The Hidden Risk Behind the #OpenToWork Banner on LinkedIn
CAREER
I've noticed a lot of mid-career professionals using the #OpenToWork banner on LinkedIn lately, especially when I'm helping friends in FMCG HR look for people to fill important and urgent roles. LinkedIn first released this feature in June 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, to help millions of newly unemployed professionals let recruiters and their larger networks know that they were available. It's easy to see the benefits: many people think this banner can make you more visible, let people know you're available, get people more involved in your network, and bring in more relevant opportunities.
However, have you ever considered the opposing perspective? This banner might also cause problems by making people see things in a way you didn't expect.
The green "Open to Work" banner on your profile shows you're available. But in the psychology of hiring, you could also be sending a different message: stress, need, or instability.
The Iceberg Theory: Are You Swimming or Just Floating?
From a recruiter's point of view, let's talk about the Iceberg Theory. This iceberg idea helps us see that the best talent is often hidden below the surface. You must know your place on the iceberg and how the market views you.
From my own point of view, you should be careful about coming up too strongly. HR or hiring managers will likely see only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to people trying to leave their current situation due to being stuck, burned out, or in conflict. If you seem too available, recruiters might think you're not a top-tier, retained employee. This makes your bargaining power weaker, and you could be treated like a commodity.
However, the remaining 90% of the talent pool is considered undervalued. This is where a lot of the best employees are—those that companies work hard to keep by offering clear growth plans, excellent benefits, and bonuses for staying with the company. But this area can also be dangerous. When a company goes out of its way to keep you, it's not always because they want to keep you around for a long time. Your skills may slowly become less or useful to the general public. You might be overpaid for a very specific internal niche, but you might not have the skills needed for more general jobs. Many people in this group don't realize that they need bigger challenges at some point. They feel safe, but they're stuck.
I think that if you stay too deep underwater for too long, you lose track of how the market is doing. You lose track of how much you're worth outside of your current job. Then, if there is a sudden restructuring, you must quickly rise to the surface without being prepared and join the "panic pool" at the top.
The Sweet Spot
I think the best thing for my career is not to be very public or very private. The main goal is to keep strategic visibility: being aware of opportunities that come up while still keeping your power and safety.
Here are three important strategic steps you could take:
Don't just think about your banner; think about your channels too.
Instead of using the #OpenToWork banner to tell everyone about your status, go back to the strategic channels you already have. Let people know you're open to new opportunities in more private and controlled ways by getting in touch with former high-performing managers, trusted mentors, and certain headhunters. Recruiters often like "passive candidates" more because they think they are harder to reach and therefore more in demand. The right mindset is important: you aren't just looking for any job; you're open to the right one.
Even if you love your current job, you should still go to 1–2 interviews a year.
When you don't really need a job, going to an interview changes how you act. You usually talk with more confidence, clarity, and curiosity than fear. This makes you more appealing to recruiters and hiring managers. The dynamic changes: they must sell you the role and the company instead of you selling yourself. These talks also give you real-time feedback on your skills, positioning, and potential value in the market.
Don't let your boss be the only one who decides how much you are worth.
Your boss's opinion is important, but it's not the only one. You need outside information to set your market price. This could include talking to recruiters, looking at salary benchmarks, comparing roles, and getting feedback from other leaders in your field. Instead of just relying on internal performance reviews or promotion cycles, these outside signals can help you make more strategic career moves.
