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.

A member of my team blocked me (Head of Department) and other team members - basically because he posts shite that he claims to have been doing "at work" that he has neither the skills nor experience for.

Nothing we can do because he hasn't actually named us as his employer!

I'd be wary too OP.

Of course and I know all of the various privacy settings and use some myself.

Point is , OP says she was likely blocked as she couldn't even see him when searching for him. That is unusual and suggests he's blocked her.

OP is also indirectly connected in the same way you suggest, as an example, her husband might be, i.e. through the recruiting manager.

This

Report him to HR and see if you can get him reprimanded?

Don’t be so utterly ridiculous 🤣 I hope you’re joking and I’ve had a sense of humour failure 🤦‍♀️

A former colleague from about 8 years ago has blocked me on LI. Someone from years back, who I barely think about but just looked up because I was meeting up with some mutual old work mates and we were wondering how she was. I think (because obviously I looked her up on DH LI) it's because she'd lost a good job and had to go back to a less glam role. Anyone who does this, do beware! It's like The Streisand Effect in terms of piquing others' curiosity.

Quite. If he hadn’t blocked me I would have had a quick look at where he had worked before and not thought anymore about it. It was the blocking that is so unusual it piqued my interest!

Lol, no.

How would he know all your names to block?

Searching by company and job title. Fairly easy.

But op you're not making any sense.

Why on earth would he block you, you're not even in the same country as him.

It would be like me joining a company in the UK. And then me blocking the sales director of our company who works in the New York branch.

Why on earth would I do that. I'm sure he's not even thinking about you. You're not making any sense.

You said you are a second connection of his on linkedin.

What If he has his privacy settings set to first connections only.

Well, it doesn’t make any sense to block me which is why I am so curious! As I have explained, others who are not in our team but are the same degree connection as I am can see him. It is NOT a settings thing. I have premium membership. I have been blocked by him, as has my other team mate.
I think the explanation that we have a mutual connection that might spread dirt about him is the only logical explanation. It is a small world. We are likely to have 100s of connections in common.

Sounds like he might be hiding an incident that happened in his previous job. Definitely keep an eye on him once he starts!

I can’t deal with the first 2 pages of replies on this thread so I haven’t read further 🤣 of course this is weird!! If you work in a job that requires LinkedIn (and ESPECIALLY if you are based in USA), then you eat sleep and breathe the bloody website. It’s taken so seriously. Just be grateful if you’ve never had to hardcore utilitise it 🤣 I still have nightmares about Sales Navigator.

OP - maybe it’s been mentioned, but do you think HE was snooping during his interview process and maybe he panicked when he realised he wasn’t on private viewing mode? Maybe he thought by blocking you it would avoid the ‘X viewed you’ notification?

Once you’ve worked with him a little more, I’d just send an email saying hey can’t locate you on LinkedIn, here’s a link to mine. But I wouldn’t ask why I was blocked.

OP has already said it's not a connections issue, and I pointed out before to you that her husband could see him and wasn't connected either.

I think she's wrong.

Sorry, why would a man in San Diego block her in the UK.

It's so far fetched.

Why would he possibly do that.

He's just joined the company. How would he even know who she is

Yes, I have been mulling it over and decided on exactly the approach you suggested - I’ll ask him to connect sometime and see what he says.

I don’t remember ever seeing his name pop up under people who viewed me, but I do get occasional anonymous views, even with premium membership.

If the person who HIRED him could see his LinkedIn then I hardly think he's hiding anything is he?

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

You’re going to ask him why he blocked you on LinkedIn? Jesus Christ. Don’t do that, and instead get a life!!!!

Regardless of what some people say on here (and can only assume they don't fully understand LinkedIn as an open network tool - most good networkers on there will have 100s, if not 1000s of contacts they have reached out to but don't necessarily know - i.e. not for introverts ;) ), it IS weird to block someone and especially a work colleague.

Given what OP has done to check, we can perhaps now safely assume - for whatever strange reason - that she has been blocked. right?

Personally, I wouldn't mention or query this with to the new hire or the hiring manager but would keep a close eye as it's just very, very odd.

https://viralspy.io/blog/how-to-know-if-someone-blocked-you-on-linkedin/

Are you competing for the same market and does he think you may be browsing him in an attempt to see his contacts so that you "take" work away from him?

My husband does not connect directly with colleagues nor with people doing the same work as him precisely because he uses LI to interact with intermediaries and with clients. If it is more generic then his company will like the post and his colleagues will see them and be able to react to them.

He may simply be using LI in a different manner to you.

That’s what I don’t understand, how does he know these people’s names?

@Everyoneisunreasonable doesn’t LI itself restrict/block accounts if it perceives a lot of traffic? If you use it a lot then maybe it’s that.

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.

OP you’re doing the equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and going “lalala I can’t hear you”!

It is odd and strangely obsessive.

Weird, could be as pp said that maybe he looked you up and realised you had premium so then blocked you as we was embarrassed that you would have seen you looking him up