It's Not Your Politics -- It's Your Judgment

The 2016 election happened over six months ago, and I still log in every day to find one or more connections who just can’t help but opine on the current or prior occupants of the Oval Office. Posts and comments include unprofessional behavior that includes outlandish conspiracy theories, racist insults, taunting others with unmitigated praise for controversial decisions, and castigating others with extreme sarcasm. This juvenile behavior manifests not only when a connection breaks protocol by posting something controversial, but some can't help but comment on inspirational quotes or keynote speakers that have the "wrong" political affiliation, even if we're likely to agree on the key messages. We should be clear: this is not professional behavior and those who engage in the LinkedIn wars of words are alienating potential customers and employers. 

In a world where the Internet is forever, these individuals demonstrate a lack of social awareness, raise questions about their ability to work in a team, and show that they don’t understand how social media shapes their brand. Make no mistake, hiring managers, recruiters and customers look at LinkedIn and what we post shapes their perceptions. Any kind of unprofessional presence limits future opportunities.

Lack of Social Awareness

While not an exact comparison, examining voter turnout provides a decent proxy for the mood of our professional network. Based on turnout, we should assume that 40% of our contacts aren’t politically engaged, and any kind of political post isn’t likely to make them respect our professionalism, with ugly politics turning them off even more.

When we turn to the 60% of our contacts who voted, support for the major party candidates was nearly even. Regional insulation doesn’t protect us from this perception either. Even the bluest of the blue states (Hawaii) saw 30% of ballots being cast for Donald Trump and the reddest of the red states (Wyoming) saw 22% of voters going for Hillary Clinton.

Furthermore, Pew Research surveys have found that 37% of Americans are exhausted by any politics on social media. When those politics turn ugly, 64% of respondents end up thinking far less of the others involved in those discussions. This means getting politically ugly on social media immediately alienates two-thirds of the people viewing that message.

Companies want to work with people who have broad social awareness, and unless one works for a major political party or a partisan think tank, venting the political spleen on LinkedIn is not a winning idea.

Leadership and Team Work

In their 2016 Job Outlook Survey, the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that over 80% of managers want leaders who can work in a team setting. Teams operate best when members trust one another, leaving everybody feeling respected and appreciated by their leaders and peers. 

It goes without saying that taunting others is an effective way to obliterate feelings of trust and shows that we don’t respect others. Negative political content demonstrates a fundamental inability to work in a team setting, and potential employers and customers will run away from those who can’t act like adults in the workplace.

Professional Brand

Our LinkedIn activity is intrinsically linked to our employer’s brand and many companies have social media policies requiring professional behavior. We have all heard about people who go on sexist, racist, or homophobic tirades being sacked, and in a world of at will employment, unprofessional political posts could lead down a similar path. While political speech is protected in some cases, we’ve all seen co-workers who were reorganized out of jobs or fired with flimsy cover because of their bad judgment, even if the official reason looks a little different. Companies take these measures because they want to protect future revenue opportunities -- and we should take a lesson from them when it comes to our personal revenue opportunities, whether they are with customers or employers.

We know that up to 94% of hiring managers and recruiters use LinkedIn to both find and screen candidates. This means they check out our profiles and our recent activity when deciding if they should make contact. The tone of our comments and posts will be seen by these companies, and if they don’t believe we are mature enough to play well with others, they will move on to the next candidate or vendor.

Right Time and Right Place

I’m not suggesting that we be apolitical. I have strong political opinions and frequently find myself engaged in political discourse – somewhere else. I am one of the 20% of Americans who enjoy a good political debate, and I can argue with the best of them without getting too wrapped around the axle. However, I do this on Facebook, with my profile locked down so my professional brand is not tainted by my own ranting and raving over controversial topics. 

I would also suggest there are places where our specialized knowledge gives us insight into proposed laws and regulations. We should feel free to wade into these waters, but we should check our tone and speak only to facts and analysis, without devolving into the ugly behavior that taints our brand. A nuanced conversation that respects those who disagree can actually build our brand, showing others how we handle difficult conversations. These conversations can generate passion, but a person with strong social awareness and teaming skills can come out looking like a thought leader instead of a rabble rouser, even when the recruiter or customer has a different opinion. 

I believe the bulk of us work hard to maintain a spotless professional brand and don't have much to worry about here. Unfortunately, there are more than a few LinkedIn members who continue to show poor judgment with trolling and flaming. Several of my more political connections have been out of work for some time and can't understand why they can't find an employer willing to work with them – even when most in their regions or industries agree with their politics. This is because choosing to engage in unprofessional discourse--including unprofessional political discourse--shows a fundamental lack of good judgment and makes it much harder to advance professionally.