LinkedIn Endorsements: Reliable or BS?

If you’re on LinkedIn then no doubt you’re familiar with the relatively new feature where you can endorse someone for his or her skills and expertise. This feature is akin to Facebook’s “Like” option.

Not too long ago I connected with someone on LinkedIn who I’d previously had no interaction with whatsoever. The person reached out to me because we shared a common interest. Within hours of connecting he endorsed me for the following skills: management, training, marketing, leadership, and business planning.

Now don’t get me wrong, I appreciate someone taking the time to endorse me but this struck me as odd because management and business planning are far from some of my stronger skills. There are things I’m much more skilled at, like persuasion, influence at all levels, coaching, sales, and sales management to name a few.

So why did I get these endorsements? Several reasons.

• First, my profile is pretty robust and creates a good impression (authority).
• Second, lots of other people have endorsed me (consensus).
• Third, LinkedIn makes it easy to endorse me for lots of skills.

Now here’s the rub – a lot of the endorsements are BS. I say that because of the last point I made. LinkedIn has made it so easy to endorse people that it’s becoming meaningless. Recommendations are a far better gauge of someone’s skills and expertise because they mean the recommender has some direct experience with the person they’re recommending. Writing a recommendation takes more time and effort but didn’t our parents tell us things that take time and effort are worth more? I have nearly 1,600 contacts and the vast majority have never sat through my training, worked directly with me or even met me.

Another reason I think the endorsements are BS is because LinkedIn suggests them. By default many people just go with most or all of the listed skills even if they don’t have any real basis to make the endorsement.

Finally, consensus becomes unreliable. For example, my new contact endorsed me for management. It was suggested and now that he’s endorsed me, as have others, it creates the impression that management is one of my better skills. The more people that see that, the more they will endorse me. Do you think that makes me skilled at management? I don’t.

Reciprocity is yet another reason the endorsements should be taken with a grain of salt. Many people feel obligated to return the favor after having been endorsed. I visited my new contact’s home page when LinkedIn asked if he has the following skills: management, marketing, business planning, economics and macroeconomics. I don’t have any real idea and therefore can’t in good faith endorse him just because of what’s on his LinkedIn page and the pull of reciprocity.

For all the reasons noted above, I rarely endorse people. When I do, I do so because I have some basis for making the endorsement, not because LinkedIn asks me to or because I feel obligated to return the favor. I’ve actually declined to give recommendations when asked. I did so because I'd never worked directly with those people or even sat on a committee with them. In other words, I had no basis for making the recommendations.

If you’re considering hiring or doing business with someone undoubtedly you’ll check out their LinkedIn home page. After all, it’s the equivalent of a resume on steroids. When you notice their endorsed skills and expertise, if any apply to why you may do business with them, then here’s my simple suggestion: have several solid interview questions ready to help you determine if they’re all they’re cracked up to be. In other words, caveat emptor, buyer beware. 

P.S. I went through my skills and endorsement categories and removed all the ones I felt were not applicable.

Brian Ahearn, CMCT® 
Chief Influence Officer

influencePEOPLE 
Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.