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 think you're on the M Mosley thread - very memorable user name - and you seem to want to go against the grain there too.

What's your point?

"You recognise me, because I posted on another thread".

Is that your point?

Em you do realise that everyone on mumsnet posts on more than one thread, yes?

So weird

Bizarre, that is literally what linkedin is for. If he didnt want colleagues and potential colleagues looking at his profile why even have one?

No it's just that you keep on going again and again with your arguments even when others keep saying it's unusual to block on LinkedIn. I'm assuming you don't work using LinkedIn professionally but just odd to keep on going against the grain all the time.

I only noticed it because you're very contrary on the other threat too. Sorry but that's just what it looks like anyway.

I don't give a fig about people posting on multiple threads. I

I certainly wasn't contrary on the other thread

I remember posting on that thread that I was worried about the man , that it was sad and that I hoped he wouldn't be found.

You shouldn't be bringing things from one thread to another.

It takes this thread off topic.

I've reported your post

The interviewer has also seen his LinkedIn profile so hardly hiding anything

And also he didn't block her!

If any of you know anything about linkedin,
You would know that people can set their privacy settings so that only certain people can see them. Eg he can set it so only his first connections can see him

He didn't go to her page and click block her.

Like thats bizarre to even think that he would do that

Do you have any appreciation for how odd this is @Everyoneisunreasonable?

I worked in the corporate world for years and have, thankfully, retrained in something else. I was on Linkedin for years, I know how it works, and find the expectation to use it creepy and weird but each to their own and I can understand some companies rely heavily on it.

Your post is utterly bizarre. I should imagine not being able to find him is due to privacy settings based on mutual connections or something similar and yet you have spoken to one of his hiring managers, another colleague and then used your husband's profile to have a snoop as well. Did you get to have a good snoop then and find what you were looking for?

To think he has singled you out and blocked you is paranoid and self absorbed. And flagging it to someone who was involved in the interview process makes you look like a trouble maker. And no, I wouldn't be asking him why you can't view his profile as it's going to make you look deranged.

Thank you!

I was just thinking is it just me that thinks the OP sounds completely deranged.

OP couldn't see a man's linkedin.

she then contacted his interviewer to see if the interviewer could see this man's linkedin.

Then she contacted a colleague to get her to look at his linkedin.

Them she got her husband to look at the man's linkedin

Of course people look up their new colleagues on LinkedIn. There are some very strange comments on this post!

No one's saying they're not allowed to look up colleagues

What we are saying is no one is entitled to see someone else's linked in.

He is entitled to set his privacy settings how he wants

Tbf before I was self employed I blocked everyone at work or who joined and also when I moved jobs. That was all socials.

Not having them stalk my life

In the older days, the "boss" used to introduce new colleagues with a quick resume of previous experience. This is rarely done now as the expectation is that people will check out the new person on LinkedIn. It is NOT normal to block some of your new colleagues from seeing your LinkedIn profile. I could understand if they had blocked their facebook profile, but LinkedIn? Really?

How do you know he blocked her.

And that he just didn't set his linkedin profile privacy settings to "only first connections can see my profile".

Are you aware of how linkedin privacy features work

Sometimes I think have some people on here any idea about computers

I bet he's wondering why your DH searched him.

Yep - I know how it works, but thanks anyway. Maybe you need to address your points to the OP.

Do you think OP's husband was a 'first connection' as he was able to see the person?

Some of these responses are bonkers. Linked In is a public platform set up precisely for people to find each other, connect and network. Looking people up is not snooping- it is the entire purpose of the site!

Privacy settings are more than just first connections.

I just used that one as an example.

You can also set privacy settings different ways.

For example her husband might have worked with someone that this man worked with before, or her husband might have worked for the same global company as the man worked with before.

There are so many different layers of privacy on linkedin

Linkedin is a public platform. But People edit the privacy of their own accounts.

Not everyone can see everything.

People set the level of privacy that they want on their own linkedin profile.

They don't want everyone to see everything.

So they can set their privacy settings so you can see very little.

Facebook is also a public platform set up to help people connect and network.
Can you see a lot of information about a lot of people's Facebook accounts?

No. Most people have strict privacy controls set up on their Facebook page, so you can only see their name.

I should imagine not being able to find him is due to privacy settings based on mutual connections or something similar

I don't think LinkedIn allows you to limit your profile to mutual connections. At least, I've tried to do this and haven't been able to find this option.

Facebook is a different animal, for people to share their private life rather than professional life. Of course if people choose to set privacy limits on their Linked In profile that’s their choice. But that’s not the point. The point was the suggestion that a person looking for another persons Linked In profile was snooping.

People set the level of privacy that they want on their own linkedin profile.

Again, I don't think is possible. As long as you're a LinkedIn member, you can see everyone's profile. Happy to be corrected but I've tried to limit my profile to just my connections to no avail.

I understand LinkedIn privacy settings very well and have premium membership myself. I am second degree linked to him (or would be if he hadn’t blocked me).

He has searched for his future team mates and blocked us, which is very odd behaviour for someone in this (or any!) job.

It is not odd behaviour to search for a new incoming colleague and then comment to a colleague when you couldn’t find them on LI.

I agree with pps pwho said it is likely that I and my other colleague that he blocked have a mutual contact who he doesn’t want us knowing about, and this could be for very valid reasons.

So I will see how he is, and I hope he is a great new colleague!

I come from a completely different background where actually SM for work was not used for security reasons. In my current area i suppose it's more neutral but certainly not relied upon or used very widely. Therefore I definitely don't understand your working culture but would say don't jump to conclusions or red flags. LI might be widely used but it's still his personal information. He's presumably been verified and referenced prior to appointment so I'm not sure what he would be hiding on SM.

If it's usual to be connected I'd drop a friendly message welcoming him to the team first, then a bit later asking for his LI details. Could be a glitch, could be a reason such as previous issues with colleagues, maybe he's just a private person who doesn't love this part of the culture. He might know he's got to be on LI but doesn't want the whole team knowing everything about him before he's introduced himself.

Give him a chance.