[kradeelav]

I'm not a recruiter, but I am a (design) manager frequently on interview panels.

LinkedIn is useful for me behind looking at the design portfolio (most important), and the resume. I'll scan the connections to see if we have a mutual friend, college, previous job, etc as a topic to talk about in the interview, and it frequently brings up a great discussion that might not have happened otherwise. Definitely not required, though.