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LinkedIn Now Lets You Look For New Job Without Your Existing Boss Finding Out (venturebeat.com)

A new feature on LinkedIn can come in handy to thousands. An anonymous reader writes: LinkedIn has removed an obstacle preventing some members from using the professional social network from finding their next job: The possibility of their current boss finding out. On Thursday, the company released its Open Candidates feature which now lets members privately notify recruiters that they're open for opportunities without exposing themselves to their current company. Additionally, businesses are also receiving updated career pages that can be used to better market themselves to potential hires. In research conducted in the past year, LinkedIn claimed that 77 percent of professional workers are open to their next opportunity. However, with social media, the fear has been that any signal made on a profile could get back to an employer, which is why the Open Candidates feature lets anyone operate stealthily. It's perfect for those who are open to change, but aren't precisely set on making a move... yet. "This is a signal to recruiters that you want to hear from them," explained Eric Owski, LinkedIn's head of talent brand products.

106 comments

  1. WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Why wouldn't I want my boss to know that there are other people chomping at the bit to hire me and that if he wants to keep me around he'd better make sure the money's worth it?

    1. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      More likely he'll move to replace you as soon as possible. There's always someone younger and cheaper.

    2. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why wouldn't I want my boss to know that there are other people chomping at the bit to hire me and that if he wants to keep me around he'd better make sure the money's worth it?

      Because you may end up out of a job, and then find out that there are NOT other people chomping at the bit to hire you.

    3. Re:WHY ? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Why wouldn't I want my boss to know that there are other people chomping at the bit to hire me?

      As a manager, I don't expect blind loyalty, and I assume that all my subordinates are open to better offers. But if they are actively looking, and devoting time to sending out resumes and talking to recruiters, then I will be reluctant to give them important assignments that they may not be around to complete. If I need to make a headcount reduction or free up a desk for a new hire, then they will be at the top of the list.

      When an employee starts looking for a new job, it is usually not just about the money.

    4. Re:WHY ? by PeelBoy · · Score: 2

      Because I want to see what's out there, and who is interested without risking my job.

      Sometimes I interview with companies just to check it out, see what's available, see what my value on the market is, etc.

      I really like my job and don't really want to leave, but if I found something I couldn't refuse I would take it. It also might give me leverage when I ask for a raise.

      If my boss found out I was doing that, he'd probably freak out a bit or get nervous. I don't really want that.

    5. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If there's someone younger and cheaper out there why isn't he ALREADY trying to replace me?
      The fact that there are companies actively trying to recruit me tells me that my profile is in-demand and that I'm not easily replaceable.
      You want your employer to respect you? Start by respecting yourself and stop thinking you're just a cog (unless you actually are one and in that case there's nothing anybody can do for you)

    6. Re:WHY ? by Maritz · · Score: 1

      If my boss found out I was doing that, he'd probably freak out a bit or get nervous. I don't really want that.

      Is it true that in certain US states ("right to work?") you could be fired without recourse simply for being 'caught' looking at another job?

      --
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    7. Re:WHY ? by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 1

      find out that there are NOT other people chomping at the bit to hire you.

      Or at least not at higher wages, or this is just a temp thing, or contract to never-hire, or etc..

      I've found that no matter how many recruiters are in my inbox, the number of good opportunities are low and rare. It's not a bad thing to look, at the very least you can keep your current boss honest. But until you find something I'm not sure why you would want to advertise what you're doing.

    8. Re:WHY ? by PeelBoy · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure how it works to be honest, and I live in a right to work state. I don't think it's quite that simple, but I could be wrong.

      I've only had a couple bosses in my life that would make me worry about losing my job if they found out I was looking, and that's exactly why I was looking in the first place (because they were shitty bosses).

      I don't think most bosses here would actually fire you for looking even if they could.

    9. Re:WHY ? by houstonbofh · · Score: 3, Informative

      In Texas you can be "let go" for no reason at all. You can also leave for no reason. This is an advantage for some and a liability for others. (Both on the worker side and employer side) One time when I was let go, I was given just over one month notice to clean up my projects, two months severance after that, and a bonus payment after 2 months if specific metrics were met. I had work in the first week after leaving. If you are adding value, they will not just dump you. (OK, some will, but word gets around...)

    10. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes. In right to work states, if your manager finds out you are looking for other employment, and decides to terminate you for that, then he/she can do so, unless you are in a 'protected' (minority, female, pregnant, sick, alcoholic, family illness) group where doing so would likely open the company up to a lawsuit. Usually they wouldn't disclose the reason for termination either, as that would also in some cases open up the possibility of a lawsuit.

    11. Re:WHY ? by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That's not entirely what "right to work" means, but yes, you can be fired for any reason at all. "right to work" is normally about union suppression, but it has a number of other benefits and drawbacks.

      In practice very few people do that, firing can be a messy and expensive process. You can also sue your ex-employer for any kind of bullshit that you or your lawyer thinks they can get to stick. It doesn't work that much, but if you're an employer and you maintain statistics then you can put a dollar value on a firing and make your decision that way. Honestly I'm not sure I would fire an employee that was looking, I'd put good money on that employee being someone I'd have to drop sooner or later anyway. The ones that would worry me are the ones that don't have to look, that are well known and connected and will just disappear one day.

    12. Re:WHY ? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Is it true that in certain US states ("right to work?") you could be fired without recourse simply for being 'caught' looking at another job?

      By default, employment is "at will", which means you can be fired at anytime for any legal reason or for no reason. If you have an employment contract or written employee agreement, that may supersede "at will". Where I work, our employee agreement specifically states that employment is "at will".

      When I have fired employees, I never give a reason. I just sit them down in a conference room, with an HR rep present (and if the employee is female I make sure the HR rep is as well), and I tell them their employment is terminated, and I wish them the best of luck. I never go beyond that. If I give a reason, I am opening the door to a lawsuit. Most people know damn well why they are being fired, so there is no reason to list the reasons.

    13. Re: WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Companies have all kinds of nasty tricks and tools to fuck over their employees, so why shouldn't employees have the same in their arsenal?

      Suddenly, my mind flashes back to a very old ad for a game (called Diplomacy, I think) thst showed 2 well decorated leaders smiling
      and shaking hands while both are hiding daggars behind their back
      with their other hand.

    14. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe you boss ain't that smart. He may feel threatened and hire your replacement, that you have to grease in.
      War is not pretty, surprise is the best weapon.
      The Boss' main task is to ensure that you are underpaid and he is overpaid. Else form a partnership with legal papers.
      Payroll is a company's biggest bill, and scares the shit out of accountants, who only sees the red ink and not the black.
      Unless accountancy is sharpened to measure an employees actual financial contribution, which is scary for accountants, because they are not much worth.

    15. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is it true that in certain US states ("right to work?") you could be fired without recourse simply for being 'caught' looking at another job?

      The term you want is "at-will employment", and yes it means you could be fired for that reason. At-will employment means that (in the absence of a contract) either the employer or the employee can terminate the employment at any time and for any reason (except ones forbidden by law).

      "Right-to-work" is a different animal entirely; it basically means that employees can't be required to join a union or pay dues to it.

    16. Re:WHY ? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I've been motivated to move by lack of interesting projects and work to do, so not assigning stuff you people you think are looking for a new job might be self-fulfilling. It's even worse if every time someone takes a few sick days you assume they are interviewing.

      --
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      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    17. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If there's someone younger and cheaper out there why isn't he ALREADY trying to replace me?
      The fact that there are companies actively trying to recruit me tells me that my profile is in-demand and that I'm not easily replaceable.
      You want your employer to respect you? Start by respecting yourself and stop thinking you're just a cog (unless you actually are one and in that case there's nothing anybody can do for you)

      Forget state or even country, the rest of us would like to know what planet you work on where this kind of delusional thinking is welcome and considered sane.

    18. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is it true that in certain US states ("right to work?") you could be fired without recourse simply for being 'caught' looking at another job?

      Actually, it's "at-will" employment, which means you can be fired without recourse for any reason except those specifically forbidden by law. Those are generally related to being a member of a protected class of people.

    19. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When an employee starts looking for a new job, it is usually not just about the money.

      Exactly. If it is just about the money, they'll be negotiating for a pay rise.

    20. Re:WHY ? by jdschulteis · · Score: 1

      Is it true that in certain US states ("right to work?") you could be fired without recourse simply for being 'caught' looking at another job?

      At-will employment is generally the rule in the US.

    21. Re:WHY ? by ADRA · · Score: 1

      Sure, your tell for a jumpy employee should probably be 'lacks motivation', 'seems distant / distracted', 'quick to anger'. Of course they could also be suffering from personal issues as well, so mileage may vary.

      --
      Bye!
    22. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's welcome, but only by everyone but the managers who don't give a shit if replacing you with someone cheaper results in a reenactment of the Hindenburg, as long as they've got their golden parachute and their golf buddies to put them in charge of something else to burn down.

    23. Re:WHY ? by ADRA · · Score: 1

      FYI: In Canada, you'd be required to give severance for any firing 'without cause'.

      We have compulsory Employment Insurance here, so if you're fired with cause (smoking dope on the premises, gross negligence, etc..), it means you can't get some portion of your previous salary while looking for new work. If you were fired without cause, or for lay-off type reasons, you're eligible for compensation. Canada really hates No-Reason firings, and will most likely harass the company in order to give a reason why, or at least demand covering that employee's income for a period while they're looking for new work. As expected, most decent companies do firings as lay-offs with compensation.

      --
      Bye!
    24. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes. In at-will employment situations, you could be fired because your manager doesn't like the color of your shoelaces, because someone else cut them off on the way into work, or any number of equally ridiculous reasons, which would most definitely include them catching wind that you're looking for another job. As long as it's not a reason explicitly forbidden by state or federal law, you have no recourse. The "upside" is that you can also quit for any reason and don't technically have to give any kind of notice (though if you want any chance of a favorable reference, you will give notice).

      The real problem with "at-will" employment is it's always trotted out by companies as a defense when a person is fired for illegal means, like discrimination or retaliation, and most of the time the rather underfunded and overworked state and government agencies in charge of enforcing employment law will accept it at face value unless you have something equivalent to a smoking gun, like a recorded conversation or an email where it's explicitly stated that the reason was because of the person's race or because they reported to HR concerns about harassment in the workplace.

    25. Re:WHY ? by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      We have compulsory (Un)employment Insurance here (in the states), but companies pay into the kitty with each paycheck they give an employee. A high number of people drawing from insurance may cause rates to go up on an employer.

      Note, the level of insurance benefits vary wildly from state to state. California used to have an issue with movie stars (who are unemployed like 50% of the time) drawing massively from the system (for example), so they have changed their rules. Some southern states only offer you minimum wage level benefits, regardless of what you made before.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    26. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As a manager, I don't expect blind loyalty, and I assume that all my subordinates are open to better offers. But if they are actively looking, and devoting time to sending out resumes and talking to recruiters, then I will be reluctant to give them important assignments that they may not be around to complete. If I need to make a headcount reduction or free up a desk for a new hire, then they will be at the top of the list.

      When an employee starts looking for a new job, it is usually not just about the money.

      I guess this sort of attitude displayed by management is at the top of my list of reasons to rather go look for other employment. It's paradoxical, but the employers that give me a better chance to have employable skills, and don't treat me as a fungible piece of production machinery, are usually the ones that get most loyalty from me.

    27. Re: WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is exactly why. Either I'm firmly under your boot or by looking out for my best interests, I'm disposable and should be jettisoned at the first opportunity.

    28. Re: WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Silicon Valley is this only place like this. Stay out.

    29. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Forget state or even country, the rest of us would like to know what planet you work on where this kind of delusional thinking is welcome and considered sane.

      Silicon Valley, where annual raises come in the two digit variety.

    30. Re: WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "When an employee starts looking for a new job, it is usually not just about the money."

      Last year, our level received salary increases of less than half the national inflation rate while lower levels reveived close to inflation rate. This year, we received no increase, levels below us also didn't but they got a new monthly incentive scheme instead while levels above us got full share allocations (our level got nothing).

      My boss has told me (without me asking) that the only way he can increase my salary is via a counter-offer, and that the only other similarly-qualified and experienced member of my team had just successfully used succeeded with that approach.

      However under more usual circumstances, employees most commonly look for other jobs due to management failure, either as a result of their manager not supporting them, not giving them any opportunity for growth/learning, taking all the credit for efforts of his subordinates, playing favourites, micro-managing etc. The second most common reason is probably due to wider management or culture issues (but a good manager should be able to retain staff except in really dire situations).

    31. Re: WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      True. I think once something happens, a line is crossed, then the relationship is ruined. It just deteriorates. Too much lateness (my problem), bad review, bad specs and getting the blame and then defending yourself.

      Then it's just a matter of time. If the vibe is there, start looking. If you are sure. An employee leaving means a sort of failure for the manager too. A mistake in hiring or something lacking in managing.

      A person is on both sides. Sometimes you can discuss it, sometimes you can't. Time to go. If you can. Starting over is sometimes easier.

    32. Re:WHY ? by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      In general in the US, you can be fired for any reason with notable exceptions. Those exceptions are things like whistleblower protections, anti-gender/racial discrimination protections, sexual or other harassment protections, etc.

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    33. Re:WHY ? by houstonbofh · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The ones that would worry me are the ones that don't have to look, that are well known and connected and will just disappear one day.

      Then make sure they do not want to leave. And this does not just mean throw money at them... Top tier people often do not leave for money.

    34. Re:WHY ? by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      Why wouldn't I want my boss to know that there are other people chomping at the bit to hire me?

      As a manager, I don't expect blind loyalty, and I assume that all my subordinates are open to better offers. But if they are actively looking, and devoting time to sending out resumes and talking to recruiters, then I will be reluctant to give them important assignments that they may not be around to complete. If I need to make a headcount reduction or free up a desk for a new hire, then they will be at the top of the list.

      When an employee starts looking for a new job, it is usually not just about the money.

      The other reason is once you decided to start looking and have gotten offers, getting a counter offer is entirely unproductive - it does no one any good. Sure you may get what you want, but you've put up a pretty big beacon that you're leaving and you're looking around, which is a giant negative at getting future raises or opportunities. After all, you threatened to leave once, so there's no guarantee you won't do it again.

      A smart boss would just cut you free - you got an offer, so take it already.

      General wisdom is that you DON'T go for any counteroffer - whether you solicited one or whether you are presented one. Once you decided to actively search and have offers in hand, either jump, or just keep it quiet.

    35. Re:WHY ? by Cederic · · Score: 2

      Which planet do you work on where throwing away skilled employees is commonplace?

      Writing a job spec, getting internal agreement to replace lost headcount, working with HR, engaging the recruiter, assessing CVs, interviewing, paying agency fees, compliance/legal checks, dealing with the onboarding logistics, training, waiting for new starter to get up to full productivity.. you just doubled your costs for that person for the year compared with retaining your existing employee.

      Respecting your workforce, giving them enjoyment and satisfaction in their work, remunerating them appropriately and avoiding the massive costs of churn? Yeah, that sort of delusional thinking is very welcome here, and considered extremely sane.

    36. Re: WHY ? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

      An employee leaving means a sort of failure for the manager too.

      I don't agree. A certain amount of employee churn is healthy. After 5 years or so at the same job, the employee may not be growing their skills, or creating much value. Sometimes, it is just time for an employee to move on. New employees need a few months to get up to speed, but they also contribute fresh ideas and perspectives.

      In my experience, the best employees are "boomerangs", that resign, work somewhere else for a few years, and then return. Since they already know our culture, procedures, and people, they can be productive on day one, and they are often bursting with ideas about how to improve things, because they have been thinking about the problems for years.

      To encourage boomerangs, we let them know the door is open, maintain an alumni network, invite them to our company picnic every year, etc.

    37. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well said, plus, do employers give employees advance notice of layoffs?

      Nope.

    38. Re:WHY ? by Sparowl · · Score: 1

      Additionally, companies can fight against former employees drawing from that insurance. Many do.

      A few years ago, it was a big thing for companies to allow the former employee to draw from it initially, then contest the former employee's right to do so, saying they were ineligible due to XYZ reason (how they were let go, irregularities, etc.). There were entire companies whose only job was to stop former employees of large companies from drawing on unemployeement.

      As I recall, they were also involved in some shady practices (setting up meetings they had no intention, or even personal available, to go to), and ended up being shut down by several state governments.

    39. Re: WHY ? by ErichTheRed · · Score: 2

      "In my experience, the best employees are "boomerangs", that resign, work somewhere else for a few years, and then return."

      Exactly - My current company is full of employees like this, and I'm one. The only danger is having "resume loops" but that matters less if you've built up a network and aren't just cold-calling people begging for a job.

      It's a good lesson for all the young job-hopping folks out there -- don't burn bridges with previous employers! A counter-example to this would be someone we tried to rehire who left on really bad terms, not just burning bridges but nuking them because he was temporarily pissed off. My boss got all the way through the process of getting him back, only to have HR deny him because he did something bad enough in his exit interview to get him marked as a "no re-hire" person. Protip: exit interviews are not the place to air one's grievances.

    40. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      because it costs money to bring a new person aboard... but seeing that you are already looking, your boss will want to cut their losses (in you) and bring someone else on. You see, you will be telling them that the cost of bringing someone on is going to happen anyway (because you are looking to leave) so your boss may as well get it over with according to THEIR schedule, not yours. Pay attention. Don't just look at this from your perspective, you have to think things through.

    41. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think that a lot of employers think otherwise. Especially if a company's core business isn't IT, even very skilled people aren't treated as valuable. Companies don't care about the cost of replacing that person because they can't see what that person is actually doing and how it's important.

    42. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Most companies go through periodic cycles of layoffs (reduction in force). These are supposedly for economic reason, and are not treated as a termination for cause (Firing).

      Employees who have not adequately demonstrated their loyalty to their current employer often find themselves economically dispensable. There is no documented infraction, you aren't being fired, and in most states you can collect unemployment. You are still out of a job.

      Reduction in force is a way to get rid of people you are not pleased with without going through the trouble of documenting infractions and forcing a termination for cause.

    43. Re:WHY ? by rnturn · · Score: 1

      You forgot about age discrimination; the one protection that employers flout with impunity.

      --
      CUR ALLOC 20195.....5804M
    44. Re:WHY ? by mattwarden · · Score: 1

      It depends. If you are looking for raise in your current job, making people nervous to leave can be effective. If you are looking for a promotion to a more important role, making people nervous you're going to leave can be counterproductive

    45. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's that simple. An employer in an at-will state can let you go just because he's in a bad mood. The key thing is that if you are laid-off without cause (as opposed to being "fired") you are eligible for unemployment benefits.

    46. Re:WHY ? by unixisc · · Score: 1

      Why wouldn't I want my boss to know that there are other people chomping at the bit to hire me and that if he wants to keep me around he'd better make sure the money's worth it?

      For starters, you don't want him/her to let you go before you've found those other people. Not to mention that recruiters are not the people making the hiring decisions, since they have a vested interest in you being hired.

    47. Re:WHY ? by unixisc · · Score: 1

      When an employer has an inkling that someone is preparing to leave, they know that the above treadmill is something they'll have to tread anyway, and so they might as well get started while they're at it, and before there is a hole. Like the above AC mentioned, aside from the reporting manager, few in the company know what the person is actually doing and why that matters.

    48. Re:WHY ? by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 1

      ... and stop thinking you're just a cog (unless you actually are one and in that case there's nothing anybody can do for you)

      I've always thought of myself as an escapement...
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escapement
      That's not to say some coworkers have not thought of me as an impediment...

      --
      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
    49. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why wouldn't I want my boss to know that there are other people chomping at the bit to hire me and that if he wants to keep me around he'd better make sure the money's worth it?

      It's champing at the bit, you idiot.

    50. Re:WHY ? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      Additionally, companies can fight against former employees drawing from that insurance. Many do.

      If a company gives you severance pay, then you are not entitled to unemployment pay for the period covered by the severance. So if you get two months of severance pay, then you should wait for two months before applying for unemployment pay. My company had several employees apply for benefits immediately after termination, and we have always been successful in fighting it, and having their application denied.

    51. Re:WHY ? by epine · · Score: 1

      General wisdom is that you DON'T go for any counteroffer

      General wisdom among people who have never heard of auction theory is that you DON'T go for any counteroffer ...

      People who have heard of auction theory know that general wisdom in this area is overrated. It's a very thorny sub-discipline of game theory. Just for example, the stable marriage problem is widely studied because the best form of loyalty is when no defection transaction has a mutually positive incentive.

      Ideologically, the invisible hand supposedly functions as the great purveyor of stable marriage: to the highest bidder thou shalt go. All this stuff about employees hiding their market preferences and market value from their current employer is the opposite of what a free market economy supposedly delivers (or, to put it another way, all of this exists under the "sand in the Vaseline" column of the invisible hand).

      Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha on LinkedIn and The Alliance

      At least this discussion recognizes that in the big picture, the present labour-market etiquette of skulking around is a big steaming pile of crap, and there ought to be a better way. Loyalty in the workforce is the modern equivalent of mind games in the bedroom. You don't hear nearly so much about mind games in the bedroom since divorce became far less stigmatized.

      For the record, I would tell firm B, "look, make me an offer, if I like your offer I'll ask my present employer if they wish to beat it by some significant amount (a figure that shall not be less than $5000 annually) and only if they beat you by that margin, will I accept the counteroffer. (I'm assuming trust can be established, and we aren't analyzing my capacity to lie like a bastard.) By doing this you've heavily loaded the dice toward the benefit of firm B is resolving near-ties in best-offer-received. This should offer them sufficient protection that you're not just playing them to win some other chess game on a different chess board.

      Obviously, it's a lot more complex, because there's an entire Dilbert Space of opportunities to lie and defect.

      Theorem: in any society, a maximum of one individual can operate effectively without extending any trust at all.

      Corollary: under the rubric of professionalism, the vast majority of participants in meaningful economy extend trust in more directions that you can count on any given work day.

      Definition: EQ = the ability to navigate life's challenges with a less oppressive coefficient of paranoia.

      That about sums it up.

    52. Re: WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      While your response is potentially legally acceptable, it's not morally acceptable. Being fired can trigger lots of feelings in people, none of which are good. When the person being dismissed hasn't done anything wrong (and even in many cases where they are at fault), they deserve compassion and support. A hollow "thank you for your service" does little to address the person as a human being.

    53. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, but with all those HR employees sitting around surfing the net, they typically set you up for failure if they find you're trying to leave the company for better pastures.

      It's not one's direct mgmt., it's HR depts that linked in is worried about.

    54. Re: WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yea, that's why the poster works for HR. They are the perfect fit, no compassion for fellow human.

    55. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've seen this behavior at my current (recently gone global) company.
      The clever folk who can easily find new jobs locally are the first to leave, they can see the writing on the wall when MBA fuckwits like you start canning anyone with a modicum of personal liberty. Can't have the troops pressuring us for livable working conditions, can we? They're all fucking upstarts and lazy bastards, those worthless peons below me on the company's published powerpoint hierarchy.
      If you send out CVs and talk to recruiters, even in your own time apparently, you're not a loyal slave.
      Then the second tier, the mortgage/family prisoners, start to panic and wonder aloud, and not being so saleable nor so clever, use any method and contact to secure their family safely away from your "management" style.
      So you MBA fuckwits do a second purge in the name of short-term dividends and executive paychecks.
      And soon enough, the remaining pieces will be sold to several international conglomerates and you cunts will blame the workers for wanting liveable conditions and the flexibility to make decisions about their own careers.

      When an employer starts looking for a new slave, it is usually not about the money. It's about abject obeisance and a self entitlement the size of a barn.

      But if they are actively looking, and devoting time to sending out resumes and talking to recruiters, then they're not my kind of slave and I won't do fuck all to keep them on the team. Especially not listen to them and their fucked up non-corporate points of view, god forbid. Insightful, my arse, You just want to "free up a desk for a new hire" that hasn't yet found the courage to NOT lick your anus.

      Next time you "need to make a headcount reduction", why don't you just shoot yourself? It'd be faster and cheaper, and all the REAL workers can keep on being productive instead of trying to anticipate your next missed monthly target and the inevitable whipping to ensure morale.

    56. Re:WHY ? by mjwx · · Score: 1

      Why wouldn't I want my boss to know that there are other people chomping at the bit to hire me?

      As a manager, I don't expect blind loyalty, and I assume that all my subordinates are open to better offers. But if they are actively looking, and devoting time to sending out resumes and talking to recruiters, then I will be reluctant to give them important assignments that they may not be around to complete. If I need to make a headcount reduction or free up a desk for a new hire, then they will be at the top of the list.

      When an employee starts looking for a new job, it is usually not just about the money.

      And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you end up firing all your good staff and only having crap left.

      I dont even need to look for other jobs, I regularly get emails and calls from recruiters and even employers themselves (from an old resume online). Its my managers job to ensure that I dont get fed up enough to leave.

      Your good staff are always going to be headhunted because they're valuable. If they start actively looking for another job you're in serious trouble because they dont actually need to look, this is an indication that they want to leave. Bad staff on the other hand tend to keep their heads down.

      Beyond this, a lot of people just look to take a look at the market without the intent to leave.

      If you base your redundancy decisions on who has been loyal as opposed to who is capable and who is valuable, you'll end up keeping all the dead wood.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    57. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >Most people know damn well why they are being fired

      Perhaps in your experiences. But for others, who really are just being normal professionals, often get caught up in a no-explanation layoff. it IS helpful to staff who deserve some sort of after-action report so they can get better: for example "your reports are incoherent, and your production is very slow", vs. "your work ethic is fine but we're laying off many today for budget reasons". This CAN be very helpful and honestly it's a win-win approach.

      Of course I'm not talking about the person who has three write-ups and knows why they're being let go. Now if you have not been documenting their foibles (which would insulate you from lawsuits), then what you're really doing is ambushing the employee. Naughty-naughty. Just communicate, boss.

    58. Re:WHY ? by Baki · · Score: 1

      The fact that you're likely to "defect" lowers your value.
      Maybe you were worth the extra money, but no longer if you're looking for alternatives already.

      Not even talking about irrational and emotional behaviour: you might be viewed as someone who doesn't persevere or just isn't reliable.

    59. Re:WHY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In my experience people who "lack motivation" tend to just hang onto the same job that they hate and complain about it rather than actively look for a new one.

  2. Make Me Move by ghoul · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It would be great if Linked In had a make me move feature like Zillow where a candidate could post a Salary which would make them leave their current job

    --
    **Life is too short to be serious**
    1. Re:Make Me Move by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about Zillow's feature where you blatantly lie about your location and Zillow completely ignores reports informing them of such?

  3. Hey, wait! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I work for a recruiter, you insensitive clod!

    1. Re:Hey, wait! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Exactly this.
      Your boss can get himself as an extra job as a consulting recruiter - as anyone can be 'a recruiter'. So when he approach LinkedIn, he appear to not represent your particular company. So he gets your details - and even if anonymized, he may recognize you from your skillset and career history. Legal, I don't know. But he may then work against you, and you won't know why.

    2. Re:Hey, wait! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But the news was about LinkedIn allowing a employee to seek out opportunities anonymously, right? So he would know to avoid not just colleagues, but usually recruiters from agencies contracted by his company. Although usually, if the agencies in question have multiple clients in the same field, they are more than happy to privately work with a client's employee in finding opportunities with their other clients. (Unless of course they have a no-poach clause in their agreement.) If his boss is busy masquerading as a recruiter to spy on his job-navigation activities, that tells you how valuable that boss himself is - if he can take time off work to do this.

  4. So LinkedIn has caught up to the offline world by JoeyRox · · Score: 3, Funny

    Where prospective candidates can pick up a phone and discretely call a company or head hunter about a job. Then call in sick a week later to attend an interview.

    1. Re:So LinkedIn has caught up to the offline world by houstonbofh · · Score: 3, Informative

      Then call in sick a week later to attend an interview.

      I have done interviews in the past after business hours. Most places realize that valuable candidates have jobs. Most also respect your needs to take care of old employers during the transition. Recruiters doing pre-screening, however, care about nothing but commission.

  5. Information markets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Up next, the further expansion of information markets to overcome this minor obstacle, providing "enhanced employee loyalty metrics" as yet another valued add-on to their existing datasets. Good times! -PCP

    1. Re:Information markets by houstonbofh · · Score: 1

      And if someone is let go after, everybody reads about it on GlassDoor.

    2. Re:Information markets by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

      They're probably finishing up the feature right now...it's nothing a few dummy accounts posing as staffing agencies can't fix.

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
  6. Aw come on by mongothesecond · · Score: 1

    All this will do is sell one additional recruiter account per company, where the HR department browses applicants from home. That will last until someone devises an automated solution and sells the data scrape to the HR departments directly.

    1. Re:Aw come on by Rogue974 · · Score: 1

      My company has internal people who seek out candidates, but we also have several contractors that we hire to full-time look for us. They don't get company credentials, but are looking. Those people would still find Stepan people looking. Actually had it happen that one of these people found one of our employees was out looking for a job and mentioned it to HR.

      So this is 1 step, but it is very flimsy and you still have a good chance they may find out anyway.

    2. Re:Aw come on by rnturn · · Score: 1

      Yep. Want to bet that at least one of those profile views that you got that chose to check you out anonymously was actually someone in your current employers' HR department?

      Back in the days when the Sunday paper was a decent (not great but far from the pretty much complete waste of time it is today) place to see job ads, you could apply to the blind ads -- who might very well be your current employer -- and request that your reply not be submitted should it be from a company that you didn't want to be submitted to (i.e., your current employer) or some other hellhole that you'd never want to work for. One used to hear horror stories, though, about newspapers that didn't see the job seeker's request -- or ignored it -- and wound up getting their resume submitted to the HR people down the hall. What's to stop this from happening at LinkedIn? Especially with all the anonymous profile browsing that LI seems to like getting paid to allow?

      --
      CUR ALLOC 20195.....5804M
  7. Just like Ashley Madison! by slashdice · · Score: 0, Troll

    I used to use Ashley Madison to look for new strange without my existing wife finding out. Long story short, she found out and now I have a different wife. Since most recruiters seem to be hot women (and plenty of twinks for our startup brothers), maybe they could also discretely offer (blow-) jobs without my new wife finding out?

    --
    Copyright (c) 1990 - 2014 Dice. All rights reserved. Use of this comment is subject to certain Terms and Conditions.
    1. Re:Just like Ashley Madison! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wouldn't it have been easier to just marry someone who was okay with you getting some on the side? -PCP

    2. Re:Just like Ashley Madison! by slashdice · · Score: 1

      She was ok with it when she was the one on the side!

      --
      Copyright (c) 1990 - 2014 Dice. All rights reserved. Use of this comment is subject to certain Terms and Conditions.
  8. Because the world is a huge place by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because different bosses have different attitudes, different companies have different cultures, and between countries there can be huge cultural differences. The way it works out for you may be completely different from the way it works out for someone else working for a different company in a different country.

  9. this is a joke - linked in recruiter can see you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I am an employer, who hires folks . My HR team gave me "linked in recruiter" rights, for a special account - can basically search *.*.

    I think that this isn't really thought through, to say 'um, do we think that employers will have recruiter accounts, and if they wanted to, could see their employees ?'. Kinda, likely, silly.

  10. LinkedIn Now Lets You Sign Up for Recruiter Spam by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is what it should say

  11. Next year's new feature by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    New in LinkedIn for 2017: check which of your employees searched for new jobs with Open Candidates! Only $10,000 per year! (Disclaimer: additional license required to view employees who have purchased Open Candidates Plus)

  12. Who's benefiting from this change? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who pays the bills at LinkedIn? Users or Recruiters?

    Users are the product, and LinkedIn will polish the product any way the recruiters want them to.

    Microsoft is leveraging their LinkedIn buy to get into the Managed Services Provider Market as well, promoting themselves and companies that use their products.

    Remember when Microsoft got caught up in that class action lawsuit pertaining to suppressing market wages? Same deal here.

    For those reasons, this will devolve into EBay. Some opportunities, with a lot of sketchy and illegal crap going on.

  13. Anybody using this PoS? by OneHundredAndTen · · Score: 1

    LinkedIn is little more than an incestuous whore market, where people sell each other and make themselves feel important and great. It is pretty pathetic.

  14. Another reason to avoid linkedin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I maybe old fashioned but controlling this information to a degree is the right approach.

    To me linkedin is just another way to sell my info that may backfire.

  15. As a manager, ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So that explains all the time you spend up here on Slashdot! You have nothing to do!

  16. Does anyone seriously use LinkedIn? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    LinkedIn has removed an obstacle preventing some members from using the professional social network from finding their next job:

    Is it an easier way to remove your details from LinkedIn?

    If anyone has learned anything from Facebook, it should be that your Friends count isn't a count of people who can rely on you for anything.

    1. Re:Does anyone seriously use LinkedIn? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If anyone has learned anything from Facebook, it should be that your Friends count isn't a count of people who can rely on you for anything.

      So, Facebook is exactly like real life, then, because friends can't be relied upon for anything except betrayal. Friends are those people in the best position to use personal information to make your life miserable.

  17. Policies against hiring unemployed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This wouldn't be necessary if not for discrimination against the unemployed. Applicants need to be currently employed to find work, preferably already doing the kind of work they are applying for, and preferably already employed by the company at which they are applying. There is no economic mobility in this economy, except for being expelled from the workforce permanently, and being unemployed means being unemployable.

    1. Re:Policies against hiring unemployed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is no economic mobility in this economy, except for being expelled from the workforce permanently, and being unemployed means being unemployable.

      You started with a valid point, and hyperbolized to the point of lying. This makes you part of the problem.

    2. Re:Policies against hiring unemployed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The problem, simply stated, is that it's an employers' market. There are too many people who want to eat and not enough work for them to do to earn the privilege of buying food. The only solution is to kill the jobless and feed them to each other.

  18. I, for one... by fbobraga · · Score: 1

    ... welcome the new Linkedin overlords! (they are all available to find new "challenges" [in coporate lang] now)

  19. Kill the stigma around job searches!!! by ErichTheRed · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've always hated the whole cat and mouse game that's involved with finding a new job. You have to sneak around, start calling contacts, hope one of them doesn't spill the beans to someone else both they and your boss knows, etc. It's just one of those things you wish you could be open about, but you know you can't.

    The problem is that even managers who aren't insecure know that if someone's looking, and they're good, they're unhappy and will be gone as soon as they can find something that they like. Note that I said "that they like" instead of "that pays more." Lots of employee moves aren't due to compensation. I work at my current employer for less than I could be making elsewhere because at this point in my life I trade off a flexible, stable job for reduced earning potential. Not everyone is a nomadic childless consultant who doesn't even have a permanent address because they travel so much. By the same token, not everyone is a family guy working a stable job who wants to see their kids go through school in the same place rather than move 3 times in 10 years.

    It's like mental illness...if some way could be found to remove the stigma around talking about it, things would improve. If employees felt they could go to their boss with concerns and not worry about being targeted for layoffs or being fired, things would work out much better. The problem is that in the current climate, you can't tell your boss "Hey, I'm not totally happy here because [tangible reasons]" or "Hey, I could use another 5% in salary because [tangible reasons]." Even if your boss were supportive and understanding, everyone's deathly afraid of unemployment...especially if you're over 40. Getting caught out in a layoff when you're over 40 makes it significantly harder to find new work. Employers just assume anyone over 40 is too old, and anyone unemployed can't possibly be any good.

    1. Re:Kill the stigma around job searches!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "everyone's deathly afraid of unemployment...especially if you're over 40. Getting caught out in a layoff when you're over 40 makes it significantly harder to find new work. Employers just assume anyone over 40 is too old, and anyone unemployed can't possibly be any good."

      So true! I've had to take pretty much all dates off my resume just to see if I can get past HR to get an interview. The interview is where I can sometimes convince someone that being over 40 could still be a valuable, dependable, and even faithful asset for their organization. I find better responses from organizations that already have a majority of employees who are over 40 themselves. Interviewing with late 20's staff is painful. I feel like their dad and they feel the same way.

    2. Re:Kill the stigma around job searches!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      especially if you're over 40. Getting caught out in a layoff when you're over 40 makes it significantly harder to find new work. Employers just assume anyone over 40 is too old, and anyone unemployed can't possibly be any good.

      Only in Silicon Valley. Lately it seems that my employer has only been hiring people in their 40's or up and it's concerning to me as the company really could use some young blood these days.

  20. This will backfire by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The lady who found me for my current job, she is a recruiter for several different companies. Hence if she knows I'm looking, you can assume my employer knows I'm looking.

    Secondly, my previous employer knew I was looking because I had connected with tons of recruiters. I am still connecting with tons of recruiters, but I now have my activity not going to my feed.

  21. Vote for Jill by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    everyone's deathly afraid of unemployment...especially if you're over 40. Getting caught out in a layoff when you're over 40 makes it significantly harder to find new work. Employers just assume anyone over 40 is too old, and anyone unemployed can't possibly be any good.

    Basic Income will fix the stigma of unemployment.

    1. Re:Vote for Jill by MrLogic17 · · Score: 1

      Exactly the same way that unemployment insurance and welfare has.

  22. I want the opposite by radish · · Score: 1

    How do I flag my profile for recruiters to say I am not interested in moving and please stop emailing/calling me? That would actually be useful :)

    --

    ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"

    1. Re:I want the opposite by unixisc · · Score: 1

      LinkedIn allows you to set your profile to disable Inmails, where people w/ recruiter accounts who are not connected to you within 2 degees can contact you. If you disable inmails, no recruiter can contact you. (Btw, I do envy you for being so confident about not losing your job whatsoever that you don't want to be touched!)

  23. Don't be a sheep by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    With LinkedIn, as with most social media, the only way to win is not to play. Ignore the useful millennial idiots who insist it is 'Teh Fut0rz!' and anyone who opts out is obsolete. As long as they are still in the minority (and thank god, in my industry they still are) you can still choose to have both a life, and control over your interactions with everyone else.

  24. Re:this is a joke - linked in recruiter can see yo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm currently looking for a job, and am actively using Ladders, Monster, CareerBuilder and Dice, but not LinkedIn. And I won't either, until I leave my current employer

  25. LinkedIn Updates by jarlsberg71 · · Score: 1

    This is great and all. but I'd just like their system to work. I am continuously getting email that "John Smith" is still awaiting my invitation. But when I log into the app or the web page, it says "No Invitations" perhaps they should straighten their DB out first, then make improvements.

    Outside of that, the two big things they need to deal with are the "Message Streams" which put everything from colleague achievements, work anniversaries, birthdays, and endorsements all on a splash screen. I do not want 41 of my contacts saying "Happy Birthday" when I do not work for them and have only contacted them for professional assistance. Secondly, those endorsements are a joke. The "so-and-so has endorsed you for 'data center'." means absolutely nothing. and the person who endorsed me? Never worked with me professionally. so how would they know?

    The app is good for networking professionals and keeping contacts with people I have worked with but don't want to "friend on facebook" because I just want to know if I can reach out to someone for electroplating questions or SQL bench-marking with my cluster and SAN. Not to wish them a happy birthday.

    --
    E8B8B
  26. What if your employer pretends to be a recruiter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I mean, they can just register a second account in a fake name and pretend they're a recruiter.

  27. Not likely to help those w/o existing work. by sethstorm · · Score: 1

    It might help those that already have employment, but it doesn't really help those that are still looking.

    --
    Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
  28. you can still tell by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you can still tell because its the only time people bother to update their account

  29. assuming your company does not have recruiters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How does this work when your company is using recruiters, as most of them do ?