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

Posted by msmash on from the interesting-feature dept.

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.

15 of 106 comments (clear)

  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 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.

    2. 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.

    3. 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...)

    4. 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.

    5. 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.

    6. 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.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    7. 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.

    8. 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.

    9. 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.

    10. 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.

  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**
  3. 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.

  4. 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.