

Finding Candidates to Spotlight
WMN Volunteer Guide: How to Search for and Reach Out to Candidates on LinkedIn (Without a Paid Account)
This guide is designed to help WMN volunteers learn how to find potential candidates on LinkedIn and contact them using free tools and techniques.
Step 1: Understand the Role You’re Helping With
Before you begin searching, gather the following info:
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Job title(s)
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Type of company or industry
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Location or region
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Experience level
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Any must-have skills or certifications
Step 2: Use the LinkedIn Search Bar
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Open this link to go to the LinkedIn search portal
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Click on "All Filter" to open the filter window
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Use filters like:
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Location: City, state, or region
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Keyword: Job Title
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Current company (optional)
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Industry: Manufacturing, food production, etc.
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Step 3: Improve Your Search with Boolean Operators (Optional)
Use special terms to make your search more targeted:
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AND: Finds results that include multiple terms (e.g., "supply chain manager" AND "lean manufacturing")
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OR: Finds one or the other (e.g., "plant manager" OR "operations director")
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NOT: Excludes terms (e.g., "process engineer" NOT "intern")
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Quotes: For exact phrases (e.g., "continuous improvement specialist")
Example: ("production supervisor" OR "manufacturing manager") AND "aerospace" AND California
Step 4: Try to Contact Candidates Without Premium
Here are the best ways to reach out without paying for LinkedIn Premium. Use this outreach template for more examples of messages you could send.
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Best Options Using LinkedIn (Free Tools)
1. Send a Connection Request with a Note
You can add a short note (300 characters max):
"Hi [First Name], I’m a volunteer with the Women’s Manufacturing Network. We help promote career opportunities for women in manufacturing. Would love to connect!"
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Once they accept, you can follow up with a longer message.
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2. Tag Them in a LinkedIn Post
Tagging someone in a post is a public way to get their attention if you can’t message them directly. You can do this from your own LinkedIn account or from the WMN page if you have admin access.
To tag someone:
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Start a post on LinkedIn.
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Type the "@" symbol followed by their name (e.g., @Jane Smith). (this can be done from within the post message, or at the bottom of the message)
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Select their profile from the list that appears.
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Complete your post and publish.
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Example post: "We're looking for inspiring women in engineering to share their stories with our audience. If you're open to a conversation about sharing your story, let us know! #WMN #WomenInManufacturing"
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@Jane Doe, @Jane Smith, @Lisa Davis, @Sarah Gomez
Note: Don’t overuse tagging. Keep it genuine and aligned with the mission of WMN.
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3. Ask a Mutual Connection for an Intro
If you have shared connections:
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Click on "Mutual Connections"
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Reach out to a mutual and ask if they’d be open to making a quick intro
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4. Check Their Contact Info
Look at the "Contact Info" section on their profile. Sometimes they list:
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Email address
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Personal website
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Phone number
If you find an email, send a short and respectful message from your WMN email account.
Other Options (Outside LinkedIn)
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5. Search Them on Google
Search their name + company or name + city to find their email or bio on:
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Company websites
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Professional associations
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Conference speaker pages
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6. Use Free Email Lookup Tools
These tools can help you find a work or personal email:
These usually offer free lookups each month.
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7. Contact the Company Directly
If you know their employer:
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Visit the company’s website
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Look for a general contact form or email
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Politely ask for their recruiting or HR contact
Reaching Out to Companies to Nominate Their Employees
Sometimes the best way to find strong candidates is to ask companies to nominate their own employees. This can be done directly on LinkedIn, using a few simple steps:​
How to Reach Out to Companies on LinkedIn:
There are several ways to engage with companies directly through LinkedIn. These include messaging individuals at the company, messaging the company page itself, or tagging the company in a public post.
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1. Search for the Company on LinkedIn
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Go to the LinkedIn search bar and type in the company name.
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Click on the company’s official page.
2. Identify the Right Contact
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Click the "People" tab on the company’s page to view employees.
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Look for someone in HR, Talent Acquisition, Operations, or Communications.
3. Send a Connection Request with a Note
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"Hi [First Name], I’m a volunteer with the Women’s Manufacturing Network. We’re spotlighting amazing women in manufacturing and would love to invite your company to nominate someone you think deserves recognition. Can we connect?"
4. Follow Up After They Accept
"Thank you for connecting! We’re inviting companies to highlight outstanding women in manufacturing. If there’s someone on your team you'd like to recognize, I’d love to share how to nominate them. Let me know!
This approach is great for building relationships with companies and expanding WMN’s visibility across the industry."
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5. Message the Company Page Directly
Some LinkedIn company pages allow you to send a direct message. If this option is available, you can use it to send a concise, professional inquiry.
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Example: "Hello, I’m a volunteer with the Women’s Manufacturing Network. We’re inviting companies to recognize outstanding women in manufacturing. Would your team be open to nominating someone for a spotlight?"
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6. Tag the Company in a Post
Just like tagging individuals, you can tag companies in a public post to get their attention.
To tag a company:
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Start a new post.
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Type "@" followed by the company name (e.g., @ABC Manufacturing).
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Select the correct company from the dropdown.
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Publish the post with a clear message about WMN and the nomination opportunity.
Example: "We’d love to recognize outstanding women from @ABC Manufacturing. If your team has someone you'd like to nominate, we’d love to hear from you. #WMN #WomenInManufacturing"
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This is a helpful strategy if you can’t reach an individual or want to raise awareness publicly.
How to Reach Out to Companies Directly:
If you prefer to contact the company outside of LinkedIn:
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Visit the company’s official website.
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Navigate to the 'Contact Us' or 'About' page.
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Use the general inquiry form or email to send a brief message.
Sample message: "Hello, I’m a volunteer with the Women’s Manufacturing Network. We’re spotlighting outstanding women in manufacturing and would love to invite your company to nominate a team member you believe deserves recognition. Please let me know if there’s someone we can connect with."
This method is especially helpful when the company doesn’t list individual contacts on LinkedIn or if you want to go through official channels.
Final Tips
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Personalize your outreach whenever possible.
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Don’t send mass requests; focus on quality connections.
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Keep track of everyone you contact.
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Be polite and respectful. Not everyone will respond—and that’s okay.
This guide gives you all the tools you need to begin sourcing and connecting with manufacturing professionals on LinkedIn. If you need help or have questions, reach out to your WMN coordinator for support.