Beware the Backchannel LinkedIn Reference

It is well known that LinkedIn rewards those with more connections. Rewards come in the form of more visibility for your LinkedIn posts as well as increased visibility in search, especially when recruiters are searching.

With this in mind, I have always connected with like minded folks, for example, those in the same industry or who have worked in the same company, though I didn’t know them personally. Additionally, I have connected with people who are in companies that I aspire to work for and those who asked for help in their career or job search.

This approach has worked out well for me, though it is not without its faults.

Enter the backchannel LinkedIn reference.

I recently applied for a role at a company and the hiring manager happened to be connected to someone in my network. In fact, the connection used to work for him. I met the connection a few years ago when she reached out to me when she was looking for a job and wanted to work for company. We exchanged messages, and I sent her resume to the recruiter.

The hiring manager contacted the connection to ask about me and whether I was “OK.” The connection said yes, eager to ensure her former manager remained a reference, and then she contacted me to let me know he has called to check a reference. This was creepy.

I lucked out in this case as the connection gave a positive review, however, I wouldn’t say she knows me well enough to provide an employment…