On the lookout for a brand new job? It might appear to be a no brainer to let recruiters know that by altering your LinkedIn standing to “#OpenToWork”. In July alone, about 40 million individuals did precisely that on the networking platform.
The banner, which brandishes your profile image with a inexperienced badge saying “#OpenToWork”, is meant to sign to your community that you simply’d welcome their outreach.
However recruiters and profession consultants instructed Fortune it may well have the alternative impact, making candidates look “desperate.” That might lead to them being given lowball presents by employers. And, if you happen to’re presently employed however seeking to transfer on, you positively shouldn’t use the banner, sources instructed Fortune, not least as a result of your present boss will have the ability to see that you simply’re disaffected.
200 million professionals have ‘#OpenToWork’ turned on
LinkedIn first rolled out the “#OpenToWork” banner through the pandemic in June 2020 when thousands and thousands of individuals confronted sudden unemployment.
Though the corporate already had a characteristic that enabled customers to privately present recruiters (who pay for a premium model) that they had been in search of a job, this device makes your employment standing public to all.
Customers nonetheless have the choice of privately nudging recruiters right now: LinkedIn instructed Fortune that 200 million professionals have turned on the “#OpenToWork” characteristic within the back-end of their profile. Recruiters (together with those that work to your present employer) can see that you simply’re in search of a brand new job however strange customers gained’t see something. Simply 40 million individuals sign their availability publicly.
The corporate instructed Fortune that those that use the #OpenToWork photograph body are, on common, 40% extra prone to obtain InMails from recruiters.
These individuals are additionally extra prone to get help from their friends, with 85% of job seekers who publish about their job search discovering help from their community.
However are they really touchdown jobs?
On the earth of expertise recruitment, this seems to be a controversial query.
The danger of being #OpenToWork: Trying ‘overly eager’
“Putting a badge on a profile picture is an easy way to cut through the clutter and get into the recruiter’s sightline,” Victoria McLean, founding father of Metropolis CV and CEO of Hanover Expertise Options says. However, she warns, it comes at a value.
“It can look desperate, amateurish, and recruiters won’t bite,” she says. “If candidates actually want to stand out, they have to reel the recruiter in with compelling storytelling and a strong online presence.”
McLean says {that a} polished profile and strategically connecting with business friends is extra prone to get job seekers “genuine opportunities” than slapping a banner on their profile image and ready for presents to position in.
“If a candidate is showing an #OpenToWork banner on their profile and waiting, then they’ll be waiting for a really long time,” she provides.
Recruitment entrepreneur and former Dragon’s Den star James Caan additionally stated that the badge could “give the impression that you’re overly eager for a role.” (Dragon’s Den is the U.Okay’s model of Shark Tank.)
In addition to doubtlessly pushing aside would-be employers, job seekers danger getting inundated with presents from recruiters that aren’t really what they need.
“A more effective approach is to position yourself as a proactive networker, exploring opportunities on your own terms,” Caan says. “Ultimately, it’s about marketing yourself strategically to appeal to the right opportunities”.
Though recruiters don’t have a consensus on whether or not including #OpenToWork will assist or hinder your job search, most agreed that the longer you’ve gotten the banner up, the more severe it may well look.
Profession coach Kyle Elliott warned it may well inadvertently make candidates appear to be they’re struggling to land work, “when they really want to market themselves as in-demand talent that companies are fighting over.”
It signifies that after they do lastly get a job provide, they danger getting lowballed.
“These individuals want recruiters and hiring managers to assume that they’re talking to multiple companies, since this can lead to the most competitive offer and largest total compensation possible,” Elliott provides. “If an employer perceives that they’re your only option, they’re likely to be less ambitious with their initial offer.”
It’s why high expertise—who Elliott says might be contacted by recruiters no matter whether or not they’re even looking for a job—could also be higher off avoiding the badge until they’re determined.
“At the end of the day, if you’re unemployed and want to increase your potential outreach from recruiters, you can test the use of the #OpenToWork banner,” he concludes. “Importantly, though, don’t expect it to be a silver bullet to your dream job.”
‘You need to be visible otherwise no one’s going to name you’
In actuality, unemployed individuals are usually determined for jobs. That’s why Lewis Maleh, CEO of Bentley Lewis, says it’s essential for jobless professionals to make themselves recognized.
“If you’re actually out of work and looking for a job you need to be visible otherwise no one’s going to call you,” Maleh factors out.
“Activating the banner significantly increases visibility to recruiters, with data suggesting that users with this feature are more likely to receive messages from recruiters and their network if they activate that feature, potentially leading to job opportunities.”
Not solely can it improve your probabilities of touchdown with recruiters, however he provides that it may well make unemployed professionals really feel empowered and proactive at a time when a lot is out of their management.
Likewise, James Barrett, managing director at Michael Web page Know-how, agrees that utilizing the #OpenToWork banner will flag your profile to recruiters—and subsequently solely “increase your chance of being seen in the first instance.”
“Rather than a deterrent, the #OpenToWork banner can be what sets a candidate apart in their job search,” he says. Job seekers shouldn’t be postpone by “the supposed stigma” surrounding it, he says.
If something, due to that stigma deterring individuals from declaring they’re open for work, Barrett thinks that utilizing it “indicates to recruiters and potential employers that you’re serious about your job search.”
