LinkedIn’s Open to Work feature lets you tell recruiters, or everyone, that you are looking for a job. It is two different tools under one name: a private signal that only recruiters see, and a public photo frame that anyone can see. Choosing between them is the main decision you have to make, so this article explains how each version works, what LinkedIn has said about its effect, and how to decide which suits your situation.
LinkedIn changes menus and labels often. The descriptions below are based on LinkedIn’s own announcements of the feature and a December 2025 university careers article; check the wording on your own profile, as of November 2026, before relying on any particular setting.
Where the feature came from
Open to Work started life as a private recruiter signal. In October 2016 LinkedIn announced a feature, then called Open Candidates, that let members privately signal to recruiters that they were open to new opportunities. In June 2020 LinkedIn extended it into the Open to Work feature most people know now. Its announcement said that, when you turn on the optional feature, a #OpenToWork photo frame is added to your profile picture, and that you could choose to keep the signal to recruiters or add a badge everyone can see.
That history explains the two settings. The private option is the descendant of the 2016 recruiter signal. The public frame is the 2020 addition aimed at your wider network.
The two visibility options compared
| Recruiters only | All LinkedIn members (public frame) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees it | Recruiters using LinkedIn Recruiter, LinkedIn’s paid recruiting tool | Anyone who views your profile or sees your photo in feeds, comments and search |
| Visible on your photo | No | Yes, an #OpenToWork frame |
| Your current employer | Hidden from recruiters at your company and affiliated companies, as LinkedIn said in 2016 | Visible to colleagues and managers like everyone else |
| Main benefit | Discreet: you appear in recruiter searches filtered for people open to work | Your network can see you are looking and refer or introduce you |
| Main risk | The protection relies on your employer being correctly identified on your profile | Some readers see the frame as a sign of urgency; your employer will know |
What you tell LinkedIn when you turn it on
Turning on Open to Work involves describing the job you want, not just flipping a switch. LinkedIn’s October 2020 article said job seekers can specify job titles, remote preferences, start date and job type, and that this information improves job recommendations and job alerts. Treat these fields as search terms:
- Job titles: use the titles employers actually advertise. “Accounts Payable Specialist” will match more searches than “Finance Ninja”. You can add several related titles.
- Locations and workplace type: list the cities you would genuinely move to or commute to, and say whether you want on-site, hybrid or remote work. If you are relocating, include the target city, not just where you live now.
- Start date: be honest. “Immediately” and “flexible” signal different things to a recruiter with an urgent vacancy.
- Job types: full-time, part-time, contract, temporary or internship. Ticking everything can attract irrelevant messages.
Recruiters filter on these preferences, so they should match the headline and experience on your profile. If your preferences say “Project Manager” but nothing on your profile mentions project work, a recruiter who finds you will move on quickly.
Does it actually help? What LinkedIn has said
All the figures below come from LinkedIn itself, published in October 2020. They describe LinkedIn’s own data at that time; they are not independent research and may not hold for every market or role today.
- LinkedIn said turning on Open to Work doubles the likelihood of receiving a recruiter message.
- It said members with a public frame were, on average, 40% more likely to receive InMails from recruiters, and 20% more likely to receive messages from their community.
- It also noted that recruiters can filter their searches for candidates who are open to work.
The sensible reading is that being visible to recruiters is better than being invisible, and that the public frame adds a modest extra signal. Neither replaces a strong profile or direct applications.
How “Recruiters only” protects you, and where it can fall short
When LinkedIn introduced the private signal in 2016, it said it would hide it from recruiters at your company or affiliated companies. A December 2025 careers article from Pennsylvania Western University describes the same protection today: the signal is shown to LinkedIn Recruiter users but not to those at your current company. That is a useful safeguard, but think about how it works in practice:
- It depends on your profile. The system has to know where you work. If your current job is not listed, is listed under an old company page, or your employer recruits through several company pages, the filter may not recognise it.
- It covers recruiters, not everyone. A manager in your company who does not hold a recruiter account is not the audience for the signal in the first place, but a colleague who later moves into a recruiting role, or an agency recruiter working for your employer, sits outside the “your company” filter.
- Your other behaviour can speak louder. Suddenly changing your headline to “Seeking new opportunities”, posting about job hunting or updating your profile heavily can all be noticed by colleagues, whatever your Open to Work setting.
If discovery by your employer would cause you real problems, the private setting is the right choice, but keep your public profile changes low-key and assume nothing on a social network is completely confidential.
When the public frame makes sense
The frame is designed for people whose network can help them. It tends to suit you if:
- you have been made redundant, finished a contract or graduated, and your current employer knowing is not an issue;
- your field relies on referrals and introductions, and you have a network of former colleagues who would pass on leads;
- you are changing city or country and want contacts there to know.
LinkedIn’s October 2020 article made the referral point directly: it said nearly 90% of hiring managers it surveyed considered referrals important when filling a position. The frame is one way of starting those conversations, though a personal message to a former colleague will usually do more than a frame alone.
When to stay private, or turn it off
- You are employed and your employer does not know you are looking. Use recruiters only.
- You are applying for senior roles. Some candidates prefer to approach executive searches directly through headhunters and their own network. If that is your strategy, a public frame adds little.
- You have accepted an offer. Turn it off so you do not keep receiving messages, and so your new employer does not see you still advertising your availability.
Turning the feature off is usually done from the same Open to Work section on your profile, where you can also edit your preferences or change visibility.
Get your profile ready before you switch it on
Open to Work brings recruiters to your profile. What they find there decides whether they message you. Before you turn it on:
- Make sure your headline and most recent job title use the same words as the titles in your Open to Work preferences.
- Check that the skills recruiters will filter on appear both on your profile and on your CV. Running your CV through an ATS resume score checker against one of your target adverts shows whether those keywords come through.
- Keep your CV and profile consistent, because recruiters often compare the two. You can keep a single, up-to-date record of your experience in your career profile and draw both from it.
LinkedIn’s 2020 article also advised responding to recruiter messages, even to decline, describing this as a sign of an engaged job seeker. A polite one-line “thank you, not for me at the moment” keeps the door open.
Frequently asked questions
Can my current employer see that I am open to work?
If you choose the public frame, yes. With the recruiters-only setting, LinkedIn has said it hides the signal from recruiters at your company and affiliated companies, but this depends on your current employer being correctly shown on your profile, so it is a safeguard rather than a guarantee.
Does the Open to Work frame put recruiters off?
LinkedIn’s own 2020 figures suggested members with the frame received more recruiter InMails. Some recruiters and candidates still feel it signals urgency. If that concerns you, use the recruiters-only option, which still places you in recruiter searches.
What is the difference between Open to Work and “open to” hiring or services?
Open to Work signals that you are looking for a job. LinkedIn profiles may offer other “open to” options, such as showing that you are hiring or that you offer freelance services; these are separate settings with different audiences.
Should I turn it off after I get a job?
Yes. Leaving it on after accepting an offer leads to irrelevant messages and can look odd to your new employer.
Sources
- Now You Can Privately Signal to Recruiters You’re Open to New Job Opportunities – LinkedIn Official Blog
- New Features to Give and Get Help From Your Community – LinkedIn Official Blog
- To Find Your Next Job More Quickly, Tell Your Community You’re Open to Work – LinkedIn Official Blog
- Should You Let Recruiters Know You’re Open to Work on LinkedIn? – Pennsylvania Western University Career Center