I unlinked with my company’s VP of Recruiting about a year ago on LinkedIn when I checked Open for Work on my profile.

41 Comments

1. AnonymousJanuary 17,2023 at 5:08PM UTC

   If you will need her referral or reference I would re-link.

2. AnonymousJanuary 17,2023 at 5:38PM UTC

   It's complicated but I understand your reason to un-link. In the past, I wouldn't connect with any current coworkers or employers on Linkedin for that reason, because you just never know. I prefer to delay those types of connections until AFTER I leave an org.

   I'd say continue to trust your instincts. I know Linkedin has privacy settings where you can adjust when updates are made to your profile and it doesn't notify your network. Because even though you're not connected to the VP of recruiting, I assume you might share mutual connections, so those folks could still track what you're up to.

   Yeah, you can't hide the "open for work" label on your profile from your current employer but there are other little hacks you can do where you should be able to conduct your job search in stealth mode. I'd say revisit your privacy settings in Linkedin (there are quite a few help articles out there that can show how to reduce your notification footprint on Linkedin w/ current employer).

3. AnonymousJanuary 19,2023 at 6:03PM UTC

   Adding on here…there is a setting option in job preference where you choose open to work. You can instead choose to not have the banner but use the option for recruiters only. With this setting, although not guaranteed, your profile should come up when recruiters are looking but your company recruiters should be blocked.

4. AnonymousJanuary 19,2023 at 6:34PM UTC

   said the same thing!

5. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJanuary 18,2023 at 1:41AM UTC

   Personally, I would not reconnect with her while I was in a job search. I would ignore the request and just leave it there. If you reject, that could have consequences.

6. AnonymousJanuary 18,2023 at 1:22PM UTC

   I agree with Joan -- just ignore the request. I don't know if she will see whether or not you rejected her (do people know?).

   If you think she will explore your LinkedIn and see that you are looking and there will be negative consequences -- you could block her. Again, I'm not enough of a LinkedIn pro to know if the person blocked sees that you've blocked her (I've had to block someone who was stalking me -- and believe me, I don't care if he knows).

   "Open to work" label: I wouldn't use it. If you are actively looking, then you are making the moves to find a new job, not waving a flag to your current colleagues that you are inviting attention from other companies. This may differ among industries, but in mine, finance, if you're employed and/or fairly senior, job counsellors advise against the "Open to work" label.

7. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJanuary 18,2023 at 9:53PM UTC

   Yes - she would know if you declined - that's why I suggested she just leave it there and ignore it.

   Recruiters LOVE the Open to Work banner - we can filter for it - those folks typically go to the top of the list as they are most likely to respond to messages.

8. AnonymousJanuary 18,2023 at 11:00PM UTC

   Thank you Joan.

9. AnonymousJanuary 18,2023 at 5:42PM UTC

   I think you should speak directly to her. If you truly are looking to make a change she may be able to refer you to others in her network that could help you make that shift. Especially if you are in good standing. A good manager (even your own) will support career development even if it means losing a good employee. Good luck to you in your search, why hide it!

10. AnonymousJanuary 19,2023 at 1:55PM UTC

    Ignore.

11. AnonymousJanuary 19,2023 at 2:03PM UTC

    Ignore the invite and actually block her. You owe nothing to companies, they will just find a way to fire you and then you are going to mad that you accepted the request. This is your career and there will always be companies that get the point. Do not make it something, do not bring it up. if she brings it up, then lie about your settings not seeing anything. corporate America is full of scam artists known as "toxic managers" lol. always protect your energy and always separate your career life with your personal. Linkedin is becoming the standard in job hunting since after covid. separate those 2 things always. I have had those kind of managers disconnect and spy on your page every couple of months like a groupie. be careful and knowing all the evidence from the beginning of time, never trust people at work lol.

12. AnonymousJanuary 19,2023 at 2:04PM UTC

    I also want add that I have been in corporate America for like 15 years and its never great to let managers access to your life without some sort of consequence happening after. they are boat loads of stories where managers spy on their staff.

13. AnonymousJanuary 19,2023 at 2:04PM UTC

    Ignore it and don’t trust HR.

14. AnonymousJanuary 19,2023 at 2:08PM UTC

    If you don’t block her she can still see your profile. If you blocked her she wouldn’t be able to request to connect with you at all.

15. AnonymousJanuary 19,2023 at 2:11PM UTC

    Your current job already knows, if you’re connected to anyone with whom you work or any vendors or customers of your company. The moment someone’s status changes everyone hears about it. I’m in the c-suite (not in HR) and anything that may impact the business is reported internally immediately.

16. AnonymousJanuary 19,2023 at 2:20PM UTC

    worse case scenario?

    best case scnenario?

    IMO the best case scenario is that your efforts are recognized and steps are taiken to retain.

    In reality the csuit folkds don't always have time to read and check in on everyone's linkd activity... thus its likely they see oh you works here too - let me expand my network.

    Now she knows you work in xx dept. Likely they know your leadership and interact with them more. so if your manager and leadership teams then likely that information has been passed along through different channels.

    If you dont accept it does look like you have something to hide - why not?

    Is it that you fear losing your job for looking for another or devaluing yourself when it comes time for promotion discussions? Think about your goals - where do you want to go and what do you want to see happen? What are you prepared for to occur (worst ok good better best case scenarios)? Then react from there

17. BeaBoss401228January 19,2023 at 2:36PM UTC

    Link with her because you never want to burn a bridge. You may be looking to get into another field, but you may also know somebody who may be a great fit for the company or at. A recruiters network is everything. Even if you leave, you never know where that Recruiter will end up and may help you find a job at a different company in the future years from now.

18. Kim PfeifferJanuary 19,2023 at 2:47PM UTC

    Just don’t respond at all. Pretend you didn’t see it

19. Pat RoqueJanuary 19,2023 at 3:06PM UTC

    Ignore it

20. Karen LytleJanuary 19,2023 at 3:14PM UTC

    I agree with ignoring it, as uncomfortable as that is.

    I had the recruiter at my current company send me an invitation on LinkedIn and she was literally the worst HR person I have ever worked with in my career - genuinely excruciating; I wasn't going to have my LinkedIn profile reflect her as a connection and I also didn't want her going through my contacts as a resource for candidates (noting here that I do believe that there are settings on LinkedIn to prevent that).

21. Nova SmithJanuary 19,2023 at 3:26PM UTC

    If you weren't happy at that company, just thank her and communicate that you are moving onto a different chapter in your life. Wish her the best of luck on her future endeavors.

22. AnneMarie SaidaneJanuary 19,2023 at 4:12PM UTC

    As most have mentioned, just simply ignore the invite and move on. Just an FYI, if your profile is open for work on LI then from behind the scenes she can already see your profile. LI recruiter allows recruiter seats to see all LI users that are "Open for work" so as you said you are "open" to work. All the recruitment team at your job that has a LI Recruiter Seat, can see you're actively looking and for what. I would bet she already knows at this point.

23. AnonymousJanuary 19,2023 at 6:31PM UTC

    linkedin now has a feature where when you put to work, you are asked if you want the company you are currently in to see you. you are welcome!

24. AnonymousJanuary 19,2023 at 4:38PM UTC

    Pretty sure even with a LI Recruiter seat LI makes it so people at your current company cannot see that you are open to work. I have a recruiter seat and this is how it was explained to me.

25. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJanuary 19,2023 at 8:39PM UTC

    Everyone can see the green Open to Work banner - which as a recruiter, I LOVE.

    Only recruiters with a LI Recruiter seat can see the "open to work" indicator within your profile. Not all recruiters have a LI Recruiter seat.

26. KathrynJanuary 19,2023 at 4:43PM UTC

    Just ignore it. I did the same when I started looking then they laid all of the middle part f her company off and I was ahead of the game, I'm still looking and she keeps asking of course not now

27. AnonymousJanuary 19,2023 at 4:45PM UTC

    I'm a former VP of HR who has a cautionary tale that could shed light on this situation.

    I consider myself a self aware, "people 1st", senior manager who leads with empathy.

    But before anyone judges me for what I wrote above, let me be transparent: I was fired because my boss (not CEO) believed it was "TOO empathetic." They actually told me that when. they let me go. They said I was "too soft."

    I was also the last senior female leader and more than half the company has left since they showed me the door.

    As much as I want to root for your VP of HR and make the assumption they sent the request for no reason other than "Hey, I know work with this person. I want to be in their network", I'm not going to.

    Be cautious.

    There's a strong chance that the VP won't even remember they sent you a LI request but then again they could be one of those leaders who judges books by their cover and monitors their employees' LI profiles in the effort to forecast who could jump ship.

    I worked with people like the latter before.

    They are dangerous, have little EQ and they make snap judgements based on their emotions.

    They suck and usually so does their company's culture and business trajectory because that negative BS instills fear and steady attrition.

    I'm not saying all this to scare anyone. It's a reality as much as I hate to admit it.

    So don't accept their invite.

    I too blocked my former boss from viewing my LI profile.

28. AnonymousJanuary 20,2023 at 12:10AM UTC

    This! These companies are ruthless and so are these Guinea pig managers. They fire people for no reason and don’t think twice about it. So don’t add her, rather block her.

29. AnonymousJanuary 20,2023 at 5:29AM UTC

    All of this!!! Thank you for speaking up.

30. Angela P.January 19,2023 at 4:46PM UTC

    This scenario is one of the reasons I am always active on LinkedIn and always have the ‘Open for Work’ flag enabled. If anyone asks I just explain that while I’m very happy in my current position I am always keeping the doors open to learning about new opportunities in the field. That way there is no indication that I am looking to leave vs ordinary behavior.

31. tina columberJanuary 19,2023 at 5:44PM UTC

    Not accept link!

32. AnonymousJanuary 20,2023 at 3:12AM UTC

    Ignore. Zero need to connect. Remove the green banner and make it viewable by recruiters only. LinkedIn is public, so she can see what you're 'liking' and commenting on anyway. Ignore the invite.

33. AnonymousJanuary 20,2023 at 5:27AM UTC

    I was given this exact advice in a similar situation a couple of years ago and it absolutely backfired on me and caused many problems. While some people can hold relationships and acquaintances separate, not everyone can. And many people still hold their loyalties to companies much higher than to colleagues.

    Unless you have more than an acquaintances with this person already, I would not accept the request. I can’t imagine a VP of Recruitment would not have full recruiter access on LinkedIn.

34. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJanuary 20,2023 at 7:00AM UTC

    The "open to work" indicator within your profile (not the green banner) is only seen by recruiters who have a LI Recruiter license. Not all recruiters have one.

    Please stop perpetuating this BS about the green banner to vulnerable job seekers.

    Would you have a house up for sale and wait for someone to come knock on your door and ask if you're selling your house?

    Recruiters LOVE the Open to Work banner - we can filter for it - those folks typically go to the top of the list as they are most likely to respond to messages. Hiring managers do not think looking for a job and saying you're looking for a job is "tacky".

35. JenniferJanuary 21,2023 at 3:35AM UTC

    That's a very negative opinion of people offering some helpful views based on their own experiences. I would expect a higher level of professionalism and maturity from a Sr. Talent Acquisition Specialist then using the word BS to object to an opinion you don't agree with. When you deal with obtaining talent you need to be more flexible and open to other people's feelings and opinions especially when they differ from your own. Try being less critical and more constructive when debating the differences. You'll get a lot farther. The whole purpose of this website is to create a community where we feel safe to express ourselves and gain a little support from those who have had similar experiences WITHOUT the judgement and insults.

36. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJanuary 21,2023 at 6:41AM UTC

    First of all, the OP didn't say her comment was based on her own experiences. She said it was based on "I've also heard". Well, I've also heard that the earth is flat but that doesn't make it true.

    I will never back down nor apologize for standing up for jobseekers and trying to make sure that they have access to the best, most accurate, most truthful information I can provide.

    Jobseekers get conflicting information thrown at them constantly - like job searching isn't stressful enough. BS like "that "open to work" flag on your profile picture is tacky" is perpetuated by dimfluencers and then repeated by people who don't know any better.

    Well I know better and I will do my best to dispell myths around job searching any and every opportunity I get.

    THAT'S what this site is for - to help people - especially vulnerable jobseekers - by providing them with accurate information.

37. JenniferJanuary 21,2023 at 3:23AM UTC

    Experience has taught me that if someone from my past who has sabotaged me at work comes across as "friendly" there's a reason for it. That reason usually is the purpose of gaining intel to use against me. Especially if they no longer have any influence on people around me who have an impact on my job. They're looking for a way to sweep my feet out from under me again and undermine my attempts to succeed. Don't give them the opportunity to get close enough to you again to stick that knife in your back...again. Ignore them and fade away. Out of sight is out of mind and a much safer option to obtaining the goal you want.

38. Lisa MarieJanuary 21,2023 at 9:00PM UTC

    1) Since she is a "recruiter" she may most likely see your status even if you set your status to "recruiters only."

    2) you don't *have to* connect with anyone whom you don't wish to. It doesn't matter who it is.

    3) you can "block" anyone on social media, and they won't be able to send requests, or see anything you post or comment on.

    It's *your account* why allow what others want to affect you?

39. AnonymousJanuary 21,2023 at 11:48PM UTC

    Girl, my old boss requested to be my Facebook friend in 2016. Since then I've moved on to 2 different companies and that request is still pending. You don't have to accept.

    She said something to me about it once and I was like I don't use Facebook that much...lol. So you can do the same.

40. Angela MasonJanuary 22,2023 at 12:14AM UTC

    I delete the FB friend requests. Who has time to worry about what others think?

41. misskelleypFebruary 6,2023 at 11:31PM UTC

    Just ignore it.