How to Find Former Employees of a Company on LinkedIn

Companies generally highlight their current team on LinkedIn, but the real gold often lies with people who used to work there? A former employee can tell you:

• What it’s really like to be part of that company
• They can become valuable connections for your job search
• Sometimes they even turn into future clients or partners.

That’s why learning how to find former employees of a company on LinkedIn is a useful skill.

Why Search for Former Employees on LinkedIn?

Before finding techniques, let's understand why locating former employees is important:

For Recruiting and Talent Acquisition Specialists

• Talent Development: Former employees of specific companies are already trained and have desirable skill sets and industry knowledge
• Cultural Fit Assessment: Ex-employees from companies with similar values adapts more easily to your organization
• Competitive Intelligence: They help in Gaining insights into competitors' talent development and turnover patterns

For Sales and Business Development Professionals

• Warm Introduction Opportunities: Former employees provides ways into targeted companies
• Account Intelligence: Ex-employees offers valuable insights about decision-making processes at prospect companies
• Expanded Network Reach: Building relationships with former employees increases your network's value

For Job Seekers

• Inside Information: Former employees provides honest feedback about company’s culture and working conditions
• Referral Opportunities: Ex-employees are the best way to get a lateral entry into your dream company. They may be willing to refer you to their current company as well
• Career Path Insight: Seeing where former employees went next can also help you map your potential career trajectory.

Basic LinkedIn Search Techniques

Using the LinkedIn Search Bar

A more targeted approach involves LinkedIn's built-in filters:

1. Click on the search bar and select "People" from the dropdown menu

2. Click "All filters"

3. Scroll down to "Past company" and enter the company name

4. Apply additional filters like location, industry, or job title as needed

5. Click "Show results"

This method is more effective but still has limitations depending on your LinkedIn subscription level.

How to Reach Out to Former Employees

When contacting former employees, follow these practices:

1. Personalize Your Connection Request:

Hi [Name], I noticed you previously worked at [Company]. I'm researching the industry and would value your perspective. Would you be open to connecting?

2. Be Clear About Your Intent:

• State your purpose honestly
• Explain the mutual benefit of connecting
• Avoid generic messages that appear automated

3. Offer Value First:

• Share relevant industry insights
• Provide useful resources
• Make introductions that might benefit them

4. Respect Boundaries:

• Accept if someone declines to connect or share information
• Don't pressure for sensitive or confidential details
• Maintain professional courtesy at all times

LinkedIn Sales Navigator: The Premium Solution

LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a paid tool that offers enhanced search capabilities, making it significantly easier to find former employees.

Setting Up Advanced Searches in Sales Navigator

1. Log in to Sales Navigator (requires subscription)

2. Click on "Advanced Search" in the top navigation bar

3. Under "Past Company," enter the organization name

4. Apply additional filters such as:

• Industry
• Geography
• Years of experience
• Job function
• Seniority level

1. Save your search for future use and set up alerts for new matches

Benefits of Sales Navigator for Ex-Employee Research

• Improved Search Precision: More accurate filtering of former employees
• Saved Searches: Save complex searches and receive regular updates
• Extended Network Access: View more profiles outside your direct connections
• InMail Credits: Direct messaging capabilities to profiles outside your network
• Company Insights: Additional data about organizational changes that may indicate employee movements

Creating a Systematic Approach to Former Employee Research

Follow this structured process to get maximum results:

Step 1: Define Your Search Objectives

Before searching, ask yourself what you're looking for because figuring things out after you’ve reached to someone is waste of time

What to figure out?:

• Specific roles or departments
• Experience level ranges
• Time periods at the company
• Current geographical locations
• Industry transitions

Step 2: Create a Tracking System

If you are a Job seeker track your search or Use tools that automates this like OutXAI’s social listening tool:

• Create a spreadsheet with contact information and notes
• CRM entries if you are from sales
• Tagging system within LinkedIn

Step 3: Implement Regular Search Routines

• Use OutXAI to facilitate routine searches with their advanced filtering options you can save your time significanly
• Set up alerts through Sales Navigator for automatic notifications

Beyond LinkedIn: Complementary Research Methods

While LinkedIn is powerful, supplementing your research can yield more comprehensive results:

Corporate Alumni Groups

Many companies have formal or informal alumni networks:

• Search for "[Company Name] Alumni" on LinkedIn, Facebook, or other platforms
• Look for dedicated alumni websites for larger corporations
• Check professional associations related to the company's industry

Industry Event Participant Lists

• Review attendee lists from industry conferences
• Check speaker rosters from relevant webinars and events
• Examine professional association membership directories

According to a report by Deloitte, 76% of companies now view their alumni as significant extensions of their workforce, with many creating formal alumni programs that can be leveraged for research.

Real Life Example:

A mid-sized technology company wanted to expand its engineering team with experienced developers from a specific competitor. So they used LinkedIn Sales Navigator, from which they identified 37 former employees who had left their competitor within the past two years.

Their systematic approach helped in:

1. Categorizing competitor’s ex-employees by their specialization and seniority.
2. In creating personalized outreach messages which highlights similarities between their previous and potential new roles
3. Establishing a former employee referral program with incentives

All this Resulted in:

• 62% response rate as compared to initial outreach
• 14 interviews in total to be conducted
• 8 successful high potential new hires made within three months
• 40% reduction in recruitment costs compared to traditional channels

This case demonstrate the effectiveness of targeted LinkedIn searches for talent acquisition when executed thoughtfully.

Tools to Enhance Your LinkedIn Search Experience

Several third-party tools can complement LinkedIn's native search capabilities:

LinkedIn Helper Tools

• OutXAI: Specializes in automating outreach to identified prospects
• Dux-Soup: Automates certain LinkedIn actions like profile visits
• LinkedHelper: Facilitates connection management and outreach
• Phantombuster: Provides automation capabilities for various LinkedIn tasks

Data Organization Tools

• Airtable: Create customized databases of your research findings
• HubSpot: Track relationships and communication with former employees
• Zapier: Automate workflows between LinkedIn and other platforms

When using automation tools, ensure that you're complying with the LinkedIn's current terms of service to avoid any account restrictions.

Conclusion

Finding former employees on LinkedIn is an art, precisely picking up those high value employees combined with the approaches explained in this post you can build yourself valuable relationships and gain insights that would remain inaccessible otherwise.

Most successful professionals develops a systematic and consistent approaches to ex-employee research by utilising automation tools like OutXAI’s Social listening or N8N, rather than conducting one-off searches.

So if you are recruiting, or trying to do some sales, or simply looking to build your professional network, effectively finding the right person will give you a significant competitive advantage in today's network-driven business landscape.

Next Steps for Improving Your LinkedIn Networking

• Review your current LinkedIn profile to ensure it presents you professionally before conducting outreach
• Develop customized message templates for different types of former employee outreach
• Consider upgrading to LinkedIn Premium or Sales Navigator if you'll be conducting regular research
• Join relevant industry groups where former employees of your target companies might participate
• Create a schedule for systematic former employee research as part of your professional development routine

By implementing these strategies consistently, you'll transform LinkedIn from a simple professional network into a powerful intelligence and relationship-building platform that drives tangible business results.