LinkedIn Digs Into Values-Based Hiring With New Features
Following last week's release of new verification features, today LinkedIn announced several updates designed to better align job seekers and employers on values. The announcement comes at a time when nearly 70% of employees expect employers to reflect their values, have a greater purpose and provide meaningful work that shapes society, according to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer.
'Commitments' Feature Allows Brands to Promote Values
The updated “Commitments” feature, first introduced in August 2022, allows companies to highlight their core values and priorities on their About pages. These Commitments might include work-life balance, social impact, career growth and learning, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) or environmental sustainability. In the documentation related to the updates, the company positions the release as a response to the 'Great Resignation,' which saw nearly 100,000 US employees quit their jobs between 2021-2022 in part to find a more fulfilling job.
Organizations can choose up to five Commitments, which automatically appear whenever they create a job post.
According to LinkedIn, the new feature gives candidates information they care about most in the job search. In fact, Gen Z job hunters say their number one priority is finding opportunities that align with their interests and values.
More than just advertising these values, LinkedIn recommends backing them up with proof. “Strengthen your brand story and differentiate your organization by linking content that backs up the Commitments you want to showcase,” advised the company in a related guidebook. The proof, LinkedIn added, should be relevant, up-to-date, factual, unbiased and tangible — something concrete job seekers can look to.
As an example, on its own About page, the company shares its 2022 Workforce Diversity report, which showcases recent progress made in its number one listed Commitment: diversity, equity and inclusion.
Related Podcast: How to Intentionally Design Corporate Culture
'I’m Interested' Button Connects Job Seekers and Recruiters
Job seekers can now click the “I’m Interested” button on a company’s page to privately signal their interest in working for a company without needing to apply or use #OpentoWork on their profile.
“Once you’ve signaled ‘I’m interested,’ those at the company will be able to view your profile when searching for interested candidates within Recruiter,” wrote Rachel Salinas, senior customer success manager at LinkedIn. This feature is available to all companies with active LinkedIn Career Page and Recruiter contracts.
The new button, part of LinkedIn’s larger Talent Interest Pipeline, allows organizations to “more easily find candidates who are already interested in working for your company and possess the same values.”
Learning Opportunities
LinkedIn Verification for Job and Identity Authentication
The arrival of LinkedIn verification allows users to verify their identity, work email address and workplace, which builds on profile updates introduced in October 2022.
Users can complete the free process in one of three ways:
- Identity verification with CLEAR. Those in the US with a government-issued ID and phone number can use CLEAR, a third-party identity verification service.
- Work email verification. Employees that work at one of the over 4000 participating companies can verify their employer by providing their work email address and confirming the code sent to that email. The company plans to expand eligibility "over time."
- Workplace verification with Microsoft Entra. Employees of one of the pilot companies in the program can use the Entra Verified ID platform to confirm their place of employment. LinkedIn plans to expand access to this program as more companies participate with Entra.
Once verification is complete, it will be visible on your profile. However, it can be removed at any time in settings.
This update stems from an uptick in fraudulent activity on the platform. “Over the last few months, we’ve seen a rise in fraudulent activity happening across the Internet, including here on LinkedIn, and heard questions on how we are working to prevent it,” wrote Oscar Rodriguez, vice president of product management at LinkedIn, in June of 2022.
Four months later, Rodriguez announced the rollout of verification features, claiming they will help users make more informed decisions about who they’re interacting with.
“Whether you are deciding to accept an invitation, learning more about a business opportunity, or exchanging contact information, we want you to be empowered to make decisions having more signals about the authenticity of accounts,” he wrote.
According to press officials at LinkedIn, the company plans to continue to explore new ways to verify and expand availability of verification to members. More updates to the new verification process, as well as other platform features, will follow in 2023.
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About the Author
Michelle Hawley is an experienced journalist who specializes in reporting on the impact of technology on society. As a senior editor at Simpler Media Group and a reporter for CMSWire and Reworked, she provides in-depth coverage of a range of important topics including employee experience, leadership, customer experience, marketing and more. With an MFA in creative writing and background in inbound marketing, she offers unique insights on the topics of leadership, customer experience, marketing and employee experience. Michelle previously contributed to publications like The Press Enterprise and The Ladders. She currently resides in Pennsylvania with her two dogs.
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