How the Linkedin Algorithm Changed Executive Search Forever
And why you should play by the 2025 rules for your next career move
Welcome to issue #076 of LinkedIn Unlocked. Twice a week, I share practical, unfiltered advice for free to help senior executives land their next role—faster, and without wasting time on strategies that don't work.
I've spent 20 years in the medical devices industry, including 5 at the C-level.
Today, I lead the global life sciences practice at one of the top 10 executive search firms worldwide. I know exactly how headhunters use LinkedIn—because I do it every day.
People constantly ask me why I obsess over LinkedIn optimization for executives.
"Surely networking still matters most at our level?"
"Can't I just rely on my reputation and connections?"
Here's the uncomfortable truth: the game changed completely in 2003.
And most executives still don't understand what happened.
Before LinkedIn: The Dark Ages of Executive Search
Let me take you back to how executive search actually worked before LinkedIn existed.
The industry started in 1926 with Thorndike, Deland and Associates—the first retained search firm charging a $200 retainer to find expert buyers for department stores.
For decades, it was pure relationship business.
Headhunters lived and died by their Rolodex.
You knew someone, or you didn't get found.
The Database Revolution (That Failed)
In the 1980s, major firms like Korn Ferry and Russell Reynolds tried to get smart.
They built massive candidate databases.
Fed by resumes from job seekers and profiles from previous searches.
The problem?
These databases became graveyards of outdated information.
You applied as a Sales Manager 10 years ago?
Congratulations—you're still listed as a Sales Manager today.
Looking for VP roles now?
You're invisible.
The resources needed to keep these databases current were enormous.
Most firms simply couldn't do it.
2003: The LinkedIn Revolution
Then Reid Hoffman and his team launched LinkedIn with one clear vision:
Become the professional people search 2.0.
They solved the fundamental problem that had plagued executive search for 80 years.
How do you maintain an accurate, up-to-date database of professional talent?
Simple.
Make the candidates maintain it themselves.
🗺️ Want to give your job search a boost? Check out how to optimize your Linkedin profile here →
The Numbers Don't Lie
Today's reality is stark:
✅ 95% of recruiters use LinkedIn as their primary sourcing tool
✅ 67+ million companies actively use the platform
✅ 1.1 billion professionals keep their profiles updated
✅ Microsoft paid $26 billion for this database in 2016
When I open LinkedIn Recruiter each morning, I'm accessing the most comprehensive, current database of executive talent that has ever existed.
How We Actually Find You Now
Here's what happens when I get a new search assignment:
I don't call my network first.
I don't review old business cards.
I don't check our internal database.
I open LinkedIn Recruiter.
I type in specific search criteria:
Job titles
Geographic location
Industry keywords
Company size
Years of experience
The algorithm instantly returns a ranked list of candidates.
If you're not in those top 50 results, you don't exist.
The Death of "Who You Know"
This shift destroyed the old networking advantage.
Your golf buddy who's a headhunter?
Nice to have, but not essential.
That conference connection from five years ago?
Irrelevant if your profile doesn't match my search.
The executive who gets found today isn't the one with the best connections.
It's the one with the most optimized LinkedIn profile.
Why Most Executives Are Still Playing by 1990s Rules
I see brilliant C-level executives making this mistake every week.
They spend months networking.
Attending industry events.
Building relationships with search consultants.
Then they wonder why opportunities aren't flowing.
The problem isn't their qualifications.
The problem is their discoverability.
While they're playing the relationship game, their competition is winning the algorithm game.
🧠 If you want to speed up your job search book a strategy call with me here →
The New Reality: Optimization Beats Networking
Don't get me wrong—relationships still matter.
But they matter AFTER you get found.
Today's sequence looks like this:
Algorithm finds you in LinkedIn search
Recruiter reviews your optimized profile
Recruiter reaches out for initial conversation
Relationship building begins from there
Skip step one, and steps two through four never happen.
Your Next Move
If you're still relying primarily on networking to land your next executive role, you're fighting with yesterday's weapons.
The executives getting found fastest understand this new reality.
They've optimized their profiles to show up first in recruiter searches.
They've aligned their LinkedIn presence with how the algorithm actually works.
They've stopped hoping to be remembered and started ensuring they get found.
The LinkedIn revolution changed executive search forever.
The question is: are you going to adapt to the new rules, or keep playing by the old ones?
Your next opportunity depends on your answer.
Till next time,
Kristof
🧠 If you want to speed up your job search book a strategy call with me here →
I'm in complete agreement, particularly because so many of the senior execs I train are still leaning on their networks like it's 1998. What struck me most is the brutal honesty about "discoverability" - it's not your reputation that gets you found anymore, it's your profile. Fact!!