LinkedIn Passes One Million Irish Members

Dublin, Ireland – LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network with more than 259 million members worldwide, today announced its one millionth member in Ireland. The company, which employs over 400 people at its international headquarters in Dublin, also announced today that its Irish members are some of the most engaged in the world for LinkedIn.

“One million Irish members is an important milestone for us, illustrating that Irish professionals really understand the potential of LinkedIn to network, showcase their experience and seek out job opportunities. True to form, Irish people are as social on LinkedIn as they are in the real world. Our data also shows that our Irish members are one of the most engaged audiences in the world for LinkedIn. They’re adding new information to their profiles, sharing knowledge, building their network and getting access to a world of potential connections, business partners, investors, employers and employees,” said Sharon McCooey, Head of International Operations, LinkedIn.

One such example is Brendan O’Driscoll, CEO of Soundwave, who secured the backing of one of the original founders of Apple for his company. Brendan O’Driscoll, CEO of Soundwave, added, “LinkedIn has proved invaluable for my business. Using LinkedIn I was able to connect with Steve Wozniak, who then went on to offer us invaluable expertise and help us develop our product. It is an excellent networking tool, connecting Ireland with every corner of the world. Anyone serious about doing business on the world stage needs to be on it.”

LinkedIn’s Irish membership data released to celebrate the announcement paints an interesting picture of the professional make-up of the country:

• The biggest sector in terms of employment is the hi-tech industry;
• The biggest employer of Irish LinkedIn members is the HSE;
• More Irish LinkedIn members were educated in University College Dublin than any other university in Ireland.

1 Million Irish Members – The Fast Facts

The following section outlines the top three most popular entries across a range of categories based on LinkedIn’s Irish membership.

Companies

1. HSE
2. AIB
3. Bank of Ireland

Universities

1. University College Dublin
2. Dublin Institute of Technology
3. Trinity College Dublin

Industries

1. Hi-tech
2. Financial Services
3. Construction

Groups

1. Irish Executives
2. Ireland Business and Professional Network
3. Engineers Ireland Official Group

The Diaspora factor

Additional LinkedIn data from a soon-to-be-published report reveals that over 100,000 of its Irish members now live and work abroad, 50% of whom are still based in Europe. Overall, Irish emigrants are 47% more likely to work in CXO (corporate officer) positions than Ireland based employees. Interestingly, there are more Irish emigrants working as corporate officers in Corporate, High-Tech and Finance industries than those based in Ireland.

The most popular functions of Irish emigrants based on their geographic location is as follows:

• United Kingdom (Finance)
• United States (Hi-Tech)
• Australia (Construction)
• France (Hi-Tech)
• Canada (Hi-Tech)
• Spain (Hi-Tech)
• Germany (Hi-Tech)
• Netherlands (Hi-Tech)
• Italy (Manufacturing)
• Singapore (Finance)

LinkedIn Ireland – serving local companies

More and more, Irish employers such as Hertz and Paddy Power are utilizing LinkedIn’s Talent Solutions to identify and recruit top talent in Ireland. Using LinkedIn, companies can identify and secure the best candidates more quickly and more cost effectively than if they had relied on traditional recruitment tools.

Companies, including Ulster Bank, Eircom, and UCD are also leveraging LinkedIn Ireland to deliver targeted advertising campaigns to clients and prospects through the company’s Marketing Solutions. LinkedIn’s partner in Ireland AD2ONE work closely with LinkedIn Marketing Solutions enabling Irish companies to advertise and run social media marketing campaigns on LinkedIn, supported by informed local expertise.

LinkedIn maintains a “freemium” business model enabling members to easily establish their online professional identity, connect with their network of trusted contacts, gain access to business insights, make recommendations, follow and find information on companies, participate in discussions and industry groups, exchange references, and track and share news - all absolutely free of charge.

Founded in 2003, LinkedIn connects the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. With more than 259 million members worldwide, including executives from every Fortune 500 company, LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network on the Internet. The company has a diversified business model with revenue coming from Talent Solutions, Marketing Solutions and Premium Subscriptions products. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, LinkedIn has offices across the globe.