Xing or LinkedIn

In this day and age, when the use of social networks is almost commonplace, their use in the professional sphere is also becoming more and more present. Career networks are not only practical for making new contacts, but they also help to strengthen one's own brand and the position of the company. That's why registering with a career network is recommended for everyone - the only question is, which one?

Xing and LinkedIn are the two largest job network providers, with Xing being a German company founded in Hamburg in 2003 and LinkedIn Switzerland belonging to the US company LinkedIn, which has been part of Microsoft since 2016. In this week's post, we'll go into the differences between Xing and LinkedIn to help you choose the right career network.

The first difference between the two providers is their reach. While Xing primarily targets German-speaking users in the DACH region, LinkedIn is used in most countries around the world and therefore has the advantage of being international. This difference can also be seen in the user numbers - while Xing has more users in the DACH region with about 15.3 million users than LinkedIn with 14 million, LinkedIn reaches more than 600 million users worldwide. If business contacts in Germany are particularly important to you, Xing is certainly a good choice, even if more people are registered with LinkedIn in Switzerland. However, if you are interested in the international arena, you are certainly better off with LinkedIn. So when choosing a platform, it also depends above all on which contacts you want to link up with. 

Another difference is in the available functions. With both, you can create a profile, view news and post something yourself, or even browse job ads. There is also the option to create groups on both career networks. However, typically the discussion in the groups is used more on Xing. We have summarized a few features below:

• At Xing, you can create a portfolio and present yourself in multimedia form with text, images, videos, and PDFs. This is not possible in this form on LinkedIn.
• On LinkedIn, there is the option of making recommendations for others, which the network then sees. This can be particularly advantageous in the Anglo-Saxon area, where references are important for job applications.
• When creating posts, you can make tags on LinkedIn that can help you increase awareness and reach.
• Xing offers a clear advantage in the area of networking. There is a "Near me" function in the app, which facilitates local networking at trade fairs and events in particular. In addition, there are many user groups depending on region, topic and industry, in which a lively exchange takes place.
• LinkedIn has a very interesting tool for expanding the network, namely the "Sales Navigator", a search function that allows buyers and sellers to search and find each other based on certain criteria (keywords). LinkedIn generally works like a search engine with the help of keywords, whereby users can use keywords in a targeted and optimized manner in their profile and in posts to draw attention to themselves and generate reach.
• In addition to a platform for networking, LinkedIn also offers the opportunity for further education. LinkedIn Learning offers various video courses in the areas of software, creative and business skills, led by industry experts.

In personnel recruiting, especially in posting job ads, there are differences between LinkedIn and Xing, as well as between different industries. For academics, the favorite is LinkedIn, because 46% of all advertised jobs aimed at professionals with a degree are published on LinkedIn, on Xing this is only 34.5%. In particular, jobs in the IT & telecommunications sector and in sales and management are mainly found on LinkedIn. In contrast, there are significantly more job ads on Xing from technical professions such as engineers, architects or insurers, controllers or craftsmen. It is also striking that there are almost no job ads for young professionals, students or interns on either Xing or LinkedIn.

Both portals can be used with a free account, but you are somewhat limited in your options. For example, with the basic account on LinkedIn, you don't see completely who has viewed your profile and is not immediately visible to potential employers. If you only want to keep in touch with colleagues, this is perfectly adequate, but if you want to maintain contacts as an employer, for example, you can consider creating a business subscription, a sales package or even a recruiter package. With Xing, it is also possible to post a job ad as a basic account. However, if you want to see who has visited your profile or you want to contact contacts outside your contact list, you have to get a premium account. Premium memberships on LinkedIn are generally more expensive than those on Xing.

Both career networks are certainly a good choice and both have their advantages. If you are looking for a job in a German-speaking country and want to network, Xing is certainly a good choice. But as soon as you are interested in international contacts, you should focus on LinkedIn. You don't even have to choose between the two portals - you can also create an account on both networks. However, if you have to decide which network you want to focus on, you should be guided by the personal benefits.

We at Batterman Consulting AG also actively use the career networks to search for potential candidates. Why not visit us at the Web and follow us as a company. This way you will not miss any news and always stay up to date.