If you’ve been job searching lately, particularly on LinkedIn, you’ve probably come across mixed opinions about the LinkedIn Open to Work banner for job seekers. In fact, several of my job candidates have shared concerns about using the banner. They want to know if adding it to their profiles might skew perceptions or hurt their chances of landing a new role.  

Let me clear that up right now. I recently posted about this on LinkedIn and would like to further address LinkedIn’s green banner controversy – from a talent recruiter’s perspective. 

The Open to Work banner on your LinkedIn profile is not a negative or sign of desperation 

I’d like to start by dispelling some myths about using the Open to Work feature on LinkedIn. 

• There’s a misconception floating around (often from non-recruiters) that adding the Open to Work banner to your LinkedIn profile photo can make you appear less desirable to hiring companies and talent recruiters. This couldn’t be further from the truth! The banner is helpful to us because it gives us a visual shortcut to identifying people with the experience, skills, and availability we need to fill open roles. Our speed in finding you works in your favor! 

• Another misconception is that the banner automatically signals the status of ‘unemployed.’ The truth is that countless professionals who are employed use this banner when they’re ready to explore new job opportunities, take the next step in their careers, and transition into new industries. We know better than to view the banner as a sign of desperation!

• Yes, unemployed professionals use the Open to Work feature, but keep in mind that talent recruiters and hiring managers are focused on qualifications. We’re keenly aware of the dynamics in today’s job market. Extremely talented professionals are unemployed for reasons beyond their control, such as sudden layoffs and business downsizing. This is why recruiter searches concentrate on skills, work history, endorsements from colleagues and employers, resumes, and accomplishments.  

It’s a fact that LinkedIn’s Open to Work feature is a widely used tool for job hunting that increases your visibility and prompts outreach and attention from recruiters. 

You can even specify your desired job titles, geographic location, preferred working model (remote, hybrid, or on-site), and the type of job you’re seeking, such as full-time or contract work. All of this helps you get where you want to go professionally with greater speed. 

You control your Open to Work visibility on LinkedIn 

What most people don’t realize is that you can control who sees that you’ve marked yourself as “open to work” on your profile. When you set up your Open to Work feature, you can choose whether all LinkedIn members or only recruiters will have visibility into that status when viewing your profile. 

If you choose the latter, only recruiters and company hiring managers who use LinkedIn Recruiter (a paid, premium talent acquisition tool) can see that you have privately marked yourself as Open to Work. Not all hiring managers and recruiters use this subscription-based tool. 

And finally, you can easily turn the Open to Work feature on and off at any time. 

An important reality check when using this feature on your profile 

While LinkedIn takes steps to prevent users of the LinkedIn Recruiter tool from potentially seeing their employees’ Open to Work status, complete privacy is not guaranteed. 

So, if you’re currently employed and casually exploring new roles, you may want to think twice before turning on the banner. Even though LinkedIn tries to limit visibility to a job seeker’s current employer, it’s not foolproof, and yes, your company can see it. I’ve seen this happen more than once.  

What does all of this mean for your job search?  

The bottom line is, if you’re actively job searching, don’t let outdated advice or internet noise hold you back from increasing your visibility to recruiters and hiring companies. The LinkedIn Open to Work banner can be a simple, effective way to get noticed faster by the right people.  

From my point of view as a talent recruiter, the green banner allows more people (especially hiring managers and recruiters without premium tools), to quickly identify that you’re open to new opportunities. And in a competitive hiring market, visibility matters!  

Make direct employer connections through an experienced recruiter 

If you’re exploring your next opportunity and want a career advocate who understands how to position you for success, I’d love to help. LinkedIn is a great platform for job seekers – and so is going directly to the source of top jobs with leading employers!  

Reach out to me today, whether you’re actively searching or just curious about opportunities that are a perfect fit for you. Your next great role could be closer than you think! My name is Katie Winkler and I am a Recruiting Partner with Goodwin Recruiting, a Forbes Best Recruitment Company.