What was Linkedin thinking when it gave control of our brands to others through the endorsements feature? I have to say, I’m not a fan. And I believe the endorsement function cheapens the overall Linkedin brand.
Forbes says ...
“To endorse someone on LinkedIn, all you need to do is click a box and you’re done. No thinking involved.”
and I completely agree ... there is no thinking involved.
People who don’t know me and who have never worked with me are giving me endorsements for skills they assume I have. So far, and thankfully, they have been pretty accurate.
However, the ease and thoughtlessness with which endorsements can be given means others, and sometimes others who don’t know you, are now driving your brand. And from a branding perspective, that makes the endorsement detrimental if it is off-brand.
And it sometimes seems like a “tit for tat” kind of deal ... folks who want endorsements are eager to give endorsements in order to - hopefully - get endorsements.
Endorsements seem to me to be the antithesis of the recommendations feature, where you approached someone who DOES know you and HAS worked with you and asked them for a recommendation that includes SPECIFIC evidence of your skill sets. To me, that has immense value, particularly for well-branded CFOs.
Is it just me? What do you think?
Blog post
Linkedin Endorsements or Recommendations
Filed Under:
Human Capital