Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

LinkedIn - Connections - what's your policy?
Quote | Reply
I know LinkedIn is dated as hell and for most of us, it is of questionable usefulness, but...

What are your personal rules on connection invites sent to you?

Typically in the past I will accept any invite if I have have met or know someone.

But what do you do with the random invites from people you don't know? People in your same company, but you don't know or done business with. People who do not work in your company and you do not know. Usually these two cases are connected with other people in your network already.

I feel a lot of this is just people padding their connection network to get above the "500" mark.

Do you basically accept any connection invite, regardless if you know them?
Quote Reply
Re: LinkedIn - Connections - what's your policy? [Endo] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I'll accept if it's someone I know personally, might accept if it's a 3rd degree separation, depends on who it is and what they do.

I get the occasional offer to interview still. I haven't accepted any offers because I'm very happy where I'm at, but it's somewhat comforting to know I'm still seen as a viable candidate.

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody
Quote Reply
Re: LinkedIn - Connections - what's your policy? [Endo] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I only accept if I can connect the dots as to who they are or who we know in common.

Most of the random ones I get are from recruiters so I do not accept them.

What happens when you get to the "500 mark" ?

"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "
Last edited by: Leddy: Mar 20, 17 7:51
Quote Reply
Re: LinkedIn - Connections - what's your policy? [Endo] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
People I work/do business with, have worked/done business with, or are connected to existing connections, I usually accept.

Random recruiters, offshore consultants specialising in the particular software vertical I used to be in, or people selling services like SEO etc.. no.

A previous employer submitted an announcement in the local business journal about me being hired. Within a couple of hours of it showing up on their site I had a handful of invites from financial advisers/planners. Yeah.. fuck off.
Quote Reply
Re: LinkedIn - Connections - what's your policy? [Endo] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Do you basically accept any connection invite, regardless if you know them?


I more or less work in Sales - thus, connecting with people is what I do for a living, and the strength of my network is the strength of my business and the bushiness I generate for my clients.

I send out a good number of requests to connect myself with others - but I always make it clear WHY I am connecting in the brief comment box. I in turn get a decent amount of offers to connect because I am reasonably active on LinkedIn. I typically give the persons profile a quick going over - if it's some distant contact, just looking to build up their contact list, and they have not included a personal note and reason for the reach-out, I'll typically just pass on it.

But if it's a 2nd connection, and they have sent along a personal note, I'll always say "yes" - reach back out with an eMail. Thank them for connecting and if there is any over-lap in what each of us do, see if there are mutual ways that we can help one another. That often leads to a phone call.

In the old days stuff like this was done via a "Cold Call" - and while Cold Calls still happen (I still do them - probably 5 -10/day), a reach out and connection on LinkedIn tends to be a bit to a lot warmer, and more reliable.

If anyone here would like to connect via LinkedIn I'm at https://www.linkedin.com/in/flecksteve/


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
Last edited by: Fleck: Mar 20, 17 8:14
Quote Reply
Re: LinkedIn - Connections - what's your policy? [Fleck] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Yeah, these cases I'm referring to are connection requests with no note attached.

I just figure it is people trying to boost their connection number, as I can't readily see a business link why they would want to connect.

To the above posters question on why "500". LinkedIn shows the number of contacts you have up to 500 then it just says +500, regardless of how many you have.

It is believed by some that this is a box you need to check to boost your perceived resume to show that you are well connected, active and relevant in the business world. So I believe people just send random spam connection invites out to people related to their sphere of connections trying to boost their counts. That is what I believe anyway.

If I don't know you and you don't attach a brief note to the invite, you get ignored.

But I thought I might be being too particular about it. I figure if I connect with you, it is somewhat of a very thin endorsement and of knowing you.


.
Last edited by: Endo: Mar 20, 17 11:44
Quote Reply
Re: LinkedIn - Connections - what's your policy? [Endo] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I agree with you. I do not accept connection requests from people I do not know as I do not want to endorse them in any way.

I get the occasional job offer through Link In.

When applying for a a job, often a company will not use the references that you provide. Instead they will use Linked In to find a mutual connection and use them to reference check you.

So it is a good idea to keep your Linkin profile current and your connections relevant and up to date.
Quote Reply
Re: LinkedIn - Connections - what's your policy? [Endo] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I closed my linkedin account 2.5 weeks ago and it was enormously therapeutic

I did not need the continual drivel on the front page, the updates on who ate a sandwich and all the other BS

I imagine that its like facebook but that FB is a million times worse and linkedin was too annoying for me
Quote Reply
Re: LinkedIn - Connections - what's your policy? [Endo] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I typically respond to invites, but seldom initiate them. I could probably benefit by becoming more active with LinkedIn.

I will typically accept an invite if the person is in the same industry as my software company (Pupil Transportation). I occasionally receive invites from industries that are on the periphery of the industry - I ignore those.

I received an invite from my 70 year old mother-in-law who is retired. I have no idea what she was doing on Linked In - so I rejected it. :)
Quote Reply
Re: LinkedIn - Connections - what's your policy? [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I did not need the continual drivel on the front page, the updates on who ate a sandwich and all the other BS

I imagine that its like facebook but that FB is a million times worse and linkedin was too annoying for me



Yes - it's frustrating when people don't understand the key differences with some of the mainline social media platforms. LinkedIn for business stuff (only) and Facebook for fun, family, personal and political things.

For me the advantages of LinkedIn - for networking, prospecting, finding new leads and connecting to potential new business opportunities far out-weighs the annoyance of seeing the occasional anti-Trump post, or some other trivial thing. The quality of your feed (what you see) is really reflective of the people that you follow, and the type of posts, and the people that you post comments to. I'm assuming they have similar algorithms at work that Facebook does that links all that up!

Twitter is interesting. Some think it a total joke - But again, I have found it to be a great prospecting tool to warm up potentially cold contacts - either individuals or companies, before I reach out to them! I cold-called a company last week and the first thing the CEO said to me was, to say, "Thanks for the Retweet last week"! So 1) He took my call and 2) Our relationship is off to a good start! No RT, and I suspect I would have got nothing out of the cold call!


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
Quote Reply
Re: LinkedIn - Connections - what's your policy? [Endo] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I have accepted invites if there is some mutual connection or if a note is attached to the invite. A few connections are recruiters reaching out looking to talk a bit more to possibly schedule an interview. If it is just a random person with no note or connection, I usually just ignore.
Quote Reply
Re: LinkedIn - Connections - what's your policy? [Endo] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Endo-
I have been told by several recruiters that the 500 connections shows others on LinkedIn you are active networker. So business business development, Recruiters / Headhunters, and the occasional Entrepreneur seeks people with an active 500+ network. It's all about getting a greater audience.
Over the past 9 years it's become more of an online business magazine with some pretty interesting articles rather than a resource for talent.
Quote Reply
Re: LinkedIn - Connections - what's your policy? [LuckyLo] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
LuckyLo wrote:
Endo-
I have been told by several recruiters that the 500 connections shows others on LinkedIn you are active networker. So business business development, Recruiters / Headhunters, and the occasional Entrepreneur seeks people with an active 500+ network. It's all about getting a greater audience.
Over the past 9 years it's become more of an online business magazine with some pretty interesting articles rather than a resource for talent.

Yes, that is my understanding as well. Which is what was behind my OP. I feel I'm getting requests from 2/3rd unknown people to connect to just to boost their count. Maybe I should just accept and not be a hard ass. Contacts are contacts, so no harm? Maybe I need to do the same, since I do not have +500 connections. :+)


.
Quote Reply
Re: LinkedIn - Connections - what's your policy? [Endo] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I generally limit it to people in my industry that I actually know. I connected with the headhunter who got me my current position and a few more but now so many headhunters try to connect that I ignore them. I'm at 134 connections now.
I never mix business and personal. I use LinkedIn only for profession networking and correspondence and Facebook, reddit, Slowtwitch etc. for personal stuff. If I get a LinkedIn invite from a friend or family I ignore it and if I get a request from a coworker or colleague to connect on facebook I ignore that.
Quote Reply