LinkedIn open to work status - company uses external recruiter

Ella_fella

So I have been looking for alternative employment within my company for the past 6 months, have applied for a 3/4 roles, have been down to two final interviews where I was unsuccessful but the feedback was that I interviewed very well but basically there was a preferred candidate each time/candidate with more experience.

I've made the conscious decision to start looking further afield in the New Year as well as still progressing internal vacancies, have updated my CV and LinkedIn profile over the weekend. 

My LinkedIn profile was still set at Open to Work but casually looking, I changed it to looking for work immediately but recruiters only, not the green open to work banner.

Immediately realised that the organisation I work for deploys external recruiters after seeing whom had viewed my profile this morning, so turned off the Open to Work for recruiters status straight away. Ironically one of the external recruiters whom viewed my profile was one I've had interactions with over past 6 months regards internal opportunities.

Not sure how I am able to circumnavigate this going forward, as LinkedIn will block any recruiters working for the same company I currently work in, but if they are not affiliated directly to the business as in this case then they will be able to see I am immediately Open to Work. 

Feel very uncomfortable about them being party to this/how the business may react knowing I am looking for opportunities elsewhere. 

Any advice gratefully received. 

Grumpy_chap

If you have applied for alternative positions within the current organisation in the past 6 months and just missed on a couple of occasions, your current employer / Line Manager should be aware that you are looking for the next challenge.  If the current employer is unable to provide that internally, then they have to expect that you will look externally.

It would be great to think that the current employer was viewing your ambition for a new challenge positively and your immediate Line Manager picking up the need to support your development.  That probably has not happened.  Do you have an appraisal process where you can bring up the subject, all in a positive way, of your desire for a new challenge and just missing the opportunities?  Can you ask your Line Manager what the business is looking for and what you need to develop to be able to make the kind of move you are seeking within the business?  If this can be a proper, adult, grown up discussion, it should be very positive.

I recognise that not all employers or local Line Managers have that open approach or are able to actually manage that type of discussion positively.

If you have had that type of internal discussion and then the current employer sees a change of flag on your Linked In profile, they should not be surprised.  Seeing that flag might even prompt more opportunity within the current employer.

Assuming, of course, that your Line Manager will even see that flag status.  Many would not.  If it happens to be the recruiter (external agency), they will see it a may approach you for other opportunities elsewhere but will do so confidentially.

vacheron

Usually people have colleagues as connections on linkedin. Wouldn't they be able to see your status anyway annd the rumor mill would do the rest? 

When I have changed my status in the past it is usually because I want my employer to see that I want out. The last time they tried to mess the employees around, everyone in my department set their status to "open to work". They even had trouble recruiting for other roles as the candidates noticed how many employees were ready to leave. That got them to the table and relations subsequently improved. 

Ella_fella

Grumpy_chap said:

If you have applied for alternative positions within the current organisation in the past 6 months and just missed on a couple of occasions, your current employer / Line Manager should be aware that you are looking for the next challenge.  If the current employer is unable to provide that internally, then they have to expect that you will look externally.

It would be great to think that the current employer was viewing your ambition for a new challenge positively and your immediate Line Manager picking up the need to support your development.  That probably has not happened.  Do you have an appraisal process where you can bring up the subject, all in a positive way, of your desire for a new challenge and just missing the opportunities?  Can you ask your Line Manager what the business is looking for and what you need to develop to be able to make the kind of move you are seeking within the business?  If this can be a proper, adult, grown up discussion, it should be very positive.

I recognise that not all employers or local Line Managers have that open approach or are able to actually manage that type of discussion positively.

If you have had that type of internal discussion and then the current employer sees a change of flag on your Linked In profile, they should not be surprised.  Seeing that flag might even prompt more opportunity within the current employer.

Assuming, of course, that your Line Manager will even see that flag status.  Many would not.  If it happens to be the recruiter (external agency), they will see it a may approach you for other opportunities elsewhere but will do so confidentially.

Yes I've been totally transparent with my career goals which are short term span to move career path. I recently sat down with my line manager to discuss this in my annual appraisal a few weeks ago.

Unfortunately, apart from expressing my wish to do this the business haven't been supportive in myself transitioning to another career path within the business and supporting my development;  during my appraisal last year I mentioned a training course I would like to be considered for to facilitate this transition and also mentioned it this time around. On both occasions my line manager said yes that is something which the business could look at but would longer term i.e. 3 years +. And the message basically concentrate on learning the skills for your existing job first. Which I have been doing for 1.5 years.

So there's a fundamental misalignment between the timelines of my career aspirations and the timelines of the business supporting this. I can of course progress this training course independently which is my own personal responsibility if I wish to progress.

Ella_fella

vacheron said:

Usually people have colleagues as connections on linkedin. Wouldn't they be able to see your status anyway annd the rumor mill would do the rest? 

When I have changed my status in the past it is usually because I want my employer to see that I want out. The last time they tried to mess the employees around, everyone in my department set their status to "open to work". They even had trouble recruiting for other roles as the candidates noticed how many employees were ready to leave. That got them to the table and relations subsequently improved. 

There is the green ring status around your profile when you make everyone aware that you are "Open to Work" including your connections and casual observers on LinkedIn, I haven't activated this but did activate the "actively seeking work" option which is only meant to be visible to Recruiters. 

vacheron

Ella_fella said:

vacheron said:

Usually people have colleagues as connections on linkedin. Wouldn't they be able to see your status anyway annd the rumor mill would do the rest? 

When I have changed my status in the past it is usually because I want my employer to see that I want out. The last time they tried to mess the employees around, everyone in my department set their status to "open to work". They even had trouble recruiting for other roles as the candidates noticed how many employees were ready to leave. That got them to the table and relations subsequently improved. 

There is the green ring status around your profile when you make everyone aware that you are "Open to Work" including your connections and casual observers on LinkedIn, I haven't activated this but did activate the "actively seeking work" option which is only meant to be visible to Recruiters. 

Ah. that makes sense. 

It was most definitely the green ring thing that we all did, we aren't ones for subtlety! 

Marcon

Ella_fella said:

So there's a fundamental misalignment between the timelines of my career aspirations and the timelines of the business supporting this. 

In that case it may be no bad thing if your employer knows you are looking externally. If you're of real value to them, it might help to focus their minds on how best to keep you. 

MyRealNameToo

On what basis is the external recruiter engaged? A contingent basis (ie they get paid only if they successfully bring someone in) or more a retainer (ie they are getting paid no matter if there is any recruitment happening or not etc)?

Certainly those on a contingent basis arent going to be spending their time and effort reporting back to their client on who's got what status where etc. Whilst the fees that get paid are substantial (my agency has been paid over £100k so far for finding me) there is also a lot of jobs that dont land etc where it's working for free. Generally they won't waste time doing things that isnt about getting new bums on seats. 

If they are on a retainer then things may be a little different. 

Ella_fella

MyRealNameToo said:

On what basis is the external recruiter engaged? A contingent basis (ie they get paid only if they successfully bring someone in) or more a retainer (ie they are getting paid no matter if there is any recruitment happening or not etc)?

Certainly those on a contingent basis arent going to be spending their time and effort reporting back to their client on who's got what status where etc. Whilst the fees that get paid are substantial (my agency has been paid over £100k so far for finding me) there is also a lot of jobs that dont land etc where it's working for free. Generally they won't waste time doing things that isnt about getting new bums on seats. 

If they are on a retainer then things may be a little different. 

Am not 100% sure but think both are on retainers, as one was previously in my LinkedIn contacts and I had noticed that they recently had acquired the role of Internal recruitment partner for the organisation we both are working for, this being an advertised vacancy in the business.

This does however place more doubt on the claim by LinkedIn that recruiters, whom are employed by the same organisation you are currently working for, will not see your change of status. This one definitely did, after checking their LinkedIn header they absolutely specify the same organisation as myself in their profile header. 

Am now getting slightly paranoid/suspicious that after changing my status 2 out of the 3 recruiters whom immediately viewed my LinkedIn profile are in someway affiliated to my organisation, one having actually "placed" me in my current role.

Whilst I've mitigated any short term "damage" by immediately switching my Open to Work visible only to recruiters status off, this still leaves a potential quandary in the New Year when I start applying for external roles in anger. 

flaneurs_lobster

I'm fully aware that I'm rusty in the ways of playing the job market and career development but isn't 18 months into a role just a tad early to be pressing the "I want promotion or I'm out of here" button?

Ella_fella

flaneurs_lobster said:

I'm fully aware that I'm rusty in the ways of playing the job market and career development but isn't 18 months into a role just a tad early to be pressing the "I want promotion or I'm out of here" button?

You mention promotion however for clarity, the new career paths I am seeking do not necessarily short term lever any additional increase in earnings or responsibilities over my current role.