Do others think you have skills on LinkedIn? Endorsements arrive in the UK
You have always been able to recommend people on LinkedIn but after the announcement some weeks ago you can also now endorse your 1st degree connections’ skills and expertise on LinkedIn with just one click.
It is really simple to endorse someone’s skills on LinkedIn, simply scroll down to the skills section of their profile, click the name of the skill or the + symbol next to the skill and heh presto done.
Your name and picture will then appear next to the skill on their profile, and an update regarding the endorsement will appear in both of your network update streams via the homepage and an email will also be sent to the person you’ve endorsed.
Moving on from this LinkedIn will now show the most endorsed skills first, so it should be simpler to spot the people who are really good at what they do. Although I have already seen some pleading emails circulating, quite sad really that they have to ask, just my view.
You may also see a blue box at the top of your connection’s profile that will allow you to suggest and endorse multiple skills. Suggested skills won’t appear on your connection’s profile until they approve them, so you can help your connections to show the right skills and endorse them too.
If you have made the fatal mistake of endorsing someone you wish you hadn’t, say you logged onto LinkedIn when you got home from the pub (never do that!), fear not, you can remove it by going to their profile, pause the cursor over the skills that you previously endorsed and click undo, done!
There is some functionality for hiding endorsements too, but I wouldn’t do that just yet as it is irreversible.
It will be very interesting to see what skills get endorsed and the other skills people suggest you have. For a live example have a look at my skills section on my profile here.
Happy endorsing all!
It will be intriguing to see how this unfolds James. I have my concerns about the low quality of data that’s going to end up being the output of this initiative (and the way it’s been implemented). I’m not the only one either. Be interested to hear your thoughts – see:
http://www.social-hire.com/career–interview-advice/1203/linkedin-endorsements-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly
Hi Tony and thanks for the kind comment.
Just like when they introduced recommendations there are those quick to react to the pro’s and the con’s. By now, I hope, most are aware that any endorsement or recommendation is reflected through their network to everyone they are connected with and that’s powerful stuff. I would NEVER endorse or recommend anyone that I wouldn’t use for that area of focus or skill and I hope that most are the same, but it will come down to human behaviour.
I think the implied link to recruitment is very true, I think the risk of abuse of the function is already prevalent with at least three “experts” (politely) begging for endorsements already via mailing lists today, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.
My view is that all online endorsements and recommendations are played out either in the persons behaviour or via interaction with them or the people around them, even the people that recommend them will quickly share and validate (or otherwise) someone.
Best wishes,
James
Thanks for sharing this James. I worry this is going to be ‘gamed to death’ as so many of these things do and just hope LinkedIn have measures in place to retain a degree of credibility.
I think as with all things community based there is that risk, but also that users are becoming more aware that they risk reputation by “gaming” reputations on line. If you endorse or recommend someone it appears in your activity to all your connections, for example no one would never recommend me for Twitter or Facebook as it would ruin their reputations and other perception of them instantly.
Thanks for the comment.
Best wishes,
James
I’ll only endorse you for LinkedIn. Or coffee. 🙂
Dear Adrian,
I am looking forward to see how my skills endorsements play out, unlike many I won’t ask for them or chase people for them as I think it is disingenuous. But will coffee drinking or LinkedIn come highest? 🙂
Thanks for the comment.
James