The #OpenToWork badge on LinkedIn is one of the features put in place to help recruiters and candidates meet each other.
If you are looking for a job and want to know more about this feature, we explain everything in this article.
What is the #OpenToWork feature on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn’s #OpenToWork feature lets you let LinkedIn recruiters know you’re open to job opportunities. Concretely, it is a green ribbon bearing the inscription #OpenToWork which appears at the level of your profile photo.
Launched in 2020, this feature launched alongside the #Hiring badge . If the latter is dedicated to recruiters, the OpenToWork badge is reserved for users looking for a job (passive or active). “OpenToWork” means in French ” listening to new LinkedIn opportunities “.
Thus, you can display it if you are already employed in a company or if you are unemployed. If you are currently employed, however, it may be tricky to display it because your current employer might see it. That’s why LinkedIn has set up visibility settings that you can adjust yourself.
What is the benefit of using this feature?
The #OpenToWork badge, like “Hiring”, was implemented by LinkedIn in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. A lot of people have lost their jobs and these features were meant to make it easier for them to find jobs on LinkedIn .
When you are about to activate the #OpenToWork badge on LinkedIn, you will be asked for some information:
The type of job or profession you are looking for
Your sector of activity
Your geographical area
Then, based on this information, LinkedIn will make your profile appear as a priority in the searches of recruiting companies when the criteria match. This badge therefore optimizes the positioning of your profile in the LinkedIn search engine.
How to put an #OpenToWork badge on your profile?
Go to your profile page. Then, click on “Let recruiters know that you are open to new opportunities”.
Fill in all the information requested: the type of job you are looking for (full-time, part-time, etc.), the types of positions that match your profile, your availability, your place of work, etc.
Once these steps have been completed, you will see the famous green #OpenToWork banner appear on your profile picture. LinkedIn also gives you the ability to configure who can see this badge (go below to learn more).
How to remove it?
Just as you can activate the ” open to opportunities ” badge, you can also deactivate it. When you have landed the job of your dreams, for example, you can deactivate this badge (or if your approach does not bear fruit).
Here is how to do it:
Go to your profile page. To do this, click on your profile picture at the top right and then on “You”.
Click on “Listening to new opportunities” to modify the information.
In the box that opens, click on “recruiters only” then save.
Once you’ve done this, the green banner will be removed from your profile picture.
Deactivating the badge does not mean that you give up forever on finding a better position on the platform. There are many ways to look for work on LinkedIn in less conspicuous ways .
You should know that LinkedIn can also automatically remove this badge. This happens especially when you no longer respond to InMails from recruiters. LinkedIn administrators will ask you by email if you are still “open to opportunities”. If you do not confirm, your badge will be automatically deleted.
The pitfall of this feature
A priori interesting for job seekers, the #OpenToWork badge is not without risks. On average, 70% of LinkedIn users are latent job seekers . This implies that they may already be employed in a company but remain open to more interesting professional opportunities.
Precisely, for this type of profile, displaying an “open to opportunities” badge can be confusing to the current employer . This one could indeed see this situation with a bad eye.
That’s why LinkedIn gives you two visibility parameter options:
Recruiters only. Your “#OpenToWork” badge will therefore be concealed from your current employer. All you have to do is fill in the name of “your current company” as well as the option “I currently hold this position” in your profile. This prevents your current company and affiliated companies from seeing your badge .
All LinkedIn users. Your badge will then be visible to the general public, including your current employer.
This last option does you a disservice and in more ways than one:
Recruiters might think you’re desperate for a job . It’s never a good thing. Leaving some mystery and being desired is always a good strategy in the world of work.
You are a passive candidate. You display this badge to show your availability and wait for recruiters to contact you.
On the other hand, recruiters prefer rare and sought-after candidates. They favor candidates that everyone is snapping up rather than those who are too available.
The #OpenToWork profile can therefore be a double-edged sword . This is why most job seekers prefer to adopt alternative approaches in their search strategy on LinkedIn. Among these alternatives we have:
The recommendation system
Optimizing your profile by detailing your previous assignments by publishing valuable content on your area of expertise
In conclusion, this feature is a badge that allows LinkedIn users to indicate to recruiters that they are “open to opportunities”. It is therefore a green band that appears on your profile picture. Too ostensible, however, it is an approach that can be counterproductive.
Luckily, LinkedIn is full of better ways to find a job, as an alternative to the #OpenToWork badge .
