Why LinkedIn Gives Me The Ick: A Perspective on the Exclusionary Nature of LinkedIn

“Welcome to a world of career opportunities, advice, inspiration and community. Find your [in].”

That is what the LinkedIn company profile summary reads.

Despite its aspirational vision statement, LinkedIn feels like peak performative work rooted in a conventional understanding of “professionalism.” My mind often drifts to the members of the global workforce that are not [in].?

Are the excluded laborers not deserving of “a world of career opportunities, advice, inspiration and community”??

The [In] Missing

There is very productive networking on LinkedIn, along with career development and advice sharing. And yet colonialism and cultural erasure fuel exclusion in this and other professional spaces.?

Can we ethically participate in these spaces if work culture marginalizes other ways of communicating and existing? Do we acknowledge our contribution to upholding violent economic systems, and when can we no longer willingly exchange perceived benefits like a digital community for the social deprivation and exclusion of others?

The utmost corporate social responsibility is to treat laborers as disposable tools rather than living, breathing and dynamic assets. Capitalism dehumanizes by targeting workers’ rights, living wages and fair hiring practices.

I spent the last week of my family’s summer vacation reading and re-reading The Devaluation of Labor by Mark Gould. Please understand:

“…there is no one way that capital utilizes to devalue labor-power; instead all actions relevant in the devaluation will be utilized where they have some chance of success.”

While we may recognize that systems often exploit people, we are inclined to remain loyal to oppressive systems if we are sufficiently convinced that we can prove worthy of exemption.

Twelve Years [In]

I received an email congratulating me on 12 years as part of the LinkedIn community. These are my opinions and reflections on the ethical issues of capitalism and corporate culture’s influence on LinkedIn:?

1. Capitalism is King | Reinforcement of Existing Hierarchies:

Captains of industry and revolutionary executives maintain a tradition of devaluing labor power and stripping workers of the confidence to determine their labor value (Gould 1981).

If we are fortunate enough to be counted in the 900 million professional community on LinkedIn, the allure of expertise and ladder climbing justifies the exclusion of “non-professionals”.

2. A Roundabout with No Exits | Exclusion and Tokenism:??

In [this] illusion of meritocracy, once in the network, women, ethnic/racial minorities, LGBTQ+ and disabled folks are regularly sidelined yet also expected to assimilate into a dehumanizing corporate culture.

The [in] provides companies and organizations a stage to showcase industry-standard public optics — posts about minority leadership, hailing equal opportunity and the business case for accessibility — in the interest of their bottom line without moving beyond often symbolic DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) efforts.

3. Bias Dreamworld | Unconscious Bias:

In my research for this writing, Andrew McCaskill ’s Great Careers May Require a Team offers a noble perspective on network growth on LinkedIn. On the top online professional platform, network growth remains slow for professionals of color. Racial and gender disparities persist in network size and influence.?

“While the growth is good for professionals of color; we’re going to have to grow faster and more strategically to close the network gap between us and our non-Hispanic white counterparts.” (McCaskill)

I can appreciate McCaskill’s perspective.

Believing the [in] is hard for me as a queer, Black, first-generation American and disabled person. If participation and growth [here] mirror the marginalizing trends we see in corporate culture, how can I contribute in good conscience??

Content moderation, algorithmic bias and hiring recommendations favor those within the corporate monoculture.

There is neither time nor space for self or human consideration in the pursuit of gains. I stand confident that caring for people and the planet directly opposes pursuing endless economic gains.?

Can true community form within colonial structures not designed for collective care?

4. You Can’t Sit With Us | Lack of Equal Access to Opportunities Within Classist Ideology:??

Where Capitalism is King do we, the users, the counted laborers consider the industries and people whose work precludes them from counting as the “world’s professionals”??

Limited access to the internet, computers, quality education, fair consideration and free-time are all barriers to making the most of platforms like LinkedIn.?

Stacked against the best of bootstraps, the digital divide, network gaps, communities overflowing in the margins and tokenized faces create additional performance pressure for everyone on top of existing economic disparities.

5. God Save the Status Quo, Long Live The Algorithm | Echo Chambers:??

I genuinely do not know how to join the LinkedIn fun and fellowship, and I say this because I believe my experience resonates with others.

LinkedIn lacks accessibility features for neurodivergent and disabled folks. Yes, to my list of self-identifiers please add neuro-spicy. An [in] key issue is the lack of digital accessibility, which is often an afterthought rather than a foundation in corporate spaces. Professionalism and networking standards favor certain abilities, communication styles and self-presentation (neurotypical, extroverted, able-bodied, etc).?

I struggle with social norms and effectively engaging on social media. My communication style and, if this article is not indication enough, my strong sense of justice makes it harder to network and build relationships without questioning the ethics of my participation.

The LinkedIn algorithm appears to prioritize content that aligns with conventional cultural norms and the dominant corporate culture, which stifles diverse perspectives and representation.

6. The Calls Coming from Inside the House | Inadequate Representation in Company Leadership:??

LinkedIn does not provide comprehensive data on representation at all levels. Their 2022 Workforce Development Diversity Report shows the global lack of diversity and gaps in technical and engineering roles. Commitments and initiatives in the form of leadership training, employee resource groups and new processes while encouraging mimic the standard DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) response of countless companies, organizations and institutions over the last twenty years.?

These issues are not unique to LinkedIn. I recognize them as part of many online platforms and spaces in society. And how well the leadership responsible for this platform can mitigate its failings depends on if they are prepared to divorce their business from the ideology and economic system that inspired their [in].

I am sure the people enjoying this platform are leaning into careers, work, networks and jobs that fuel and excite them. But I have not yet resolved how to engage in equitable network-building on a platform ultimately aligned with shareholder value.

Beyond LinkedIn

My lived experiences call me towards mission-driven work. Unconscious bias persists even in the most well-intended spaces because capitalism commands it. Can a platform made in the image of exploitative capitalist industries offer community, meaning and justice??

I accept that revolution does not happen [here]. I choose to consider the potential for alternative ways of communicating that holds space for all voices. I believe relating joy and vulnerability is revolutionary in systems that prize individualism and productivity. We need gathering spaces for those pursuing intentional and equitable work and networks designed and influenced by committed folks.

An inclusive space liberated from status quo constraints is critical.?

Imagine [in] networking power actively fostering an environment where all people can access career opportunities and fully realize their abilities. I trust people connecting in service of humanity rather than profits, harnessing collective action for purposeful growth.?

That is where I will find my [in].

About the Author

Néhémie Lucien is an institutional strategist and entrepreneur focused on ethical community building and uplifting marginalized voices. Through vulnerability in her writing, Néhémie hopes to prompt conversations and catalyze communities for collective liberation.

#reimaginework #collectivecare #systemicchange #decolonizedtech #accessibility #diversityintech #motivation #worklifeintegration #economics #development #people #integraleconomicdevelopment