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 70% of them do so because they’re interested in working at the companies they follow.
Ever the enterprising service provider, LinkedIn built a feature into LinkedIn Recruiter that lets subscribers find the people who follow their company.
Thus, to the extent companies you follow use Recruiter, you will be identified to them as a warm lead. That puts your profile in the set of search results most Recruiter users look at first.
The Bad News
When you follow a company, anyone who can see your profile, which is everyone (aka your boss) if you have an open 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 would annoy your boss, you might create a problem for yourself.
If you think your boss might be bothered, 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. Simply 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 any day. I’d think about a strategy for an inquisitive boss and get my following on!
Let’s Connect on LinkedIn
Please don’t hesitate to invite me to connect on LinkedIn here. The more I know about my readers, the better I can make my blog.
Featured by Career Sherpa
Updated February 2021
© 2015 – 2021, 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 has written for and been quoted by 100+ business and general media outlets, including Forbes, Mashable, Fast Company, Inc., Entrepreneur, CNBC, the New York Times, USA Today, Time, CBS, the BBC, Lifehacker, Social Media Today, IT World, SmartBrief, and Business News Daily.
Let her expertise inform your job search strategy and decision making.
Contact Donna here to learn more about her resume and LinkedIn profile services and fee structure.
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.