LinkedIn profiles should be kept professional. That’s why so many people rely on the best executive LinkedIn profile writers to make their careers look impressive and make an impact. Yet LinkedIn is prone to a phenomenon that used to be solely limited to social media platforms: cyberstalking.
Cyberstalking or online stalking is now prevalent in the realm of professional as well as personal online platforms. This could be a worry to people who don’t really want their boss looking at their posts or other content.
LinkedIn is one of the top tools for hiring managers, with 77% of recruiters utilizing the platform to source talent. However, if you see the same names on your profile over and over, you might start to feel concerned. Likewise, if you see your current boss’s profile popping up frequently, this could lead to increased stress.
Understanding why cyberstalking happens and what you can do about it can help you have a more relaxed time on LinkedIn.
What Is Cyberstalking?
Cyberstalking is defined as repeated online contact that makes you feel uncomfortable or harassed. This includes compulsively checking someone’s social media, constantly checking someone’s personal website or their LinkedIn posts.
When you log in to LinkedIn, you get notifications about how many people have viewed your profile. These notifications quickly allow you to assess if someone is “stalking” you — visiting your profile repeatedly with no clear reason.
Why do employers repeatedly visit the same profiles on LinkedIn? There could be numerous reasons, and it largely depends on their relationship with you.
Former Employers Stalking You on LinkedIn
If you see your former employer appearing on your feed, is this a good thing or a bad thing? That depends on how you left things when you moved to a new firm. If you left on good terms, you might not even bat an eyelid at seeing their name pop up. However, if you were dismissed or left under a cloud, there could be stress associated with either an individual or the whole company.
Should You Be Concerned?
A former employer can’t really cause much grief for you even if they didn’t like your career move. If you’re employed and happy at work, the best thing to do here is to ignore the repeated visits. If it gets annoying, block the account.
Current Bosses Keeping Tabs on You
When your current boss repeatedly appears on your LinkedIn notifications, that’s a trickier situation. You might feel awkward blocking your employer, and it might not be feasible if you occasionally communicate via LinkedIn. If you’ve got a good relationship, you could just ask them why they’re looking at your profile.
Should You Be Concerned?
Your boss may be checking up on you if you’ve given them reasons to worry. A decline in job performance or repeated absence might prompt them to find you on multiple platforms. However, it’s highly unlikely that your employer will take action based on data they find via online networks. If you have concerns, remove anything from your profile that you think could be used in a negative context.
Potential New Employers Visiting Your LinkedIn Profile
If you see the same name and face visiting your profile and you don’t know them at all, this could be a hiring manager checking out top talent. You can take a look at a profile without appearing on their notifications by searching for them in private mode. To activate this:
Log into LinkedIn.
Click the dropdown arrow by your profile picture.
Click Settings & Privacy.
Click Visibility.
Click Profile viewing options.
Here you’ll see three options: “Your name and headline,” “Private profile characteristics,” and “Private mode.”
The first option means profiles will see your full details when you view them.
The second view means they’ll see your job title and industry.
Private mode means they will only see that a LinkedIn user visited their profile. You can use this option to find out more details about who is looking at your profile without letting them know that’s what you’re doing.
Should You Be Concerned?
In most instances, no. It’s generally a positive sign that recruiters are looking at you. Research suggests that eight people are hired every minute using LinkedIn. Just be wary of potential scams. If you get bombarded with messages asking you to send personal details or offering unbelievable salaries, it’s probably not a legitimate recruiter.
Tips to Reduce Stress Surrounding LinkedIn Stalking
One primary concern about bosses stalking you on LinkedIn is that they’ll see something personal about you that doesn’t match your work persona. You can avoid this by keeping your profile entirely professional and saving your photos of wild nights out or unusual hobbies for social platforms.
You may also worry that your LinkedIn profile doesn’t include much information about your career life. It’s quite common for people to set up a LinkedIn account and then never update it. Consider utilizing technical resume writing services like the one in Denver Colorado to bring your experience and education up to speed. It’s a simple way to update your LinkedIn details and appear professional if your boss happens to stop by.
Remember to update your profile to show that you work at your current company. If your organization has a LinkedIn page, you should follow it. You might find that the incidents of “stalking” coincide with posts about your department or specialism. It could simply be a case of your colleagues using your experience as inspiration.
Bottom Line: LinkedIn Is There to Be Looked At
It can feel unnerving if the same employers or colleagues are always on your LinkedIn notifications.
However, it’s important to remember why you set up a LinkedIn account in the first place. The platform is for networking and professional connections, and your profile is a little like a shop window. You can’t help who looks in, but you don’t have to engage with everyone who does.
If someone is genuinely causing concern, you can block them. You might choose this option for an old boss with whom you didn’t have a good relationship or stalkers from companies outside your professional sphere. Be open to simply asking existing colleagues why they’re visiting your profile. For recruiters or hiring managers, consider dropping them a message if you’re interested in working for them. Just make sure your account and profile are up-to-date and professional-looking before you do.