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I'm curious why a potential employer wants to review my LinkedIn profile.

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Anonymous

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I'm curious why a potential employer wants to review my LinkedIn profile.

I have an upcoming interview next week for a controller position. The CEO and CFO requested my LinkedIn profile from the HR director, even though they already had my resume and cover letter.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

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  1. Anonymous

    Just to check your positioning and connections. If you have higher profile connections it positions you as serious and someone who has agency. It a way to judge your seriousness. That doesn't show up on your resume.

  2. Anonymous

    Can you explain that a bit further? What do you mean?

  3. Anonymous

    If you have no real connections listed and just list off a bunch of jobs vs. If you have solid industry connections and a presence in the industry. Which would you be excited to meet as a hiring manager? Think about it.

    Resumes only paint a small picture. You must use LinkedIn better. If you don't know the role of LinkedIn in your professional profile then you need to study up.

  4. Anonymous

    Lots of people are connected to dozens of people they don't even know on LinkedIn. So how is it useful to see whether someone has a lot of connections?

  5. Anonymous

    Editing a days-old post instead of responding is bizarre, and the implication that someone who brought up a good point does not know the role of LinkedIn is unkind, at best. Challenging the status quo is not the same as not understanding what people who follow the pack think they are getting from stalking their potential employees' LinkedIn profiles.

  6. Anonymous

    Then ask? Not everyone uses LinkedIn extensively

  7. Anonymous

    Did you change your resume significantly when you submitted it? The only reason(s) I can think of is that they are trying to either discriminate or see what you have done that is not included on your resume, especially if your resume appears to resemble the JD too closely. In a time when people are heavily encouraged to tailor their resumes to the job they are applying for, they may want to see how well-rounded they are. They also may have already searched and found multiple profiles (especially if you have a fairly common name) and needed to ensure they were looking at the right one.

  8. Anonymous

    My resume and LinkedIn pretty much match each other. As for tailoring my resume, I typically stay away from that.

  9. Anonymous

    I think maybe you are overthinking? In my experience it's been common practice on both sides (candidates and interviewers) to check out an individual's LinkedIn profile in advance of the interview.

  10. Anonymous

    It's a business site, makes sense they would want to see how you are representing yourself. I'm concerned that at this level of leadership you're concerned about LinkedIn.

  11. Anonymous

    I am not concerned. I was just curious, as it hasn't been an ask previously from potential employers. I am not hiding anything, and my social media presence is very brief, almost nonexistent.

  12. Anonymous

    Why would someone need to have a robust online presence to be an impressive candidate?

  13. Anonymous

    It's where we are at as a world, technoligically and competitively as a candidate. This conversation obviously went side ways as I review others responses. People and talk that talk, but does the prospective have something to measure that talk against. In a world of AI, anyone can tell you everything they want to hear. Then those who fake their past then come on and will say, company is toxic or their demands are too much, it often comes from NOT representing yourself correctly. IMO, I've seen it, I've had people 'confess' that they only thing they did, for example, in recruiting is hit 'send' in their system, to prompt and email for them to take the background check. THAT is NOT recruiting. Or there are candidates who have nothing to support their speak when it's a role that really is too expensive to keep hiring for, and there are people who just aren't prepared for the role, they don't come in coachable, etc.

  14. Anonymous

    Former recruiter here and still hire others. It’s part of an informal background check. To see how you present yourself publically, what you post, and if you fit their expectations. They are probably looking at your personal social media too (I do this too). If one has posted negative political commentary, or other things they deem offensive, they are simply checking out who you are. I find it odd as no one needs to ask for your profile link as they can usually find it. Don’t fret though. They may have had another person that either shared info online, slammed the company etc so they are checking you out. Check them out too! Hang in there!

  15. Anonymous

    Then just do a formal background check? Not everyone wants to put all of their information out into the world.

  16. Anonymous

    As a hiring manager I look at LinkedIn in addition to the resume because sometimes LinkedIn clarifies certain things better than the resume. It's a pretty normal practice, not sure why you're so concerned? As others have mentioned, some employers value how you interact on there if you're in a higher position.

  17. Anonymous

    Not everyone uses LinkedIn the way those who value LinkedIn would want them to. That's not a red flag. In fact, it's a green flag.

  18. CJB62

    LinkedIn is a professional business site so not unusual to want to see your profile, especially for the position you are applying for. Usually want to see your background in further detail, recommendations (references) and if you are connected to people they know.

    Asking for Facebook, Instagram profiles would give me pause though for a Controller (non-public facing) position would give me pause though l

  19. Anonymous

    But not everyone wants to use LinkedIn extensively. That's not a red flag.

  20. Anonymous

    True. It's actually good practice to put your LI link on your resume with your contact info.

  21. Jacqueline Cutler

    Just make sure that your LikedIn profile is current. I find that people check it constantly, and it is a quick and easy way to get a handle on someone—even though they have your cover letter and resume.

  22. Anonymous

    Yes, but it's not effective.

  23. Maggie Soldano

    Your LinkedIn profile is your résumé in action. It’s where they can see everything from your thought leadership (posts and activity) and network to the types of recommendations you’re giving and receiving. It’s a great way for employers to dimensionalize your experience and knowledge and understand how you present yourself in professional settings. It’s a good thing they’re interested!

  24. Anonymous

    Not everyone feels the need to have a robust online presence. In some cases, this can actually make them a better candidate, whether the employer realizes it or not.

  25. Anonymous

    They want to compare your resume and cover letter to your LinkedIn profile to see how you present yourself online and look for inconsistencies.

    They're also curious about outside activities, recommendations, articles and posts, and anything else that might give them a fuller sense of who you are, professionally and personally, and what (and who!) you can bring with you to the company.

    It's not just about what you know, but also who you know. You might have connections who would be suitable for other positions there, or who can otherwise provide useful resources to their business. If you are a member of any professional LinkedIn groups, that could give them a sense of how you position yourself in the professional community.

  26. Anonymous

    Who you are in the professional community is not necessarily connected to your online profiles. In fact, the way most people portray themselves online is pretty different than who they are in real life.

  27. Anonymous

    To see who they know that you are connected to. They might if they are a larger company also want to backchannel reference you. Check their LI profiles to see the common points of connection. If there are any prepare the folks who you have in common for that or be prepared if they do reach out without your knowledge. This is a new thing lots of employers do to eliminate you before they get too far in if they find dirt or a bad reference. Yes, this is a thing.

  28. Anonymous

    It's a red flag. Would not want to work for an employer who did this.

  29. Anonymous

    OP above and yes I completely agree with you 100% but it does definitely exist. I know first hand. I worked running a recruitment talent team at a large very well known ride sharing company that you can possibly figure out who they were and they had a product manager who worked specifically on an algorithm to do this before the recruiters even spoke to any prospective candidates. Needless to say I quit within the first quarter once I found out they were going to implement this crap. Another well known clothing reseller of expensive stuff that I also worked at used a 3rd party to scrape and find all of your social media to see if you ever flamed anyone or posted stuff they found offensive. I quit there too. So best I can say is that big brother is watching and he is also proactively looking for dirt on you even before you say hello...it's not what I want to work with anymore and any company that uses these kinds of tactics IMHO should go down in flames!

  30. Anonymous

    Wow, that's awful! There are still some good companies out there that do not do this, thank goodness. I hope the ones doing this do go down in flames

  31. Anonymous

    Employers also check your presence on LinkedIn to see how you communicate and what you share. Not sure a CEO & CFO would be doing that but many companies do. More than likely they want to see who you know that they know to get opinions on you.

  32. Anonymous

    I think so that they can see your age - in the event you've placed ALL your experience and not just the last 20 years.

  33. Anonymous

    It's SOP these days to review a candidate's profile. Why do you think Linkedin even exists?.....

  34. Anonymous

    You already have a profile of a candidate composed of their resume, cover letter, and interviews. Lack of an extensive public profile doesn't tell you anything about a candidate, other than that they are conscious about data privacy.

  35. Anonymous

    It's 2024 and your social and professional media are definitely tools used by employers to gain insight into you (both good and bad). Your resume is a list of dats points. It speaks to you as a candidate. Your online presence is more personal. It provides color.

    If you've been out of the job market and/or without a public career (no p.r.) you may not have this awareness of LinkedIn's importance or how common it is and widely used.

    But this is why.

  36. Anonymous

    Not everyone wants to provide that 'color' publicly. Effective interviewing gives employers all the information they need. If they feel they aren't getting it, they should work on their interviewing skills.

  37. Anonymous

    I have realized that alot of companies are now making it " optional " to input your LinkedIn up on applying for a role . I always assume that they will search my name regardless to pull up social media .

  38. Anonymous

    If you don’t, you should. It is frequently looked at during the hiring process to gain additional insight on a candidate. If you’re treating it like other social media, I would reconsider.

  39. Anonymous

    Most job applicants put a personalized URL to their LI profile on their resume, it is easier to get to, especially if the name is not unique, SOP.

  40. Anonymous

    Hate to tell you, I've heard about companies checking out fb too.

  41. Sue Gordon- retired Career Coach

    They want to see a more public persona rather than the tailored application. LinkedIn allows us to give more detail on our profesional lives. The employer can get a sense of professional interests.

    LinkedIn is commonly used to screen people, it is the professional networkng space.

    What would be inappropriate is asking to see your personal Facebook or Instagram (or other social media) feeds.

  42. Anonymous

    I strongly disagree. Not everyone wants to put their whole life online, and hiring managers should respect that.

  43. Q

    What you choose not to share may be something that would help you tremendously. Your privacy is your right, but if 200 people apply for a role and a hiring manager reviews all of them, and is able to see that five are an amazing fit due to details they shared, it’s unreasonable to be upset that you weren’t selected to interview. There are bad apples, but most are out there doing their best to make the right match. You wouldn’t online date a profile with minimal information. Wouldn’t you consider it a risk?

  44. Anonymous

    I would not online date. The interviews are to find out who is an amazing fit. Without LinkedIn, a hiring manager has access to (at minimum) a resume, cover letter, references, background check, and information from all the interviews. If that's not enough to make an educated decision about a candidate, you may need to reassess your hiring process

  45. Sue Gordon- retired Career Coach

    As many have said, this isn’t your entire life. Just the professional parts.

    Hiring managers have a right to inquire about your professional history.

  46. Anonymous

    Spruce up your LinkedIn and let them see it. I always keep my Linked in positive, upbeat and professional.

  47. Anonymous

    I personally don’t like LinkedIn, I only had negative experiences with it. The employment agency I worked for was scammed. Someone posed as me and requested to change their direct deposit! When I didn’t get paid I contacted my employer. I am sure they obtained my info from LinkedIn. I deleted my account immediately. Would if you didn’t have LinkedIn? I work with people that don’t have it.

  48. Anonymous

    There have been similar attempts at my company. People texting us pretending to be our CEO. Funny thing is we are so small that we all have the CEOs phone number and know it's a scammer.

  49. Anonymous

    I agree with other responses, LI shows more of who you are than the resume you've recycled and sent to other companies. For example:

    Your recommendations from other people
    Any posts you may have made
    The breadth of your network
    How many "votes" you have for your skills (e.g., I work in retail, and 70 connections have endorsed me for this category)

    LI is a blessing and a curse, but it is used by recruiters and interviewers to gain further insight into you as a person and potential employee.

  50. Anonymous

    Not everyone wants to put their whole life online. If someone has no recommendations, for example, it doesn't necessarily say anything bad about them or their work, and it shouldn't be counted against them.

  51. surfnwrite

    You know those "votes" are irrelevant, right? The way it's set up all you need do is check a box. People give them out like candy to their friends and coworkers. They are literally meaningless.

  52. Bosslady121653

    That is curious, particularly since most employers "ghost" candidates as they progress through their interviews. I am wondering what rights potential interviewing candidates have from employers pushing new limits?

  53. Marla Fields

    To see more about you.

    Recommendations, skills, non profit experience, and social media items like postings or comments. They can also see if they know anyone u are connected with and can get a reference you might not have given or prepped.

  54. Anonymous

    You can find something negative about almost any applicant, or you can find something positive about almost any candidate. Perfect people do not exist. Why would you go looking for the negative?

  55. Q

    I have never NOT reviewed someone's LinkedIn profile prior to conducting an interview. Sometimes (rarely) people don't have one, but in the type of work I do, that is an oddity.

    LinkedIn allows you to provide a much more robust representation of your skills and experience than a resume can. You have the opportunity for people read positive reviews about you. It's also a possible red flag if a potential employer has reviewed our resume and finds that your LinkedIn is quite different. There should be alignment. This includes jobs listed and not listed as well as what you accomplished in them.

  56. Anonymous

    Lack of alignment is not necessarily a red flag. Not everyone wants to put their entire life online, and there are many legitimate reasons for not doing so.

  57. Anonymous

    Linkedin is a professional networking site, not a requirement for job applications. You should not be treated any differently if you don’t have one. There are many reasons why people don’t have a linkedin. A resume and cover letter should be sufficient. Some of the most fortunate employers were able to hire just fine before linkedin.

    I find many don’t use the platform as intended. However with that being said, there seems to be a lot of pressure to have one which means those applying pressure may be using the platform to overcompensate in areas they are lacking regarding their hiring abilities, but this could be considered crossing a boundary for many who are not comfortable sharing their profile in this way.

    With all this being said, being that it’s the CEO and CFO asking, it may have something to do with the role you’re applying for. I would ask for clarity because how else will you know why they want to see it?

  58. Anonymous

    To give an example how it is a benefit.

    As a hiring manager I definitely check for linkedin or some other presence online. 90% of the time I find great applicants with great linkedin profiles, a small few I have found major inconsistencies, which helped me weed out applicants.

    One example on the resume they provided in the interview (so most current), showed they were still employed, but when you look at the linkedin profile you can tell they haven't been employed for 6 months by that job! She even spoke like she was employed so I went back and checked because I remember her being in between roles.

    The role I was hiring for needs significant attention to detail, and even if an oversight it showed even on the information most personal to her it wasn't correct. I don't require people to be currently employed to be hired. Did she make an error or was trying to make it look like she had a job? Either situation is a red flag to me.

    Again tiny percentage negative, and almost all supplement and help the applicants case in my opinion.

  59. Anonymous

    As an applicant, it would be a red flag to me for an employer to put this much stock in a LinkedIn profile.

    Lots of recruiters and hiring managers won't give a resume the time of day if someone has been out of work for more than a few months. If she can do the job, she should be considered.

    Hope you're never in a situation where you lose your job in a tough market and have to contend with hiring managers who focus on all the wrong things.

  60. Anonymous

    I said I don't care if they have a job or not in hiring. Hired plenty of out of work people and always give an interview if they have the right skillset. Fit in the role is certainly more important than if currently working, agree it's a tough market right now.

  61. Anonymous

    But this isn't just about you. An applicant wouldn't know that you have that stance going into an interview

  62. Anonymous

    You mean they should show they have a job even though they don't to weed out employers that do care about current status unlike this hiring manager who says they don't care?

  63. Anonymous

    This is exactly why I'll never have a linkedin profile. I could see it being useful if I was in HR and needed it to recruit others, but in my opinion having a linkedin does more harm than good.

  64. Evelyn Livant

    While I appreciate your viewpoint, I would suggest that it depends on knowing how to use LinkedIn correctly. I have maintained a LinkedIn profile for many years and have built up approximately 500+ connections. I joined groups in my field and have published posts in my field of expertise. I lost my job without warning in March, 2024 and faced an extremely challenging job market. I posted more than ever and thanks to those postings, someone I went to college with who is now a CIO knew my capabilites and hired me into his company in June, 2024. Without LinkedIn, I wouldn't have gotten the job.

    It's also pretty standard practice for many companies to look you up on LinkedIn to verify you are who you say you are.

  65. Anonymous

    Not everyone wants to use LinkedIn "effectively". There are a lot of downsides to having your whole life online.

  66. Anonymous

    Except LinkedIn shouldn't be your whole life, just your professional "life".

    But as a hiring supervisor I also routinely look up candidates on their other platforms.
    Ie... do you often get sloppy drunk and post about it? (Potential for poor attendance/performance)
    Do you constantly slander others? Complain? These are red flags for conflict
    I can guarantee most of the world behaves this way now that we have been provided the tools

  67. Anonymous

    People should still be allowed to have a private life. Getting drunk now and then is not necessarily an indicator of poor performance or attendance. That's a pretty big leap

  68. Evelyn Livant

    LinkedIn is not my whole life. LinkedIn is my professional life. I'm seeing a lot of posts here about not wanting to publish online. I'm wondering what the specific concerns are?

  69. Anonymous

    Someone posted some concerns in a reply. To summarize, some of them included data privacy, NDAs preventing the disclosure of job information, and LinkedIn selling people's info

  70. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    What kind of harm, specifically, does having a LinkedIn profile do?

  71. Anonymous

    Someone has written out reasons some don't have a LinkedIn or are not very active in another comment.

  72. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    That is not an answer to my question.

    The person I replied to (not sure if that's you or you're someone else replying to my comment) said that having a LinkedIn profile does some sort of harm.

    I didn't ask about NOT having a LI profile.

  73. Gee Emm

    It's been answered several times: it affords people the opportunity to discriminate against you. Do you not think that gender, age, nationality, ethnic, refugee status, sexual orientation or identification and other forms of discrimination are harmful?

  74. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    I think any and all forms of discrimination are harmful.

    Looking for a job is only half the battle. Being found by recruiters is the other half. If the jobseeker is only applying for positions, they're doing all the work.

    There are recruiters and sourcers working all day, every day to fill open positions. LinkedIn is an excellent forum for jobseekers to put themselves in a position to be found by those looking for candidates.

  75. Anonymous

    You miss out on so many opportunities if you don't have one.

  76. Anonymous

    LinkedIn is an opportunity for employers to see what you look like. A picture is worth a thousand words. Tells them how old you are and gives them more opportunity to discriminate against you. I have a LinkedIn profile. I use it for networking, advice, and professional development. I have never gotten a job with it.

  77. Anonymous

    No one is looking at a linkedin profile and making any assumptions about anyone's demeanor nor using it to replace an actual conversation.

  78. Anonymous

    Curious? Why? What do you think should happen in today's job market? Do you not research the company or leadership prior to interviewing or considering an offer?

  79. Anonymous

    Employers should conduct effective interviews to find the best candidate.

  80. Chre M. Davis, M.S.Ed.

    Unlike personal social media like Facebook or (formerly) Twitter, etc, Linkedin is for professional connections. I do not see an issue at all with this request! I do not however think that Linkedin should be used in the place of your resume and cover letter, just an enhancement.

  81. Anonymous

    Not everyone puts their whole life online.

  82. Chre M. Davis, M.S.Ed.

    My whole life is not online and def not on Linkedin! Only the professional info, that is what it is for! If you are not comfortable with it, I would just not have it at all! Good luck :-)

  83. Anonymous

    There's no reason to expect that everyone wants to put their whole job history online, though

  84. Anonymous

    If you do already have a LinkedIn profile, why wouldn't you want them to see it?

    That's the whole point, so people can see you, network with you, and eventually hire you, or you can otherwise find different opportunities.

    Now if you don't have a profile, that's another matter.

    LinkedIn can be so much more than just your resume. I'm a member of several professional associations and LinkedIn is THE place to post about webinars, conferences, networking events, etc. both to sign up and also to post photos from the events themselves and tag people. It really is a great way to create community within a professional circle.

  85. Anonymous

    Posting about events and achievements is great! And learning about industry news is awesome, too. But expecting someone to put their whole job history online is not always a reasonable ask.

  86. Colleen McAuliffe Stroobant

    It is very common that a hiring manager would review a Linked In profile as well as you looking at the CEO and CFO’s profile in preparation for your interview

    Please make sure your resume and LinkedIn Profile match. That is th first misstep candidates make. I would also suggest you have a picture posted on your LinkedIn profile.

    Good luck!

  87. Anonymous

    There are lots of legitimate reasons not to share your entire professional history online

  88. Anonymous

    That's if the CEO and CFO have a LI profile, many do not.

  89. Anonymous

    Because not everyone wants to use LinkedIn extensively. There are lots of issues tied up in having your information plastered all over the internet.

  90. Anonymous

    I think the OP who keeps responding to every post with "not everyone wants to put their whole life online" clearly has something to hide. No one is putting their "whole life" on their linkedin profiles. The fact that the OP thinks that this is what linkedin is for makes me question what she is hiding.

  91. Anonymous

    I'm the person who made some of those responses, and I am not the OP.

    I don't have anything to hide; I simply don't feel the need to put my entire job history on my LinkedIn profile. I don't feel that should be necessary to land a job.

  92. Anonymous

    Then don't. Who asked you to? I personally would never post my entire career history. What purpose would that serve? I don't think you understand the purpose of linkedin.

  93. Anonymous

    Most people in this thread keep saying that your resume and LinkedIn need to match, so that is literally what you are asking for. And yes, I understand the purpose of LinkedIn, and it's not for interview processes. People were able to land jobs long before LinkedIn existed.

  94. Anonymous

    Hi, I am the OP and I haven't responded to this post in the last few days. I am not hiding anything and was just curious if companies are starting to look at LinkedIn as another biases means of discrimination or determine expertise and skill set. I am also a hiring manager and have been one for several years. I don't care if my staff or candidate have LI. You sound like a bully when this post was meant to ask the community for feedback. Chill out dude or stop responding.

  95. Gee Emm

    Thank you.

  96. Anonymous

    Going to professional events and conferences, emailing them, reading industry news. There are so many more genuine ways to connect than through LinkedIn.

  97. Anonymous

    There are lots of legitimate reasons not to put the entire contents of your resume into a public forum.

  98. Anonymous

    It's not for you entire resume. It's used to network and connect your profile to an industry. If you are not a career minded professional then you can probably forget it.

  99. Anonymous

    Everyone is saying that resume and LinkedIn need to match, so yes, that would mean the entire contents of your resume would be on LinkedIn. You don't have to put your whole career online to be career-minded.

  100. Anonymous

    1. If you worked somewhere where you were under NDA and are not allowed to post it publicly (Security Agencies would be a good example of this, but they're not the only ones)

    2. You have a fairly uncommon name. By putting your whole job history online, you are making it easier for someone to steal your identity

    3. Someone made threats toward you or abused you in a past job or relationship and you don't want to give them excessive information about your life

    4. LinkedIn sells your info

    5. Someone just doesn't want to put all their information out there

    Conduct your hiring practices however you want, but if you are excluding candidates because they aren't super active on LinkedIn or haven't shared their entire job history online, you are missing out on great candidates. Some of the most talented professionals I know either don't have a LinkedIn or are not very active on LinkedIn.

  101. Anonymous

    LinkedIn not matching resume is not necessarily a red flag

  102. Evelyn Livant

    It was every time I was job searching. I made a typo on my resume and was asked about the discrepency.

  103. Anonymous

    That doesn't sound like a good employer to work for

  104. Anonymous

    The OP is trying to hide their background.

    Not having a LinkedIn or LinkedIn profile that doesn't match your resume is nonnegotiable in 2024.

    Any candidate who doesn't provide a LinkedIn profile is a no-go for me.

  105. Anonymous

    Then you're missing out on great talent

  106. surfnwrite

    You sound like a lovely boss.

  107. Anonymous

    If it's to make sure LI matches the resume, that seems to be a bit of a waste of time. It's not like LI is vetted in anyway and the applicant can easily make them match.

    I have LI, have had it for years and years, keep it updated, and I don't post there. If I have posted in the past I've gone in and deleted any posts other than a simple congrats for a contact, etc. because some employer can take offense at pretty much anything you post.

    It's a Catch-22. If you don't have online presence it's proof you're just an out of touch dinosaur. If you do have an online presence you can be nitpicked and knocked out of the running bc they don't like what you've posted from many years ago, or something is taken out of context or overblown or whatever. Then you have "make your resume match the position", then "don't bother making the resume match the position", "we use AI to screen candidates", to "we don't use AI to screen candidates", have a summary of skills - don't have a summary of skills, list your major accomplishments first - oh don't do that - only go in chronological order, don't put your college graduation date or list prior experience too far back or you'll be considered too old/over 35 yo, blah blah blah. It's impossible to do all of the contradictory things at once and then also only be 35-38 yo with not too little and not too much experience. It's like Goldilocks trying to find the soft bed and warm porridge that's juuuuuuuust right.

    When the shift happens back into the employee favor, and it will since it's cyclic between an employer- and employee-driven market, I imagine there is going to be quite a bit of backlash for the silly games employers have been playing. The ghost job postings, attempting to have applicants put in hours of work for ideas to be stolen so they don't have to hire someone for the position, many many useless rounds of interviews just to be ghosted, hire and fire and hire and fire turnover, mass layoffs in a last-minute video or just simply shutting off access overnight, hiring as a remote position just to yank the chain back into the office or see how many will quit so they don't have to do layoffs...it won't be forgotten. These games mess with people's lives. It's not a joke.

  108. Gee Emm

    You are a LEGEND!!!

  109. Anonymous

    That's an inconsiderate comment. You don't even know whether the person who responded above is the OP or what situation they're in.

  110. surfnwrite

    But no one would know this if you set your profile to private. If you have a public profile or "friend" your boss, you get what you deserve, imo.

  111. Anonymous

    It could be because they want to see what you look like. In my case, I do have a picture but it's not required and many don't. If someone asked for my LinkedIn they'd see it's a carbon copy of my resume. I am not active on social media professionally, I don't write articles, or comment on posts. When my work day is done, it's done and I spend it with those I love, not online chatting with strangers.

  112. Anonymous

    People don't need to have a LI profile to apply for a job, I've never seen it listed as a requirement to apply for a job. If you absolutely need to see this then that sounds like discrimination to me.

  113. Anonymous

    I know plenty of people who work in tech who have little to no presence on LinkedIn. They know about data security better than anyone. You're missing out.

  114. Gee Emm

    Thank you.

  115. Anonymous

    Judging based on one signal that doesn't say what you think it does. Résumés, interviews, and the hiring process give enough data to make educated decisions about candidates

  116. Anonymous

    Thank you all for your feedback. I have gotten some sense on what the market is doing and how candidates are assessed. Please note, this should be a safe space and not a means for bullying. If you're going to post negatively, please skip.

  117. Wanda

    Agreed!!!!!

  118. Anonymous

    Nothing. You don't have to be hiding anything to not want to put your entire work history online for everyone to see. Seeing someone's work history is the literal purpose of a resume.

  119. Anonymous

    Posting nonsense on LinkedIn is not an advantage. If anything, it shows that you are more concerned with talking about the work than doing it.

  120. Anonymous

    Yes, I'd for sure pass on an out-of-touch employer like you

  121. Anonymous

    But then it won't match the resume, which many people in this thread claim is necessary

  122. Anonymous

    I'm employed at a job I love, so clearly not.

  123. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    You think that being currently employed is the same thing as being a jobseeker in this extremely, exceptionally tough job market?!

  124. Anonymous

    That makes me very happy

  125. Anonymous

    You can be connected and educated without posting nonsense on LinkedIn all the time

  126. Anonymous

    They want to see your activity, comments and posts. People don't realise that making defamatory comments can be detrimental for organisations especially if they are about an organisation or individuals linked to it. I have seen individuals slate organisations. My friend is in recruitment and explained to me why sometimes organisations look at LinkedIn or Twitter aka X, It also gives and indication of how the person thinks etc. Always be careful what you post or like or comment on, even if you are doing it for fun.

  127. Anonymous

    This comment is more insightful than many of the comments on here that are trying to pressure people into having a LI when having a LI is not required to apply for a job. However, if you do have one and choose to make it public— as their are features that allow you to make your profile private— then I agree, be careful how you post about things, especially about a company you’re interested in. And even if you make your profile private (aka limiting your visibility) the original poster (OP) of the content you’re commenting on can still see your name I believe, and if OP allows anyone on LI to see the comments, I believe they can see your name too.

  128. Anonymous

    Also, I have access that you don't even know I've looked at your LI profile. You don't get notifications for everyone who searches you out. fyi.

  129. Anonymous

    Welcome to the world of 21st century employee verification. Many companies are doing their due diligence, to research, sleuth (whatever you want to call it) a candidate's background, including their social profiles before extending an offer. That's why the well-worn message to be careful of what you post online, is best heeded than ignored. Your case is a bit unusual, though, especially given that they're asking for your profile as opposed to just going out and doing the research without your knowledge -which they can easily do. Not sure what to make of it but okay.

  130. Anonymous

    LinkedIn (LI) has privacy features, meaning “they” cannot just research your profile without your permission unless you make your profile openly public. The privacy features on LI allow an individual to control how they are searched on platforms like Google and who can contact them and see their entire profile and so forth. This is done to avoid an invasion of privacy as not everyone wants the entire world to see their profile openly unless that person has allowed you into their network, and rightly so as not everyone has good intentions, and simply because they don’t know you and you don’t know them. The point of LI is to productively network, not let just anyone into your network.

  131. Gee Emm

    To avoid being targeted for discrimination. One's gender, age, a mental health break you don't want to share online but wouldn't mind sharing in an interview. Not being White. Not being male. Not being American, Canadian, Australian and Northern European. Not going to an Ivy League School. Being adopted. Many, many, many, many, many others.

  132. Anonymous

    Many people have had a profile and have not found success through the platform. One person I read about on Reddit spent over 1K to achieve his goals and achieved nothing. It’s a maze for many and seems to incentivize a few. It can be very frustrating to the point where many have left the platform. LI should be a place to productively network with others but for many it seems like a constant upselling of LI premium services. I myself have had many frustrations with LI to where I felt I was being spun in circles.

  133. Anonymous

    Many of the hiring managers on here are the ones that sound like the bullies.

  134. Anonymous

    Zimbabwe sounds like it has very intelligent people. Too bad the USA is missing out. Not to mention you sound very racist. FGB needs a flag feature.

  135. Anonymous

    I never had good luck with it. I don’t want to be scammed again. I am currently employed. I don’t look to change jobs every year or two. I hate LinkedIn. The recruiter that contacted me for my current position found my resume on my states website! Not everyone has success or good experience with LinkedIn. To each his own. I refuse to reinstate my profile.

  136. Ayesha

    Good Luck!

  137. Anonymous

    That doesn’t mean I can’t post my experience with LinkedIn.

  138. Eric Andreoli

    To see if you are honest or you are fluffing your resume.

  139. Sue Gordon- retired Career Coach

    I actually know people who weren’t looking for a job and were not only recruited from their profile, but ultimately hired. No need to spend money at all. Just write a professional profile. Look at well written profiles. Loads of free advice out there.

  140. Anonymous

    I'm sure there are people who have been recruited that way, however, I think the point is myself and others have heard of way more people with well-written profiles who were unsucessful with obtaining a job than with those who were successful. I don't know the exact ratio, but it currently seems more possible than probable.

  141. Anonymous

    "For the 99% looking for a job, use LI" is misleading. LI is at its nature a professional networking site with privacy features, meaning not everyone is comfortable making their entire profile openly public unless you are within their network. There are plenty of other avenues to find a job. One poster found her job with a state's website. OP obviously got an interview without LI otherwise the HR director would not be requesting to see her profile. And the many others who have found jobs without LI. By all means, use LI to network if you have found it useful, but it is not mandatory to find a job. I find it odd that a recruiter would say a misleading statement like that without there being some kind of incentive to do so.

  142. Anonymous

    That's just one example I came across, there are plenty others but I pointed that one out for the amount of money that was spent, he should have least had some progress for that amount of money- and I'm sure others have spent that amount or more that I'm unaware of. If anyone does a Google search, they'll see just how many people have said they paid for Premium and experienced nothing but frustration with the subscription. Honestly, I met just one person that found their job via LI and it wasn't without trials and tribulations. So it's possible, but difficult without inside knowledge on how to use the platform in a way to get noticed; some people add connections not to actually network but to increase their visibility to get hired, I guess recruiters like seeing someone with 500+ connections?? It doesn't seem like you're finding the best talent that way. Furthermore, there are many who have functional resumes (FGB coach recommended I write one during virutal office hours), however LI does not support functional resume. Moreover, everyone I run into at a job fair vents their frustrations of having no success with LI, how they've applied to so many jobs and haven't heard back from any of them. So to your point, that number is underestimated.

  143. Anonymous

    I'm sure many companies hire through LI but it's not wise to discriminate against people who do not have a LI profile. There are many reasons why people don't have one, and no not because they are dinosaurs. If they have a resume and/or cover letter, and applied through your website or some other platform, and you find them interesting enough to have an interview, by all means don't miss out on an opportunity to hire a great employee just because they don't have LI. I can't understand why a company would not explore many hiring avenues to find the best candidate. LI is one way but there are many others.

  144. Anonymous

    I am not living in fear, I've had a LI profile for over twelve years throughout my professional journey. I have seen it evolve from a potential great way to productively network to being pressured into using it to find a job. It's more so that it hasn't lived up to what it seems to be at its nature, a professional networking site, not a requirement for job applications. But I understand that many on here are trying to explain a sort of trend in the market, but it's only that, a trend in the market (and again I have no way to assess what the success rate is as LI makes no gaurantees. I can only go by my own experience and other testimonies). To pass judgement on people's character because they don't have a LI is a whole other story and introduces bias.

  145. Anonymous

    Do you speak for every company in the world?

  146. Anonymous

    Good morning FGB Community,

    UPDATE: I just finished the interview for this role that left me with major red flags. The request to view my LinkedIn profile beforehand should have been my first clue. I interviewed with their Director of HR, CFO, and ED. Initially, I was excited and eager to dive in.I answered their questions confidently, providing strong examples and explaining that I’m seeking to grow my skills globally, especially since I currently work under a fiscal sponsor and don’t handle certain senior finance responsibilities. I also highlighted my management style and how I drive results.However, the ED did not seem to care, the CFO appeared disengaged and uninterested, while the HR Director was the only one who showed kindness. When I asked the CFO about potential challenges in the first 3-6 months, the HR Director stepped in and talked about the company culture instead. It felt odd at the time, but after wrapping up the call, I realized she might have been subtly telling me to read between the lines — and to run.Given how I was treated, I don’t think I’ll be moving forward with them, regardless of their decision. This job market is tough, even for experienced professionals.

  147. Anonymous

    Well, the more privacy you want and the less you're willing to share, the less and less will be your chances of getting to talk to anyone at the company and giving anyone a fuller sense of who you are, and the dramatically lower your chances are of being hired anywhere. Your choice. Own it. Being petulant about your privacy, or anything else, decreases your chances of being hired even more.

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