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Key Learnings from Hiring Talent in 30+ Countries: How to Use LinkedIn to Hire Foreign Engineers

In recent years, hiring engineers in Japan has become increasingly difficult, especially in fields like software, AI, and robotics. As a result, more companies are looking to hire foreign engineers. Among the platforms available, LinkedIn—with its large pool of international engineering talent—is often considered a viable option. Here, I’ll share some of the insights and tips I’ve gained from hiring talent from over 30 countries, including both engineers and business professionals, using LinkedIn.


Why LinkedIn?


LinkedIn is a business-oriented social network with over 1 billion users worldwide. In regions like North America, India, and Southeast Asia, one of its biggest strengths is the ability to reach out to talent directly. Here are some of its key advantages:

  • You can view candidates’ work history and connections, and search by job title or skill set. (However, the filtering options are less granular compared to platforms like Bizreach.)

  • You can directly message candidates using LinkedIn’s InMail feature (note: this requires a paid subscription).

  • You can source candidates globally, reaching talent from all over the world.


Tips and Practical Know-How for Successful Hiring


1. Optimize Your Company and Personal LinkedIn Pages

Before starting LinkedIn-based hiring, make sure your company page is also available in English and effectively communicates the appeal of your projects. You want candidates to think, 'I want to work here.' Later in this article, I’ll explain why who sends the message also matters—so make sure your personal profile is also well-curated.


2. Clearly Describe Job Postings in English

Include details in English such as job responsibilities, required skills, work location (and remote work options), and whether visa support is provided.


3. Personalize Messages to Candidates—Who Sends It Matters

While personalized messages that reference the candidate’s background are ideal, even templates can get a 20%–33% response rate (based on around 500 outreach attempts to hardware/software engineers). Still, content matters. High-quality candidates often receive many messages and may ignore generic ones. That’s why the sender’s role is also critical—messages sent directly from a CEO, COO, or Head of HR tend to get better response rates.


4. Consider Using an EOR (Employer of Record)

Reevaluate whether the hire really needs to be based in Japan. Today, there are various EOR services available—many of them affordable. Especially for mid-to-senior software engineer roles, you can consider hiring someone abroad and starting with an EOR-based contract. Using an EOR helps you comply with local labor laws, which can often be less risky than trying to follow Japanese labor regulations for international hires. (Be sure to research legal differences by country.)


Challenges of Using LinkedIn for Hiring


1. It's difficult to gauge candidate intent

LinkedIn doesn’t offer filters for job-seeking motivation or login activity. As a result, even when you receive replies, about half may simply respond with “Not interested.” Given this reality, it’s generally better to approach hiring on LinkedIn with a volume-based strategy.


2. Candidate profiles vary in quality, and filters lack granularity

Since users input their own job histories, the level of detail varies significantly. Some profiles lack clear role descriptions or achievements, which makes it harder to assess fit—especially for niche positions. In those cases, you’ll need to infer a candidate’s area of expertise from their organization or degree. Also, LinkedIn doesn’t allow advanced filtering (e.g., by age), so you'll often have to estimate based on details like graduation year.


Final Thoughts

Global hiring is never easy, but leveraging LinkedIn opens up access to talented engineers beyond borders. By clearly communicating your company’s appeal and approaching candidates thoughtfully, you can significantly improve your hiring success.


That said, it does require effort. If you're interested in using LinkedIn for foreign talent acquisition, setting up in-house LinkedIn hiring operations, or exploring which EOR provider is best for your needs—please feel free to reach out.



 
 
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