With the rise of remote work and e-learning platforms like LinkedIn Learning, many employees are using their free time to build new skills. This leads to an important question: can your employer see your LinkedIn Learning activity? The short answer is maybe. There are a few key factors that determine whether your boss can view your LinkedIn Learning profile and activity. In this article, we’ll break down what information employers can and cannot see, steps you can take to control visibility, and best practices around learning on the job.
What Parts of LinkedIn Learning Can Employers See?
If your employer provides access to LinkedIn Learning as a company-sponsored benefit, they likely have some administrative controls over company learners. Here’s a quick rundown of what admins can view:
Your Learning Profile & Activity Feed
Your Learning Profile shows information like your photo, job title, number of courses started/completed, skills, and certifications. Employers may be able to see your full profile.
The Activity Feed displays things like course assignments, content you’ve shared, comments, quiz scores, and course completion milestones. Managers probably have access to this feed.
Admin Consoles
Company admins can utilize Learning Management System (LMS) style consoles to gain analytics about overall learning activity. Data views may include:
- Most popular courses
- Total hours viewed
- Number of active learners
- Content areas frequented
While this data is aggregated and anonymous, if you’re one of a few learners some statistics could be traced back to you.
Course Progress
Employers can potentially see your progress within courses including items like:
- Modules completed
- Quiz scores
- Projects submitted
- Bookmark locations
- Notes
They may also have the ability to reset your progress if needed.
What Parts of LinkedIn Learning Are Private?
While employers may have some oversight abilities, there are still components of LinkedIn Learning that remain private:
Individual Viewing History
Your personal history of every video segment or course page viewed is not available to employers. This data remains private to you within your profile.
Private Messages
Direct messages you send to instructors or other students through LinkedIn Learning cannot be read by organizational administrators.
Public Comments & Activity Outside Company Content
Any public comments, likes, shares, or posts you make are controlled by your personal LinkedIn privacy settings rather than company admin access. The same goes for any activity within courses, channels, groups etc. not sponsored by your employer.
How to Limit Employer Visibility
If you want to keep your LinkedIn Learning activities private from workplace overseers, here are a few options:
Use Your Personal Account
Use your own individual LinkedIn Learning subscription separate from any company program. This content remains fully invisible to employers. The trade-off is you personally pay for access rather than using a free work subscription.
Make Your Profile Private
Adjust your Learning Profile settings to limit visibility. You can hide elements like your photo, activity feed, list of courses, goals, groups, and more. This puts more control over your learning in your own hands.
Anonymous Browsing
If you want to keep your Learning Profile completely anonymous, many LMS platforms allow for private browsing. This means searching and taking courses while signed out so nothing is tied back to your account.
Discuss Boundaries with Your Manager
Have an open conversation with your boss or HR department to better understand company monitoring policies. Talk through expectations around learning on company time and appropriate visibility boundaries.
Best Practices for Learning at Work
Making use of workplace training resources like LinkedIn Learning can support your career growth. But it requires thoughtful balancing of employer oversight and your own development goals. Here are some best practices to follow:
Align with Company Objectives
Focus your learning on skills and knowledge that map to current or future company needs. This shows you’re dedicated to bringing value to your role and makes monitoring less problematic.
Learn During Designated Times
Avoid learning during hours you’re expected to be working. Block off time outside your normal responsibilities to focus on training instead.
Be Transparent About Goals
Share what skills you want to develop and why they matter for your job performance in an above-board way. Frame this as a win for both you and the organization.
Add New Skills to Your Profile
As you complete courses, proactively update your employee profile with newly gained skills, knowledge areas, and certifications. This demonstrates the value of your learning.
Apply Skills on the Job
Put your new knowledge to work immediately on tangible projects and assignments. This reinforces the benefits of learning platforms like LinkedIn.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, how much visibility employers have into your LinkedIn Learning activity depends on company policies and permission settings. Admins likely have access to your profile, activity feed, overall course analytics, and some level of progress data. But your personal viewing history, private messages, and non-work related activity remain fully private. If you want to limit work oversight, use a personal account, adjust your privacy settings, browse anonymously, and communicate boundaries with managers. Most importantly, focus your learning on topics that support shared success for both you and your employer. With the right approach, platforms like LinkedIn Learning can be a valuable workplace learning asset while still maintaining your privacy.
What employers can see | What remains private |
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Limit Employer Visibility | Learning Best Practices |
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