Posted November 23 2023
By Mary Munoz
A recent survey by Hung Lee, curator at Recruiting Brainfood, asked recruiters on LinkedIn whether the #OpenToWork banner is good or bad. Nearly 3,000 people weighed in, with 70% of respondents thinking it was a good thing, only 7% thinking it was a bad thing, 18% feeling neutral, and the remaining 4% having different opinions.
LinkedIn also weighed in on the debate when it first surfaced in 2020, saying, Our data shows that adding the #OpenToWork banner to your profile increases your likelihood of getting a message from a by 2x. That means twice as many job opportunities.
Our Senior Recruitment Consultant for Manufacturing and Engineering, Bora Kesal, said, “The #OpenToWork banner in no way implies desperation. We’re all familiar with the ‘war for talent’ going on in most sectors, with businesses struggling to identify and attract the best candidates, so highlighting yourself this way is a great way to stand out from the crowd and market yourself to prospective employers. It’s a great feeling for us as recruiters when we come across a well-qualified candidate with the OTW frame on. As we know, the candidate is likely to be more engaged in the process before even going into the conversation; the candidate is likely to be more engaged in the process. If you’ve got open to work on, you’re much more likely to secure your next job, simple as that”.
Using the #OpenToWork banner lets recruiters and hiring managers know you’re open to talk
Your favourite coffee shop or bar will always display the open sign when ready for customers. The LinkedIn banner works the same on your profile. It’s there to tell recruiters or prospective employers that you’re open to exploring new work opportunities.
Managing Consultant Sarah Murray, Healthcare & Hospitality, said, “It doesn’t seem desperate to me at all; I think it’s quite a brave and proactive thing to do.”
Booting Your Profile
The best way to think of LinkedIn is to treat it like a big digital party with people you know, some you last saw a while ago and some you have yet to speak to. When you use the #OpenToWork banner, it’s like wearing a birthday sash. Your increasing your visibility, the more eyes on your profile will lead to more opportunities.
Our Divisional Manager for Business Services, Jackie MacGregor, said, “LinkedIn is all about networking. So, if you are looking for work and interested in having chats with people about work opportunities, why would you not make your network aware? When looking at new work opportunities, playing hard to get it doesn’t so well.”
It’s just like Networking
It’s another form of networking. When looking for a new job, you post your CV on job search websites and email recruiters and hiring managers. Using the #OpenToWork banner is the same thing! It’s amplifying your message to the people you want to hear it.
Our Talent Acquisition Manager said, “I think the #OpenToWork banner is really useful for us to reach out to people looking to make a move quickly. It lets us reach people who need help or advice, and ideally, we would be able to give them options for new roles as well.”
Finally, an important thing to remember is that you can use the LinkedIn #OpenToWork banner even if you’re not actively looking for work but are open to hearing about new (and better) opportunities.
If you're for a new job get in touch to see how we can help.