Ex-Google recruiter says LinkedIn ‘open to work’ banner is a red flag, explains why
“It is the biggest red flag”: Nolan Church, former Google recruiter and current CEO of FairComp, on LinkedIn ‘open to work’ banner.
When searching for a new job on LinkedIn, candidates engage in various activities to enhance their prospects, including turning on the “open to work” banner. Introduced a few years ago, this banner lets recruiters know that an individual is looking for work. However, as per former Google recruiter Nolan Church, it is not a smart thing to do. According to Church, it is the “biggest red flag” for candidates actively searching for work.
“There is a truism in recruiting that the best people are not looking for jobs,” he told CNBC Make It. As per the outlet, Lindsay Mustain, a former Amazon recruiter and current career coach, agrees with Church.
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In her conversation with the outlet, Mustain added, “Recruiters want to want you, not the other way around”, and the hiring game is all about “power dynamics”. In that scenario, having the “open to work” badge on your profile may make the recruiter think, “because you need something from me, that means that I have the power in this conversation”.
Does every recruiter think the banner is a red flag?
However, some recruiters think that the banner is a good thing, especially for small businesses. Some companies may not have access to the recruiters’ version of LinkedIn, and this banner makes it easier for them to identify potential candidates looking for work.
Also Read: Ex-Google recruiter reveals things to avoid in a job interview, calls it a 'red flag'
“For those smaller companies, it can be really, really helpful in identifying new talent,” Angelina Darrisaw, CEO of C-Suite Coach, told CNBC Make It.
When did LinkedIn introduce the “open to work” banner?
“We’ve made it easier to ask for help on LinkedIn. Update your profile to let recruiters or the broader LinkedIn community know you're #OpenToWork,” this is what LinkedIn wrote in a YouTube post they shared three years ago, during the pandemic, while introducing the feature.
LinkedIn data on “open to work” banner:
According to the outlet, over 33 million people on the platform currently use the banner. Also, those with the banner are “20% more likely to get messages from the LinkedIn community at large”.
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