LinkedIn, the professional networking platform with over 850 million members, has embraced remote work and does hire for fully remote positions. As the workforce has shifted towards increased flexibility and many employees desire the ability to work from anywhere, LinkedIn has adapted its hiring practices to attract top talent globally.
What positions does LinkedIn hire for remotely?
LinkedIn hires for a wide variety of roles remotely across departments, including:
- Engineering – Software Engineers, Data Engineers, Site Reliability Engineers
- Product – Product Managers, Designers, Researchers
- Sales – Account Executives, Sales Development Representatives
- Marketing – Campaign Managers, Social Media Strategists
- Human Resources – Recruiters, Diversity Specialists
- Finance – Accountants, Financial Analysts
- Legal – Paralegals, Contract Specialists
- Customer Service – Customer Success Managers, Technical Support
LinkedIn publishes job openings for remote positions on their careers site. Some listings are for permanently remote roles, while others offer remote flexibility or a hybrid schedule with time spent in office locations. Remote workers may be based anywhere in the country the role is open to.
What are LinkedIn’s remote working policies?
LinkedIn has embraced flexible and remote work opportunities across the company. Here are some of their main remote working policies and practices:
- Permanent remote roles – Many positions are fully remote and do not require being located near a LinkedIn office.
- Hybrid roles – Some roles are hybrid with a mix of in-office and remote work. LinkedIn works with employees to determine preferred schedules.
- Work from anywhere in country – Remote employees can usually work from anywhere within the country the job is based in.
- Occasional remote days – Employees who are not full-time remote can work remotely occasionally, with manager approval.
- Remote benefits – LinkedIn provides remote employees with stipends for office equipment and internet costs.
- Focus on asynchronous communication – LinkedIn emphasizes asynchronous communication like email and Slack over constant meetings.
LinkedIn indicates that compensation and benefits for remote employees are the same as for onsite roles. The company actively monitors for pay equity.
What does LinkedIn look for in remote employees?
When hiring remotely, LinkedIn looks for candidates who can be productive and thrive in a distributed environment. Key qualities include:
- Self-motivation – Remote employees need drive and discipline to work independently without office interactions.
- Communication skills – Excellent written and verbal communication is essential for conveying across locations.
- Time management – Being organized and managing time effectively is critical when working from home.
- Accountability – Taking ownership of work and being responsible for outcomes is valued.
- Collaboration abilities – Being able to collaborate cross-functionally on distributed teams is important.
- Adaptability – Willingness to embrace uncertainty and adjust to changes associated with remote work.
During the interview process, LinkedIn assesses candidates for these attributes to determine if they would succeed working remotely.
What technologies and tools do LinkedIn remote employees use?
LinkedIn provides remote employees with various technologies, tools, and services to enable effective collaboration and communication. These include:
- Zoom – Video conferencing platform for meetings, team huddles, and events.
- Slack – Messaging app for ongoing conversations and managing workflows.
- Google Workspace – Productivity suite including email, docs, spreadsheets, drive, and calendar.
- Asana – Project management software to plan and track work.
- JIRA – Issue tracking and agile project management tool.
- Figma – Collaborative design and prototyping application.
- GitHub – Code repository enabling version control and collaboration.
LinkedIn provides corporate laptops to employees and allows stipends for setting up a home office. The company also reimburses for internet and phone services.
How does LinkedIn onboard and engage remote employees?
LinkedIn has developed robust processes for onboarding new remote employees and helping them build connections across the organization. Initiatives include:
- Virtual onboarding – New hires go through orientation, training, and team introductions online.
- Swag packages – LinkedIn sends new remote employees a box of branded swag to celebrate joining.
- Peer mentoring – Each new hire is matched with a remote peer mentor to provide guidance.
- Team building – Remote teams do virtual events like cooking classes and escape rooms to bond.
- All hands meetings – Company hosts regular meetings updating all employees on priorities.
- Manager training – People managers get guidance on leading distributed teams effectively.
These initiatives help onboard new remote team members smoothly and foster an inclusive environment where remote employees feel valued and connected to the company culture.
What are the benefits and challenges of LinkedIn’s remote work policies?
LinkedIn’s remote work policies have advantages as well as some potential drawbacks.
Benefits
- Access to global talent – Can hire best people regardless of location.
- Employee satisfaction – Remote work provides greater flexibility and work/life balance.
- Productivity – Employees can work in environments where they are most productive.
- Cost savings – Saves costs associated with office space and overhead.
- Environmental – Reduces carbon footprint from commuting and facilities.
Challenges
- Communication obstacles – Miscommunications or delays more likely with distributed teams.
- Difficulty building culture – Harder to develop strong company culture remotely.
- Employee isolation – Remote workers may feel disconnected and lack social interactions.
- Technology issues – Outages or access problems impact remote workers greater.
- Security risks – More vulnerabilities from remote networks and devices.
Overall, LinkedIn has made remote work successful through thoughtful policies, robust infrastructure, and keeping employees engaged. But maintaining an effective remote environment requires ongoing effort.
Key Takeaways
- LinkedIn hires for a diverse range of remote roles across departments like engineering, sales, marketing, and more.
- Remote employees can be located anywhere in the country the job is based and have access to the same pay and benefits.
- LinkedIn looks for self-motivated candidates with excellent communication and collaboration skills to thrive remotely.
- Onboarding, mentoring, team building, and manager training helps new remote hires engage with the company culture.
- Benefits include access to talent, flexibility, and cost savings, but potential challenges include communication issues and isolation.
Department | Common Remote Roles |
---|---|
Engineering | Software Engineer, Data Engineer, Site Reliability Engineer |
Product | Product Manager, UX Designer, Researcher |
Sales | Account Executive, Sales Development Rep |
Marketing | Campaign Manager, Social Media Strategist |
HR | Recruiter, Diversity Specialist |
LinkedIn’s remote hiring and work policies enable the company to access top talent worldwide. By providing robust infrastructure and opportunities for engagement, LinkedIn has built an effective remote work environment. This distributed model has allowed the company to scale rapidly while giving employees flexibility and great career opportunities. Leveraging insights from LinkedIn’s approach can help other companies evolve their own remote programs successfully.