Author: Natasha Singer
Publisher: The New York Times
Publication Year: 2022
Summary: The following article discusses a new study that analyzed the data of nearly 20 million LinkedIn users over a 5-year period revealed that acquaintances, rather than close friends, may be more helpful in the job search process. The study, which was carried out by researchers from LinkedIn, Harvard Business School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was conducted between 2015 and 2019. This study involved A/B testing, in which LinkedIn users were randomly given several different contact recommendations. The researchers then analyzed which new jobs resulted from these over two billion new connections. The researchers say that findings from their study will help improve the job search process on LinkedIn. However, it is important to note that users were unaware that they were participating in this experiment; they were not cognizant of the fact that their data was being used in this manner. Although LinkedIn representatives claim that their privacy policy includes a clause stating that users’ personal data may be used by the company, this situation has resulted in backlash towards LinkedIn by users who claim that their privacy was violated and that the experiment was not conducted in a transparent manner.
