Over the past few years we've heard many comments about LinkedIn being used as a tool for recruiters, the majority being negative. There is an apparent resistance to potential candidates being contacted via LinkedIn to establish if they could be interested in a potential opportunity. Or is there? We came across an interesting poll in LinkedIn asking this very question - "Does a recruiter approaching you on Linked In unsolicited bother you?" The poll seems to cover all walks of life from different business sectors at different levels. The fact that the overwhelming outcome is in favour of recruiters approaching potential candidates goes to show, how valuable tools like LinkedIn can potentially be. Granted - many of the comments are focused around the relevance of opportunities that are discussed or the manner in which an approach is made - if we're being honest, this could be said of pretty much any service industry. Recruitment has changed. You cannot simply advertise a role now whether on or offline and hope that the best candidates see said advert and apply. Our job is to find our clients the best candidates and by that, we have to search for the best candidates, regardless of where they are using all channels available. LinkedIn won't work in isolation, nor will online advertising, press, headhunting or social media.  It's an integrated approach that's not easy, but if it was, everyone would be doing it! Anna Darnell