Microsoft Corp MSFT LinkedIn allows job seekers to post “open for work” banners on their profiles to let employers know they are looking for work. But activating it could be a mistake.
What to know: Former Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGLE recruiter and current CEO of FairComp Nolana Church believes that posting an “open for work” banner on your LinkedIn page is “the biggest red flag” as a job candidate, according to CNBC.
“There’s a truism in recruiting that the best people aren’t looking for jobs,” Nolan said.
He is not alone in his thinking. Former Amazon.com Inc AMZN recruiter Lindsay Mustain believes that recruitment is a matter of power dynamics. Recruiters want to want you, not the other way around, he said.
Enabling the “open to work” banner on LinkedIn shows you have a need for something, which can be a game-changer and gives potential employers all the power in conversations, Mustain explained.
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What does this mean for the more than 33 million LinkedIn users who currently use the “open for work” banner on their profiles? Well, LinkedIn tends to disagree with hiring experts, but the data isn’t clear.
LinkedIn cannot see how many job offers arrive following a candidate posting the banner on their profile, but the message data seems to tell a different story.
Those who post an “open for work” banner on the business-focused social media platform are twice as likely to receive a message from a recruiter and are about 20% more likely to receive a message from the broader LinkedIn community.
However, this may be due to an increase in visibility for smaller companies. Many small businesses don’t pay for recruiting tools on LinkedIn, so banners can help them identify potential candidates.
Ultimately, it will depend on the company and the hiring manager’s preferences. Some may find this helpful, while others may see it as a wake-up call.
Career coach Phoebe Gavin told CNBC that what really matters in a LinkedIn profile is having a list of titles, achievements, keywords and featured connections that can show how involved you are in your industry.
“If you have the ability to work but your profile is a wasteland, it won’t make any difference. Because even if a recruiter finds you, he won’t learn anything useful,” Gavin said.
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This story is part of a series of columns on the topic of success, Petrol inspiration.
Photo: Jérémy from HelpIn/Flickr.