Recruiter.com posted an article about a new launch from LinkedIn – the inclusion of an “Apply” button which is designed to make it easier for people with LinkedIn profiles to directly apply for jobs being advertised on company websites. The Apply button (which organisations can develop easily) will be included on each job vacancy thus allowing an application to be just your LinkedIn profile – no CV or application form required!
It’s being hailed as an advance forward for candidates, as described by recruiter.com:
It might speed up the process. If candidate’s can fill out one profile through Linkedin and then use that profile around the web, they won’t have to fill out lengthy job application forms each time.
Recruiter.com also quite rightly point out that an individual’s LinkedIn profile would have to be fully completed and “fleshed out”.
I have two issues with this straightaway. It takes away the ability to tailor an individual’s application / approach for a vacancy and the LinkedIn profile is just that, a profile. Using the same profile on LinkedIn for each job you apply for is madness – just as using the exact same CV for each role you apply for is, but people still do that so maybe it’s just me that has got a bee in the bonnet. Just thinking about the LinkedIn profile / applying for jobs thing further. If you were to apply for a Project Manager post on a Monday, using a LinkedIn profile, we’re making the assumption that the recipient would probably get round to looking at that applicant within say two weeks. Then if you saw another post to apply for on the Thursday that required just a few tweaks of the profile to make some relevant experience stand out more for that particular position. What profile does Monday’s recipient see?
So we all know LinkedIn is about sharing just enough details about yourself to make meaningful connections to others – what’s being proposed is putting the wheels in motion for LinkedIn to become one gigantic CV database. Will each individual’s profile just be an online CV? So what’s it to be? A social connection/networking tool or a CV database tool? Can it be both – and do the job adequately?
The second issue I have with the new launch – as indicated in the Recruiter.com article is:
You can imagine a time when the connections that a candidate has are transferred along with the profile and are used for assessment purposes
Yes you can imagine a time when you apply for a position with a company with your LinkedIn profile – and that company can then see all your connections and contacts (i.e., your competition for that job). They’ll be able to easily get in touch with any member of your network who might look preferable to you! “Assessment purposes” is also a little murky, isn’t it? I can only imagine organisations using the information on your connections to provide reference / feedback on you. It ain’t Big Brother watching you anymore! (or am I falling into that saying “just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you!”)
What do you think?
Image: By monkeymanforever
Twitter: UnlikeBefore
Hi Lindsay
The points you’ve raised in this post are spot on and I’m sure as people read they’ll add their own.
It might be a way to speed up the process but from my experience there’s already a big disconnect between applicants and recruiters on other job sites. I can’t see how this ‘added functionality’ will benefit anyone or how it might increase the level of ‘personality’ in the process.
Cheers, Deanne
Twitter: EdWallington
Wise words.
Twitter: agilescout
But if you are awesome it won’t matter…
Twitter: PM_StrayDogg
@AgileScout-Well said. Just remember one thing: The amount of “awesome” one is can sometimes get lost in the shuffle of the amount of marketable one is. Never forget that it isn’t always the best candidate that gets the job: sometimes, the best presentation of one’s candidacy for the job that shines through. We talked about it in the April edition of Tipoffs