LinkedIn is a professional networking platform used by over 722 million members worldwide. When you log into LinkedIn, you may sometimes see a message like “You may know [Person’s Name]” under the “People Also Viewed” section or on someone’s profile. This suggestion that you may know someone on LinkedIn can seem a bit mysterious if you don’t understand how the platform generates these recommendations.
In this article, we’ll explain what it means when LinkedIn says you may know someone, how they make these suggestions, and some reasons why you may want to connect with these recommended contacts.
What Does “You May Know” Mean on LinkedIn?
When LinkedIn says “You may know [Person’s Name]”, it means that based on the information in your LinkedIn profile, you likely have some connection or shared experience with this person.
LinkedIn’s algorithm analyzes your profile and activity on the platform to generate suggestions of people you may know but are not yet connected to on LinkedIn.
The “You May Know” feature is designed to help you expand your professional network by recommending contacts you likely have some commonalities with but are not yet connected to on the platform.
How Does LinkedIn Know You May Know Someone?
So how exactly does LinkedIn determine when to display that you may know someone? LinkedIn’s algorithm looks for various connections and similarities between you and other members to make these recommendations. Some of the factors LinkedIn considers include:
– Shared connections – If you and another member have connections in common, LinkedIn may suggest you connect. The more shared connections there are, the more likely the recommendation.
– Shared work experience – If you and another member worked at the same company, especially at the same time, LinkedIn may suggest you connect.
– Shared educational background – Went to the same school or degree program? LinkedIn’s algorithm accounts for this.
– Shared interests and groups – Being members of the same LinkedIn groups or having similar interests listed can also trigger a recommendation.
– Shared location – Living in the same area or city can lead LinkedIn to suggest a connection.
– Profile views – If you and another member have viewed each other’s profiles, you may be recommended to connect.
– Searches – If you search for someone’s name or info on LinkedIn, you may then see a suggestion to connect to that member.
LinkedIn’s “You May Know” Algorithm
LinkedIn uses sophisticated machine learning algorithms to analyze these types of connections and similarities between members. The more commonalities and shared connections there are between two members, the more likely LinkedIn’s algorithm will recommend you connect.
Some other technical factors like profile completeness, active usage of LinkedIn, and keyword density can also impact who gets suggested in the “You May Know” recommendations.
Why You May Want to Connect
Here are some reasons why it can be beneficial to connect with the contacts suggested in LinkedIn’s “You May Know” recommendations:
– Expand your professional network – It’s an opportunity to grow your connections in your industry.
– Increase access – Connecting can increase the range of 2nd and 3rd degree connections accessible to you.
– Get introduced – A shared connection may be able to provide an introduction later.
– Find old friends and colleagues – It can help you reconnect with old coworkers, classmates, etc.
– Discover new opportunities – Connecting can lead to discovering job openings, new projects, business deals, or potential partnerships.
– Get noticed – Accepting invitations can get you on others’ radars.
– Stay up-to-date – Adding connections can help you stay current in your industry as part of your professional social media strategy.
Of course, not every recommendation will be relevant or valuable for your specific professional needs. But monitoring LinkedIn’s suggested contacts can uncover beneficial connections you may have otherwise missed.
How to Manage “You May Know” Suggestions
If you end up with “You May Know” recommendations that feel irrelevant, here are some ways to manage them:
– Update your profile details – Keeping your profile updated helps ensure suggested contacts align with your current industry, location, skills, etc.
– Hide suggestions – Use the “X” icon next to a recommendation to hide it from the list.
– Control profile visibility – Adjust your profile visibility settings if needed to limit what information is available to inform recommendations.
– Remove connections – Unfollow or remove contacts if needed to clean up unwanted recommendations surfacing.
– Report unwanted suggestions – Use LinkedIn’s reporting feature if a recommendation seems inappropriate so they can improve the algorithm.
– Provide feedback to LinkedIn – Use LinkedIn’s feedback option to share your thoughts on how they can enhance the relevance of people recommendations.
Tips for Responding to LinkedIn Recommendations
If you do decide to connect with someone LinkedIn recommends, here are some tips to respond smoothly:
– Personalize your note – Add a friendly message referencing how you may know them or why you’d like to connect.
– Mention common connections – Name drop shared connections to highlight the relevance.
– Note mutual interests – Point out groups, interests, or experiences you have in common.
– Refresh your memory – Do some quick research on their profile to jog your memory before accepting.
– Follow up after connecting – After connecting, follow up to schedule a call, coffee chat, etc. to further the relationship.
– Thank shared connections – If relevant, express appreciation to the person who introduced you online.
– Adjust your visibility – Consider tweaking your settings to control what contacts see once connected.
Limits of LinkedIn Suggestions
While LinkedIn’s “You May Know” can facilitate valuable professional connections, it’s helpful to keep the limitations in mind:
– Not 100% accurate – LinkedIn’s algorithm isn’t flawless. Some recommendations may be irrelevant.
– Missing key connections – It doesn’t showcase every potential contact. Don’t rely solely on its suggestions.
– Can seem intrusive – Getting recommendations without proactively searching can feel invasive to some.
– Spam risks – Scammers and bad actors may still slip through LinkedIn’s cracks.
– Contact overload – It’s easy to get overwhelemed by recommendations and invitations.
– Privacy concerns – Some prefer minimal sharing of their information and connections on social platforms.
– Superficial suggestions – Having basic info in common doesn’t necessarily warrant connecting. Deeper relationship building is still required offline.
Conclusion
LinkedIn’s suggestions of people you may know aim to help you uncover relevant professional connections and expand your networking opportunities. But networking wisely requires evaluating each suggestion more deeply before connecting.
While LinkedIn’s technology can surface potential contacts, always use your own judgment to thoughtfully determine who to connect with and cultivate mutual value. The best networkers focus on quality over quantity of connections.
The “You May Know” recommendations are simply a starting point for discovering contacts. The real relationship building happens after connecting, by exchanging value and determining how you may be able to collaborate or support each other.
So next time LinkedIn tells you that you may know someone, don’t just accept the suggestions blindly. Take time to evaluate the recommendations strategically, and use them as a jumping off point for expanding your professional community authentically.