Apply Connect keeps your softgarden job postings and your LinkedIn company page in sync, allowing candidates to apply for these positions without leaving LinkedIn. Applications flow into softgarden just like any other application.
Who can set it up | Users with administrator rights for integrations and API credentials |
Who can use it | Anyone who can post jobs and manage applications |
You also need | A LinkedIn Company Page. A LinkedIn Recruiter subscription is optional but unlocks profile and notification features. |
How LinkedIn Apply Connect Works
Think of Apply Connect as a two-way connection between softgarden and LinkedIn. Instead of manually copying a job posting and then retrieving applications from a separate inbox, you simply publish the job once in softgarden—and everything else happens in the background.
You publish a job in softgarden. The integration automatically picks up the job posting.
The job appears on your LinkedIn company page. Listings are created and updated automatically; any changes or closures made in softgarden are reflected during the next synchronization.
Candidates apply via LinkedIn. The application form is provided by LinkedIn and pre-filled using the candidate's profile data. Your screening questions are also displayed there, ensuring no information is lost.
The application arrives in softgarden. It appears in the pipeline for the corresponding job, complete with the candidate's LinkedIn profile data.
Status updates are fed back. Candidates can see on LinkedIn whether their application has been viewed or is no longer being considered.
Good to know:
Job postings distributed via this channel can be published either free of charge or on a pay-for-performance (P4P) basis.
What’s included in the integration
Apply Connect consists of several features. The first two are available to all customers with a LinkedIn Company Page; the last one requires a LinkedIn Recruiter subscription.
Feature | Description |
Apply on LinkedIn | Candidates apply directly from the LinkedIn job posting. Their profile data is pre-filled, and they can answer your screening questions in the same step. |
Application notifications | Candidates are notified on LinkedIn as soon as their application is opened or archived—meaning fewer "Any updates?" emails for your team. |
Applicant highlights and full profile Recruiter subscription required | A summary of the LinkedIn profile and its fit for the role is displayed directly on the candidate card in softgarden. This allows you to review applications without switching tabs. |
Before you activate the integration
Your company needs a LinkedIn Company Page.
The person performing the setup must be an administrator in softgarden.
A LinkedIn Recruiter account is not a mandatory requirement; you can use Apply Connect with just your LinkedIn Company ID.
If you use LinkedIn Recruiter, log in using an administrator account. The connection cannot be completed with a standard account.
By publishing jobs on LinkedIn, you agree to the LinkedIn Jobs Terms of Service. The link is displayed in the integration section described below.
Activate the integration in softgarden
Go to Settings → Additional features → Integrations.
Scroll to the "LinkedIn Apply Connect" entry.
Toggle the switch at the top right of the entry to "on." Apply Connect is now set up.
All job postings you have published on LinkedIn will automatically be switched to Apply Connect (at no extra cost). You can use the feature immediately for new job postings.
All job postings you have published on LinkedIn will automatically be switched to Apply Connect (at no extra cost). You can use the feature immediately for new job postings.
4. If you wish to use the additional Recruiter Apply Connect features and have a LinkedIn Recruiter account, click "Set up integration." A LinkedIn dialog will open; proceed with the next section.
Settings → Additional Features → Integrations: the "LinkedIn Apply Connect" section. The toggle on the right activates the integration; use "Set up integration" to open the LinkedIn dialog.
Please note:
"Apply with LinkedIn"—listed directly via Apply Connect—is a different feature. It allows candidates to import their LinkedIn resume into an application form on your own careers site. You can use both features simultaneously, but they are set up separately.
Complete the setup using your LinkedIn Recruiter account
Click "Sign in with LinkedIn" and log in if you haven't already done so.
If your account is linked to multiple Recruiter contracts, select the contract you actually use for recruiting. The available LinkedIn modules depend on the contract selected here, so choose carefully. You can change it later using the contract link at the top of the dialog.
Click "Choose integrations" to open the list of features for this contract.
Select features to activate
Select the checkbox next to Apply Connect. This activates the integration for all your company's contracts.
Expand "View features" to see what is included: the LinkedIn In-ATS widget, LinkedIn Apply, and applicant notifications.
Decide whether LinkedIn should send status updates to candidates as you move them through your softgarden pipeline. Leave "Applicant notifications" selected to enable this feature—but be sure to read the next section first.
Click "Save changes" at the bottom of the dialog.
After saving, "Activated for current contract" appears next to Apply Connect. This confirms that the connection is active on LinkedIn's end.
The choice of Recruiter plan is crucial.
The full range of features is tied to LinkedIn Recruiter Corporate. With Recruiter Lite, Applicant Highlights in softgarden and automatic application notifications are not available; upgrading to a Corporate plan would be required for these features.
Application notifications
When notifications are enabled, LinkedIn keeps candidates who applied via Apply Connect updated on the status of their applications. These messages reach them via LinkedIn notifications, email, or both, depending on their individual notification settings. Some candidates have also opted out of these messages entirely.
Two events trigger a message:
Application viewed
Sent as soon as someone from your team opens the candidate's profile in softgarden. The person only learns that their application for the position in question has been viewed.
Application rejected / Position archived
Sent when you reject the application in softgarden. The message informs the candidate on behalf of your company that you are not proceeding with the application. After the "Application viewed" notification, LinkedIn deliberately waits three business days before sending this message—ensuring candidates never receive both in immediate succession.
Before you activate this feature
The wording of these messages is determined by LinkedIn and cannot be edited. If your team already sends its own rejection emails via softgarden, candidates will receive two messages regarding the same decision. In this case, it is usually cleaner to leave the application notifications disabled.
Applicant Highlights and LinkedIn profiles in softgarden
If Apply Connect is linked to a LinkedIn Recruiter contract, softgarden can display the LinkedIn profile directly, without your recruiters needing to switch to another tab. These views are enabled by default and appear in two places: the candidate list and the individual candidate profile.
In the candidate list
A LinkedIn icon appears next to every application received via LinkedIn. Hover your mouse over this icon to view the LinkedIn Applicant Highlights.
In the candidate profile
When you open an application received via LinkedIn, you will find a "See applicant highlights" link. This opens a scrollable version of the LinkedIn profile within softgarden, offering more detail than the hover card in the list view. From there, clicking on "LinkedIn" opens the full profile in a separate browser tab.
If a profile cannot be loaded
Occasionally, a pop-up may indicate that the profile and highlights could not be loaded. There are several common reasons for this:
The candidate's privacy settings. LinkedIn members can restrict who sees their profile details. If this is the case, the LinkedIn account logged into softgarden may not have permission to view this data.
The browser is blocking third-party cookies. Third-party cookies are required to display LinkedIn content within softgarden. If these are blocked by the browser or an extension, the profile data cannot be loaded.
You are not logged into your LinkedIn account. Profile data is only displayed if you are logged into LinkedIn in the same browser.
If something doesn't look as expected
A job posting does not appear on LinkedIn. Check whether the job has actually been published in softgarden and has a location that LinkedIn can resolve. Then, wait for the next synchronization before investigating further.
The application option is missing from the LinkedIn ad. This is usually due to a missing or ambiguous location, or because the application limit for free ads has been reached for that specific job. Candidates are redirected to your career page instead, while the ad itself remains online.
Profile summaries are not displayed. These features require an active Recruiter Corporate subscription and a setup completed via a Recruiter administrator account. Check if "Activated for current contract" appears next to Apply Connect on the LinkedIn page.
Candidates report not hearing back. Check whether application notifications were enabled during setup, and keep in mind that individual candidates can disable these alerts in their own LinkedIn settings.