My husband will be surprised that I'm admitting this, but....
I was WRONG! 🫢
Or rather, I changed my mind about something. (And that's a woman's prerogative, right?)
You see, around this time a year ago, I was advising clients NOT to use LinkedIn's "Open to Work" frame. At the time, we in the careers industry thought the green frame made a jobseeker look desperate. There was even a high profile Google recruiter who publicly advised against it.
But since that time, my thinking has evolved. What changed my mind?
The data.
Turns out the green frame generates:
➡ a 40% increase in recruiter messages
➡ a 20% increase in community messages
(Source: https://buff.ly/45ZAfGP)
And...
➡ 91% of hiring pros don’t view the “Open to Work” banner as a deterrent.
➡ 72% of respondents said they have hired candidates who used the banner.
(Source: Fast Company citing a survey by Teal)
What about the article by the ex-Google recruiter? Well, that was four years ago, and perceptions change! Being laid off doesn't have the same stigma it once did.
There are still caveats to using the banner.
❌ Do NOT use the frame if you are currently employed. There's a more discrete option for letting the recruiters know you're open without using the frame. You just have to be sure to select "share with recruiters only" rather than "share with all members."
💬 Understand that using the banner will generate some spam and unwanted solicitations for your business. It's OK if someone wants to connect with you, but not if they immediately hit you with a sales pitch. Just delete it and move on.
So there you have it. Meanwhile, I'll remind myself of the famous quote: It's the mark of a wise person to change their mind.
