Recruitment and social media

Hi there,
We've all heard the stories of employers doing a search on prospective employees and checking Facebook for respectability in photo galleries and wall posts, but I came across something new in the last recruitment I did.
I received an emailed application that referred me to look up the person's LinkedIn page. This was the first time I'd come across this, even though it makes a lot of sense. However, it got me thinking about recruitment and how the use of LinkedIn fits with Council's often strict recruitment guidelines.
I see how LinkedIn is a great tool to use as a resume and to give insight to your career progression. It doesn't however automatically answer the essential criteria of a job advert, which is the most important part of the application (especially when applying for Council jobs).
It's so important to address the criteria thoroughly with clear examples of how you meet each of them.
Referencing LinkedIn in your answers to the criteria is a great example of how you are social media savvy or as an extra 'read on' section, but don't rely on it as your entire application.
The other danger in relying on referring to LinkedIn is that it does add an extra step to someone viewing your application. It's important to make your application clear and easy to read with subheadings for the criteria, for example, to break up the sections. Always remember that the person reading your application may have read 150 other applications before yours, so make it as easy as possible for them. Sending them off to look at a website is an extra step and should be used to complement your application, not replace it at this stage.
It is a great thing to add to your application however and I think including it is a step in the right direction.

I'm interested to see the future of recruitment with sites such as this. Do you think they will one day replace the traditional cover letter and resume combo?
How do you use LinkedIn or sites like it?

Heather.