Whether you’ve lost your job or you’re ready to join the job market, it’s daunting to open yourself up to peers and potential employers. LinkedIn users have been able to make themselves “open to work” to recruiters with enterprise accounts for several years. However, the pandemic layoffs ushered in a new, public way for job seekers to indicate that they are on the market.
At the time of its release, the green photo overlay was greeted favorably – giving people the ability to network easily amidst the deluge of layoffs. However, as the pandemic wound down, the established stigma of being out of work lead many people to shy away from publicly announcing their availability.
From seeming desperate to accidentally tipping off their employer, use of the public badge has become a mixed bag. We reached out to hiring professionals and job seekers to gauge their feelings on advertising availability.
We asked and hundreds answered-
Job seekers past and present: Do you use the “Open to Work” options on LinkedIn?
Half of job seekers were keen to publicly display the badge, while another 26% said that they turn on their “open to work” privately to recruiters only. This accounts for nearly 3/4 of respondents. The overall sentiment is that it’s worthwhile to let someone know that you are open to a new position. We can likely infer that those who are privately sharing their status aren’t eager to alert their employers of their intention to depart.
Hiring Managers / TA / HR: What is your snap judgement when you see an applicant profile with an “Open to Work” badge displayed?
Despite concerns that employers might view the open to work status as desperate or signaling a gap in their resume, most respondents felt that potential job seekers were just using their network to help them land a new role. Additionally, nearly 40% had no real opinion or felt neutral on the matter.
While the stigma of being out of work or having resume gaps largely remains, there has been a significant shift over the past few years. As employees found themselves taking care of ill loved ones, were laid off after years of service, or discovered a new work-life balance – the rigidity around non-linear career paths has softened. This is particularly prevalent in key areas like tech where unemployment remains low and experienced talent is scarce.
