To think you don’t block new colleagues on LinkedIn?

[Everyoneisunreasonable]

I work in a global team, and my boss announced a new starter yesterday, based in San Francisco. So, I looked him up on LinkedIn, as you do, to see what his background was. But he wasn’t there, which is highly odd as our job involves a LOT of networking and LI is an important tool in that. I asked a colleague in San Diego if she could see him and she said she had been involved in interviewing him, and that she could.

I couldn’t think of any other explanation than he had blocked me, so I looked him up on my husband’s LI, and could see him. So, he had blocked me!

I asked another European colleague this morning if she could see him, and she couldn’t. So she had been blocked too. Neither of us have ever met this guy before, so it’s not like either of us had offended him! AIBU to think this is a massive red flag and the guy has something to hide? Does anyone have any potential reasons why someone might block new colleagues they haven’t even met? Never come across this behaviour before!

I’m going to ask him at some point, but I’ll wait until I’ve interacted with him a bit first.

I'm not in linked in, but I wonder if you might be being too intrusive here?

Probably because he didn't want his new colleagues nosing at his background when he's already proved himself in the interviews.

Looking him up out of nosiness is one thing, but then using your husbands profile, and discussing with multiple people and getting them to look too is absolutely ridiculous.

Bringing it up with him would also be ridiculous. He's entitled to block whoever he wants for whatever reason he wants.

Maybe he thought, JFC, I've just joined the company and people are snooping.

Nope. It’s part of our job to use LI and I would 100% expect upon joining a new company for my colleagues to look me up. That’s the norm. Which is why this is so weird to block new colleagues you haven’t even met.

He sounds weird but as far as I know there's no Criminal History section on LinkedIn so I don't think it's about having anything to hide. Especially if hiring person is not blocked.

If he's done it to others then it's not personal. I'd just forget about it.

How exactly is she intrusive?

Its a bit odd.
I always looked people up on LI and connected if I was going to be working with them.
There is probably a simple explanation - maybe he blocked you when he was deciding about the job but then forgot to unblock?

That is so weird of him! Whenever we have a new team hire or new manager, one of the first things everyone does is check out their LinkedIn to see their history & perhaps connect if we would be directly working with them.

Only thing I can think is that he wants to smarten it up before starting the new job.

Maybe they've deactivated for a bit rather than blocking people individually.

How is it intrusive? That is literally what LI is for, to look colleagues/contacts etc up.

Maybe you and your colleague are both connected to someone who has caused him a lot of trouble and he panic blocked you.

I've worked with some truly awful people who are on LinkedIn, and I don't want to make it easy for them to keep tabs on me. I'm not just talking about people who are vile bullies, but also people who should be locked up, but no one is ever going to give evidence.

I've never blocked someone for being connected to someone vile, but I have felt panicky on realising the connection. I can understand the blocking.

Don't know about red flag, but it's very weird.

No, because he is visible to my colleague who interviewed him and to my husband’s account.

I use LinkedIn and I use it to look at candidates before interview.
And I know it's snooping. And so does everyone else.

It's not the colleague who's being weird. It's the rest of us.

For goodness sake, don't ask him.

That is what I am wondering. Which is a reasonable explanation, if the mutual contact is a nightmare.

It's a public profile, often used for showing off. People want you to look at their profiles. It's normal.

She couldn't see the first time, so asked a colleague. They couldn't see either. He's weird to block people

Really weird and unusual!

I am also in a sector where we use a lot of LinkedIn, have to share company posts onto LinkedIn, etc. People saying it’s intrusive obviously don’t understand that type of work culture. It’s almost like if you had an internal company social media and he blocked you both on that.

Could he have tried to put you both on some sort of list for organisation purposes, and accidentally blocked that list?

I would have to keep asking around until I found out why.

I’ve done that. I’ve looked them up before I joined and then realised they have premium so they would have seen me snooping. So I blocked.

And then when I joined I forgot I had blocked them. Only realised when someone else tagged several people on a post and I couldn’t see them.

Could be as innocent as that.

It is weird, but unless it's an issue for your actual job I wouldn't raise it.

Like you need him to share something you posted on LI

Unless it is part of his Job/contract then he isnt in any way under any pressure to 'LinkIn' with you.

I suspect that he has done a blanket ban whilst he edits/updates his linkedIn page.

Why is this worrying you regarding LinkedIn? I'm sure you will meet him and 'be friends' with him. Just give him a minute!

Isn't it a function of one of the premium level LI memberships that you areunsearchable? And that person has to friend you first?

How weird, unless he's been given a list of all employees when he started, how would he know to block you, especially as you say he wasn't there the first time you looked?

LI is personal social media. can block whoever he wants for any reason at any time!

Were they already connected? I think you can set your profile to private - that’s more likely than having blocked individual people, how would he even know to have looked you up and blocked you?

Hes probably put some privacy settings on, I think you’re being a bit melodramatic :)

It's not social media, so on that aspect it's odd.

Maybe he doesn't want his colleagues to see his CV? Either because he's over qualified or because he has imposter syndrom.