LinkedIn is getting more confessional and less professional.
At first, I thought it was just my imagination. But then I started asking colleagues and friends, “Have you been noticing more inappropriate posts on LinkedIn?” Much to my relief, more than one responded, “I know! I didn’t say anything because I was afraid I’d sound too conventional.”
By inappropriate, I don’t mean: honest and authentic, human and compassionate, emotive and unguarded. By inappropriate, I do mean: would you send it to a coworker using your work computer and email address? If not, it’s inappropriate for the workplace. Does that mean it’s also inappropriate for LinkedIn?
LinkedIn has historically been an oasis from the political and social strife you find on other social media platforms. There are many options for personal self-expression but there is only one dedicated platform for professional life. And many of the new, unconventional posts on LinkedIn are a welcome deformalizing of the work environment. The pandemic changed how we relate to each other; it allowed us to work in a more casual environment and see each other’s homes and families, bringing down some of the walls between work and home. LinkedIn posts celebrating a new baby, informing of the death of a spouse, or sharing a personal win are chances to appreciate your colleagues as a whole person, not just a teammate.
At the same time, social media has accelerated some of our worst impulses, contributing to a decline in civility and rewarding extremism. And I’ve seen plenty of that lately on LinkedIn — posts featuring paragraphs-long nonsensical rants, heated exchanges about politics and religion, images of men with guns, and even a poem dedicated to beauty with a photo of an 80-year-old woman in a bikini. If it’s inappropriate attire or content for the workplace, it’s inappropriate for LinkedIn.
On LinkedIn, you are essentially memorializing your thoughts for thousands of people to see — almost certainly including future colleagues and employers. If you want to land your dream job, think about your posting history. Does it show your best self? If it’s not right for work, it’s not right for LinkedIn.
Is this the new normal on LinkedIn? Here’s what you can do about it.
01.
Be mindful of what you post. Would you send it to a colleague using your work computer/channels? Would you mind a former or future boss seeing it? Does it add positivity or negativity to the conversation?
02.
Be mindful of how you interact. What you like and comment on also shows up on your feed. So keep in mind that what you say to others on LinkedIn is visible to current and future colleagues, bosses, friends — maybe even your grandmother. Keep it professional.
03.
Mosey on up to the water cooler. Take advantage of the post-pandemic deformalizing of LinkedIn to share meaningful and/or light-hearted things about yourself. Being mindful and having fun are not mutually exclusive — appropriate posts can help your colleagues get to know you on a more personal level.
We can’t stop the change that’s afoot, but we can help evolve what the new LinkedIn is: a more inclusive professional platform that helps you share more about who you are by demonstrating good judgment, a little restraint, and top-notch content you’re proud of. We all deserve a safe place to work and a respite from the strife that can be found in all other corners of the Internet. Let’s keep LinkedIn professional.
