When a board committee member, high-value client, or venture capital investor inserts a candidate’s name into Google, what do you think appears? It isn’t a detailed executive profile; it’s often a standard LinkedIn profile. In exactly the same format as the next candidate’s. It doesn’t help anyone stand out. It simply shows a presence.
You might wonder if LinkedIn is simply irrelevant in today’s high-stakes recruitment world. The truth is that it’s still vitally important and necessary, which is proven by the site’s 1.15 billion users worldwide. Yet, it’s simply not enough on its own. Instead, extra steps are needed to show true professional credibility. The days of relying solely on LinkedIn are over.
A Lack of Professional Branding
In 2026, employers extensively research potential candidates before deciding whether to invite them to interview. Approximately 90% check social media, and from there, 80% are rejected based solely on those findings.
Universal LinkedIn adoption gives candidates no ability to work toward professional branding; instead, they fall into the same group with no way to stand out. The reason? LinkedIn’s algorithm controls overall visibility; it’s designed to work for the platform, not the individual user. If a recruitment professional searches for a potential client using their name and industry, they’re unlikely to see a LinkedIn profile first, and even if they do, what value does it give?
When searching for the ideal candidate for a board position, committees look toward thought leadership. This isn’t something that LinkedIn demonstrates.
In addition, high-value clients look for proven, demonstrated expertise, not simple claims on a LinkedIn profile. It’s about proven professional credibility with the evidence to back it up, which is why recruitment drives often involve many rounds of due diligence.
This begs the question: what LinkedIn alternatives are available to overcome this problem?
A Strategic Alternative
Regardless of their industry, successful professionals know that relying upon LinkedIn alone is a mistake. Instead, they use layer upon layer of additional branded content to prove their expertise and historical achievements. Research has shown that 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates during the hiring process. The same approach applies in today’s high pressure job market.
Imagine a job interview. At this point, it’s possible to back up claims with solid evidence. If a recruiter asks a candidate to prove their ability in thought leadership, they can give examples and answer specific questions. A LinkedIn profile alone doesn’t allow for this, which is a barrier toward reaching the job interview stage.
For this reason, professionals are turning toward Q&A interview pages that help them build their personal brand and show clear visibility within their chosen job market. Adding SEO-optimisation means that a simple search will show this content, leading to far greater outcomes than LinkedIn alone. It gives the opportunity to clearly back up claims, give examples that connect with real-world situations, and stand out amongst a crowded recruitment landscape.
Steering Visibility in the Right Direction
Rather than disappearing into the professional abyss, platforms like Discussli give you the opportunity to showcase your skills and expertise in a visible and credible way. It takes just 15 minutes to set up, answering a series of curated questions and uploading a headshot. From there, an SEO-optimised interview page is created, designed to rank well on Google. The Q&A format is also ideally suited for AI search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity, which favour structured question-and-answer content when indexing and generating responses.
The importance of visibility is clear when you consider that 81% of customers research a business online before deciding whether to interact with them in person. The same method of thinking can be applied to job searches in 2026, proving that LinkedIn alone is a route backward, rather than forward.
Discover more at discussli.com.
