Recruiters weigh in if LinkedIn’s ‘open to work’ feature helps or hurts

By now, you’ve probably seen the green badges splashed all over LinkedIn, advertising that person is #opentowork.

Whether unemployed and actively seeking a new position, or quiet quitting in their current role, more people are choosing to make their job-seeking status known on the career site.

Globally, more than 220 million people currently have turned on the “open to work” feature, either privately or publicly, according to LinkedIn. That’s a 35% increase from around the same time last year, the company said, which showcases the challenging job market.

LinkedIn rolled out its “open to work” option in 2020. People can decide if they want to more discreetly signal their status to recruiters only, or to everyone with a public green badge on their profile.

But is it always a smart move? Some recruiters are torn.

“There’s been such a massive debate on LinkedIn about the ‘open to work’ badge, with a mix of employers and recruiters firmly entrenched on both sides,” said Tatiana Becker, founder of NIAH Recruiting.

Debra Boggs, founder and CEO of D&S Executive Career Management, has concerns about the green “open to work” badge or banner for those who make their job seeking status available to all.

“You are bringing the focus to your employment status and away from your unique value in the market and qualifications for the role,” Boggs said.

Meanwhile, Boggs said, “many recruiters and hiring managers feel that it makes a job seeker look desperate, which is not an attractive quality when looking for a stand-out leader to run a function or a business.”

For entry-level and mid-level job seekers, she suggest they use the “open to work” option that only recruiters can see.

“That way, when recruiters are looking for qualified candidates, you are still signaling to them that you are actively searching, but it’s not considered a red flag,” Boggs said.

But for everyone, she said: “Avoid the green banner” that all can see.

Yet Becker sees no shame in signaling your job status to the world. “I say: Put the badge on,” she said.

In the past, being a job hopper was “looked down upon,” Becker said. But that changed when millions of people lost their employment during the Covid pandemic through no fault of their own, and later, with the waves of layoffs that followed the over-hiring boom, she said.

“It’s old fashioned and biased to see the ‘open to work’ badge as a red flag,” Becker said.

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Plus, Becker said, why turn down the help? The badge lets companies and recruiters more easily identify who is looking for a job, she said.

Indeed, using the “open to work feature” doubles someone’s chances of getting a recruiter to message them, according to LinkedIn. Those who flash the green badge under the public option can up that likelihood by 40%, the company said.

“I think there are far more desperate practices on LinkedIn,” said Tiffany Dyba, a recruitment consultant.

So where does all this leave you?

“Do what you feel is best for you,” Dyba said. “It sounds trite, but I really don’t think there is a right or wrong to the ‘open to work.'”