Credit: https://twitter.com/MattNavarra/status/936321116548882432
A new feature just released by professional social networking company LinkedIn is about to cause some ripples among users. The new feature which was spotted by Twitter user Matt Navarra who shared a screenshot using his Twitter page, is offering to share an employee’s data with her employer. According to LinkedIn, the offer is only available for a select few companies who will have access to their employees’ online sharing behavior.
An update like this can only lead to a backlash with users who will now sense that their privacy is being invaded by LinkedIn. Sharing the data or online sharing behavior of users makes users unsafe, especially when it comes to their employers.
Recall that LinkedIn had rolled out a service that connects job seekers with potential employees in October 2016. Open Candidates, the name of the feature, allows members to privately notify recruiters of their status [open for opportunities] without being exposed to their current employers. The idea is if people could privately notify employers of their availability, it would solve a lot of issues on privacy.
What I suspect the company wants to do in this case [sharing data with employers] is to analyze your data sharing habits and offer its findings to your employer. Such data could include, but not limited to amount of content you post, and the effect it has on “content management.”
With a subject head that reads: “Get data on your employees’ sharing behavior,” the company, according to the Navarra’s screenshot said:
“We know from our research that companies whose employees regularly share content are able to better market their products and services,” the statement on the screenshot reads.
“We’d like to offer you the chance to see unique data about the sharing activity of your own employees, something we’re only doing for a select set of companies. If you’re interested, click here and we’ll be in touch with your customer data…”
If LinkedIn continues in its line of action, it could lead to anxiety among users who will now fear that they will be ranked by how effectively they have been managing to represent their organization.
In a research carried out by LinkedIn, the company discovered that 77 percent of professional workers are open to next available opportunity. Moving to a new job or taking a new position has never been the issue with employees—it’s always about how not to get caught by an employer when looking or advertising yourself. The Open Candidate feature is seen as the perfect tool for an employee because it presents a platform to quietly wink at companies; telling them of your availability. “This is a signal to recruiters that you want to hear from them,” explained Eric Owski, LinkedIn’s head of talent brand products.
This certainly isn’t the end of this story, and we will provide you with an update as soon as one is available.
