Each day we're deluged with multiple resumes, phone screens, and interviews of hundreds of candidates. But it's our search for the right candidate that is the primary driver of our work. Of course a key to your success is developing relationships ("friends") within the core areas for which you recruit.

While I know most of you have an ATS, or even a CMS (contact management system) to manage candidates, leads, etc., I have found that there are other ways to connect with our quality candidates that may be even more advantageous.

The most effective way I have found is using LinkedIn and primarily, the LinkedIn toolbar. This toolbar will allow you to use Outlook to immediately connect with candidates as you exchange emails with them.

The LinkedIn toolbar allows you to build your network by selecting those people you email often, as well as seeing suggestions of who to invite based on email frequency. Once installed, you can invite others with one click to build your network faster and update your Outlook contacts with LinkedIn profile information.

You'll also receive notifications when your contacts change their LinkedIn profiles and see LinkedIn mini-profiles for everyone that emails you. The other aspect I like is that you have LinkedIn one-click access from Outlook through a dashboard to stay up-to-date with your network.

If you have an Outlook account you can access the toolbar app here.

Now as with any technology, you must apply discipline to see the results the application promises. I have trained myself to make it part of my routine to immediately click on the mini-profile link in my toolbar the moment I exchange emails with a quality candidate. It feels pretty fluid once you do it a couple of times.

So try the app, but more importantly, apply the discipline of ensuring that you are connected to new quality candidates every day.