One of the *New* features that’s being tested on LinkedIn allows companies to connect with people who know job applicants and ask them to provide candid references.
On the wake of the Facebook privacy issues, LinkedIn is now opening up its network to employers in a way that individuals never anticipated and that violates the norms of the hiring process. Traditionally, employers ask for references and candidates provide names of people who they believe will speak favorably about them. LinkedIn now allows the employer to bypass the request for references and source references directly. This will produce a less biased (and less favorable) assessment of the candidate, giving even more control to the employer and less to the job seeker.
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