LinkedIn Plus – August 2021

As we are experiencing the last days of summer as we know it, with extended daylight hours and warm mornings, we are also witnessing several events unfolding around the world.

The Taliban have taken Afghanistan, resulting in human rights violations for women and the global mobilization in evacuating the civilians. It has also been the biggest wildfire season in Turkey to date, with the government requiring international aid and eco-anxiety on the rise.

With that being said, August was not short of historical events, and the conversation often felt hopeful on social media. On LinkedIn, the topic of discussing politics or religion in the workplace was viewed negatively by the majority of users (with 52% of those surveyed in a recent poll disclosing that they would never spark any conversation on the subject). Only 16% of employees have felt that politics would be a fair conversation starter in the office.

LinkedIn Plus is a collection of thought-provoking surveys on various business topics curated by Promocrat. We aim to give you some insight into what employees are thinking and talking about. So let’s take a look at nine other surprising insights provided by LinkedIn polls in August:

Although essential in building a successful career, Networking still has many puzzled on what it’s all about. Paula Christensen, a Certified Professional Resume Writer & Interview Coach, asked her followers about their insecurities around this topic. Most users felt uncomfortable (58%), and only a quarter (26%) said it came naturally to them.

On how eager employees are to give or receive compliments, most (56%) would instead offer praise than accept it. A small percent (13%) of those asked about it have said that they hate the attention that comes with it, as being put under the spotlight induces anxiety.

The good news for Millenials is that the stigma around tattoos in the workplace and the norms that previously deemed them unprofessional are dying out. Only 21% of employees think hand tattoos have no place in the office, unlike 79% of people who are unphased by their colleagues’ appearance.

The opinions are truly mixed on career mapping and its necessity, as 50% of employees have a clear goal for advancing their career while 45% do not have a clear image of what is next to come in their professional lives.
Although it’s said not to judge a book by its cover (letter), most employees (61%) argue that the look of a resume could be more important than the experience portrayed in it, as it is the first impression of a candidate. Also, it could help you stand out from the crowd (28%).
Regarding job security and building your CV, 60% of employees agreed that 5 years working on the same company feels stagnant to recruiters, with only 12% seeing employer loyalty as a good thing in the workplace.

We’ve all dealt with bosses with low management experience or unrealistic expectations at some point during our careers. The best way to deal with a boss who doesn’t know what they are doing, according to LinkedIn, is to manage up (57%) or simply find a new boss (38%).
On whether employees update their information and work experience on their profile gradually or all at once, the consensus seems to be that you should make constant updates and re-edits (75%) in order to save time in the long run and keep your profile tidy and up-to-date while seeking job opportunities.
A new poll asked employees their favorite aspect of working from home, and surprisingly, people responded that avoiding public transportation (56%) was more advantageous than spending time with family (32%).