Are you following companies on LinkedIn?
If you are, I have good news and bad news.
The Good News
LinkedIn surveyed people who follow companies. They found that 70% do so because they’re interested in working at the companies they track.
So the company built a related feature into LinkedIn Recruiter. It lets users find people who follow their company.
Thus, to the extent the companies you follow use Recruiter, the product highlights you to them as a warm lead. That puts your profile in a special set of search results most Recruiter users look at first.
The Bad News
Anyone who can see your profile can see which companies you follow.
Unlike groups, which LinkedIn lets you hide from your profile, you can’t hide information about which companies you follow.
What to Do?
Use your judgment:
- On the upside, you might get your dream company’s attention.
- On the downside, if that annoys your boss, you might create a problem for yourself.
If you think this might bother your boss, try one of these options:
- Follow your dream companies and some random decoy companies. Make it hard to see a pattern.
- Feign ignorance if your boss asks you about any of your follows.
- Respond with a casual, straightforward approach. Say, “Oh yeah, I am.” Then shift the conversation.
Conclusion & More
If I had a company(s) I wanted to work for, I’d rather be a warm lead than an unknown one any day. I’d think about a strategy for an inquisitive boss and start following!
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Featured by Career Sherpa
Updated January 2023
© 2015 – 2023, Donna Svei. All rights reserved.
Donna Svei, an executive resume writer and former C-level executive, retained search consultant, and CPA, authors all of AvidCareerist’s posts.
She is a Fast Company Contributor and has written for and been quoted by 100+ business and general media outlets, including Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, CNBC, the New York Times, USA Today, Time, US News & World Report, CBS, the BBC, Lifehacker, Social Media Today, IT World, and Business News Daily.
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Comments 2
Donna, great article. I’d add one more strategy for handling your boss:
Tell your boss you’re following the company’s competitors to keep an eye on their marketing strategies and new products.
Perfect, Donna! Thank you.