they should look at the groups they're part of as well, because also people look by association, and if you're accepted into a group that may be relevant to somebody, like an employee, they may look at that more favorably. Perhaps it may help them make a connection because they're part of that particular group on LinkedIn.

Speaker A: Yeah. And as you're talking about that, I'm also thinking, like, if, let's say, for example, if I'm a leader of a particular group, as we were, as you were talking about before, and I post in LinkedIn that we did this event and some kind of accomplishment that we had and so forth. And for more on the work that we're doing in this area and for other groups and the work they're doing in this area, and I point to the company page. That's a great way of using my growing influence to draw attention to the company. It's a good way to leverage that. So let me ask you this, Al from. Let's take from a CFO lens, let's put on our numbers hat right, from a CFO lens. How does activating LinkedIn and using ERGs as brand ambassadors, using the people who run these groups and the people who are members to help drive real, measurable recruiting activity in terms of cost savings? If I'm a cfo, tell me why this is a good thing. Tell me what the impact is on my P and L of having these ERG leaders, these community leaders, as my LinkedIn brand ambassadors.

Speaker B: LinkedIn has such a great reach. It's over 900 million members and growing. And having a presence on the platform will create certainly an awareness. And if you create content, if you create videos, that'll certainly draw attention to the company that may not be recognized. And now all of a sudden, they get recognized for that situation. So it's important to look at what your intention is doing is to create brand awareness, then focus it on your LinkedIn company page and talk about stories that are relevant to their particular industry and talk with. Maybe you've done speaking engagements in front of associations and the CFO was videotaped that could also be showcased on LinkedIn as well. They have LinkedIn Live, which also allows opportunity to be interactive with people who want to maybe listen on what the, uh, CFO wants to talk about. Maybe there's a big change in the industry that he wants to shed light on. Or what's going to be happening in the fourth quarter. He can do a LinkedIn Live and that could draw a lot of attention and a lot of awareness and that

Speaker A: situation, yeah, it's an amazingly powerful tool. So those are all great ideas. What are some specific metrics that let's say for example either the ERG leaders or recruiters or others in the organization should watch in order to gauge the impact of these, of these community M driven efforts on LinkedIn.

Speaker B: LinkedIn has what is called an SSI number, uh, that they use and that determines whether or not they are actually making an engagement or impact. And ideally the number should be at least above 70 or greater which showcases that this person is doing a lot of things on the platform. They're active, they're posting and the algorithm recognizes that and sometimes will help boost a post because of that individual's number. That really can make a difference.

Speaker A: Tell me more about that SSI number. What does that stand for and where would people find that?

Speaker B: You go to LinkedIn, of course you can do Google and type in LinkedIn SSI and with your name and that'll bring directly to your account and then you click on link and it'll give you like a report of 5 different or 4 different categories as far as your engagement on the platform. And usually a lot of CFOs they'll check every month to see whether or not it's improving, uh, or decreasing. And sometimes that's a good gauge as far as whether or not the algorithm favors your postings and it seems to be more advantageous or you're not really doing something, let's say you're not posting enough for example or you're not commenting on people can also make a difference and a lot of times people uh, just post and ghost and that could hurt you if you don't really respond to people engagement and such. So that could be a big factor in determining your, your score.

Speaker A: So from what you're saying I gather a company can have an SSI number that's for the company page. And individuals can have their own SSI numbers as well, correct?

Speaker B: Yeah, but it's mostly I would say the individuals where it makes more relevance as opposed to company pages themselves because individuals are more dynamic and a lot of things that they can engage with like groups to join and other things. So that would be more of a factor. So should check out their number, see whether or not it matches with other leaders in their industry and if not look for ways to improve it.

Speaker A: Very interesting. My, my other question Here is, and I think you started talking about this with videos and live casts and so forth as let's say for example, an individual leader of a group, let's say it's a women's group or a veterans group. What are some of the things that you recommend that they do to really bring their culture of their organization to life on LinkedIn? There was another friend of mine who likes to say that it's better to show than to tell. So you could say we have a wonderful culture and we do all these wonderful things, but that's not as impactful as when people actually see. So what are some of the things that you recommend for that, well, give

Speaker B: value to whoever you want to connect with. Talk about a, uh, maybe a case study that you worked on that solved an issue for a client. Talk about a, maybe a travel event that you've given to that helped make a difference in the lives of others. These are all examples that people can showcase. Don't talk about the services that you offer. Talk about the problems that you solve for people. And that's something that people look more favorable upon. And the more that you give, the people will trust you as someone who is a thought leader. Ideally maybe even write a book. Also will create an opportunity that companies should have. Write their own book about things that help them make them who they are. And that could be something also is considered Thought Leadership 101.

Speaker A: Yeah. I want to underscore something that you said before, which is instead of talking about what you do, talk about the problems that you solve. And I think that applies also to the ERG groups. It's like your group exists and you had an event and you did these things. Those are activities, those are things that you do. But a more powerful way to present that is what problems did you solve or what benefits that you achieve for the people that participated in that as a result of doing that? Always thinking in terms of that other person who's looking at this and what the benefits are for them. So I wanted to put double underlines on that because I think that's really important when we do social media postings and communication. What's your best advice for ERG leaders who want to build this long term partnership with recruiting teams so that this becomes a sustained thing that they're doing, not just a one on done effort, but that they're working to support the company's ability to attract candidates to do it in a shorter period of time and to do it effectively.

Speaker B: Certainly being more active on LinkedIn. And that means when you are posting at least twice a week, I would say, at a minimum. And also reply to the posts that people are responding to. If you're showcasing a video and you've got a hundred people asking questions and no one's responding to them, they're going to look at you as someone is not really doing their job. And that really is a bad thing. And you also want to create content, you want to create articles, create educational videos that are helpful. And also there are groups that you're a part of as well that could also help in leveraging your effectiveness by posting to a group. And maybe something educational by any nature or something you problem solve that could make a difference in getting attention from others that may be considered looking for work and considering your company as a possible candidate because you're active in a group that is relevant to their industry. So that really could make a difference.

Speaker A: So, Al, where can our listeners learn more about this topic, about your Linked Vantage system, and other things that are related so that they can continue educating themselves on how to make better use of LinkedIn for themselves as well as their organizations?

Speaker B: Well, I got my book, in fact the uh, QR code, I guess over here as they can scan in, we'll give them access to the book as well as the website. The website is linkvantage.com so they can scan the QR code or just go to linkvantage.com follow me on LinkedIn. Of course, um, available on the website and um, reach out. I'm happy to connect with anyone who needs help in optimizing the profile and doing, doing a strategic outreach on the platform.

Speaker A: Fantastic. And besides LinkedIn, what's another good way to reach you?

Speaker B: I guess depending on what they're looking for, if they're looking to work with me or have me speak in front of the organization. Al Kushner Speaks.com is another website I have for speaking opportunities. And I work with a lot of corporations to speak in front of their groups on AI topics of interest.

Speaker A: Fantastic. Al, uh, thank you so much for being with us today on ERG Power Talk. I appreciate it.

Speaker B: Thank you, Joseph. I appreciate the opportunity.

Speaker A: Okay, so what can we take away from the second segment of our discussion with Al? 1. Publicly claim your ERG leadership role on UM, LinkedIn. If you chair or lead an ERG, put it in your profile. The same for executive sponsors, put that in your profile. This signals active leadership, credibility and commitment. And it reflects positively on the company by showing it develops leaders who contribute beyond their day jobs. 2. Use your influence to drive Traffic back to the company page when you post about an ERG event, accomplishment, or initiative. Deliberately point readers to your company's LinkedIn page for more about the company. This turns your personal reach into employer brand amplification and multiplies recruiting visibility without spending money. By the way, from time to time, Al mentions the value of having senior business executives posting. You can help drive this by encouraging your executive sponsors to post comments and videos as well as pointing to the company page. 3. Show culture through outcomes, not activities. Do not just post that your ERG held an event. Explain what problem it addressed, who would help, and what change as a result. Candidates care less about activity and more about whether the organization actually solves real issues. 4. Act like a brand ambassador, not a passive employee. Recruiting improves when ERG leaders actively share company stories, volunteer efforts, awards, speaking engagements, and industry relevance. Visibility creates awareness, and awareness lowers recruiting friction and costs. 5. Create content that educates and solves problems. Post articles, short videos, and case examples that explain how the organization approaches challenges. This builds trust with future candidates. People are drawn to companies that demonstrate thinking, competence and impact, not just open roles. And finally, six Track engagement as a recruiting signal, not vanity. Pay attention to LinkedIn engagement metrics like SSI scores, comments and responses. High engagement tells you that the algorithm is working for you, your content is resonating, and your recruiting message as reaching talent organically. All of this advice points to one simple truth. Recruiting does not start with job postings. It starts with visibility. Way before the job opening. People decide where they want to belong long before they apply. That dynamic is not new. It's always been how talent chooses where to invest its time and effort. To see this clearly, it helps to to go back to a story I ran across a while back, here is how it goes. In a small medieval town, a young carpenter named Elias stood in the square each morning watching two workshops across the street. One had a large sign nailed to the door that read the Finest Guild in the City. But the door stayed shut. No sound escaped. No work could be seen. Across the street stood another workshop with no sign at all. But the doors were wide, wide open. Elias could see the master craftsman shaping wood with care, apprentices learning beside him, mistakes corrected in real time, skills improving by the hour, and the finished pieces carried out the satisfied customers. Everything was visible. When Elias was deciding where to apply, his decision was obvious. He joined the second guild not because of its promised land, but because he could already see someone like himself growing there. He could see how people learned, how effort turned into mastery, and how belonging was earned through contribution. That guild did not recruit through declarations on its door. It recruited by letting people be seen doing meaningful work. That is exactly how ERG leaders today can create recruiting value. When ERG members have and leaders show up on LinkedIn by clearly sharing what they build and explaining the problems they solve, they're opening the virtual workshop doors for the world to see future candidates witness growth, leadership and credibility in motion. That kind of visibility does what job postings never can. It attracts the right talent long before a requisition is posted, lowers recruiting costs and turns everyday activity into a modern approach apprenticeship signal. So if you want your ERG to become that low cost, high impact recruiting engine that helps your company attract top talent, the move is clear. Start showing up visibly, credibly and consistently on LinkedIn today. Thank you for tuning in to ERG Power Talk. If you enjoyed and got value out of this program, please like us and and leave a favorable review at your podcast provider's site. Also invite others to listen to the show. By the way, contact me if you're looking for an ERG Symposium keynote or a leader for your strategy workshop, new Chair onboarding and or ERG Bootcamp. I can run these for you either in person or in a virtual setting. Also, for more great ideas and Tips for your Ergs, Get My Books Supercharge youe Ergs 18 Tips to Power up youp ERG BRG Strategy and the New DEI and ERG Frontier how you and your efforts can rise and thrive in the new world of constant disruption. Both available on Amazon.com I'm Joe Santana. Thanks again for tuning in.