LinkedIn job wrapping is a technique used by recruiters and companies to repost job listings that have already been posted elsewhere. The goal is to gain more exposure and attract more applicants by having the job appear multiple times on LinkedIn under different companies. Here’s a closer look at how it works and the pros and cons of this controversial practice.
How Does LinkedIn Job Wrapping Work?
LinkedIn allows recruiters and companies to repost or “wrap” a job listing that has already been posted on another site. For example, if a company posts a job on their own careers page, a recruiter can take that same job description and post it on LinkedIn under their own name instead of the company’s.
To the casual LinkedIn user, it appears like a unique new job posting from the recruiter. But in reality, it’s just reposting an existing job vacancy. The goal is to gain more exposure and applicants for the role by having it appear multiple times in different places on LinkedIn.
Some key things to know about how LinkedIn job wrapping works:
- The recruiter or staffing agency does need permission from the original company to repost the job.
- The job description usually remains the same, but the job title and company name can be altered.
- Wrapped jobs may exclude the company name entirely and just list the recruiter’s name.
- The apply process is changed to funnel applicants through the recruiter instead of the company.
- Recruiters can wrap already-wrapped postings, resulting in multiple duplicates of the same role.
Why Do Recruiters and Companies Wrap Jobs?
There are a few reasons why job wrapping is done on LinkedIn:
- Gain more exposure – By posting duplicate listings, the job gets seen by a wider audience and more potential applicants.
- Appear higher in search results – More job posts means a higher chance of appearing in LinkedIn’s job search rankings.
- Reach passive candidates – Duplicate posts may catch the eye of professionals not actively job searching.
- Claim the referral – Recruiters can get credit for referring applicants even if they didn’t originally source the candidate.
- Hide company name – Anonymity allows companies to discreetly recruit without revealing themselves.
In summary, wrapped jobs are all about getting a job ad in front of as many qualified people as possible. The more exposure, the better chance of connecting with relevant applicants.
The Pros of Job Wrapping for Recruiters
From a recruiter’s perspective, here are some of the main benefits of LinkedIn job wrapping:
- Increased reach – More eyeballs on the job posting increases potential applicants.
- Higher chance of making a placement – With more applicants in the pipeline, the odds of filling the role improve.
- Claiming the referral – Even if they don’t source the candidate, wrapping gives recruiters a chance to get credit for the referral when applicants come through them.
- Relationship building – Repeated job posts keep the recruiter top of mind with passive candidates for future roles.
Essentially, wrapping opens up more opportunities for recruiters to place candidates, build their networks, and increase their referral numbers.
The Pros for Companies
Here are some potential benefits of job wrapping for companies:
- Increased exposure – Just like for recruiters, more job posts reach more potential talent.
- Risk mitigation – Working with multiple recruiting firms improves chances of finding qualified candidates.
- Anonymity – Companies can quietly recruit without revealing themselves and risking employee morale.
- employer brand growth – More job posts help increase followers and social reach.
The bottom line is that wrapping jobs casts a wider net for companies to find qualified applicants. Done ethically, it can expand a company’s reach and minimize time to fill roles.
The Cons of Job Wrapping
While wrapping jobs can benefit recruiters and employers, there are also some downsides to consider:
- Candidate experience – Job seekers may feel frustrated seeing duplicate posts and not knowing the real company name.
- Transparency – The practice has been criticized as misleading since wrapped jobs are not clearly identified as such.
- Noise pollution – Too many duplicate posts clutter up LinkedIn and make it harder to find real new jobs.
- Competitive issues – Wrapping a competitor’s job ad is controversial and can spark legal concerns.
Essentially, job wrapping creates a poor experience for candidates, lacks transparency about the source of the job, and contributes to spammy noise on the platform. There are open questions about where wrapping jobs crosses ethical lines.
LinkedIn’s Policy on Job Wrapping
LinkedIn officially discourages job wrapping in their user agreement, stating:
“Employers and recruiters should only create one job posting for each job opportunity… Posting duplicate job opportunities may create confusion for job seekers and may violate our User Agreement.”
However, in reality LinkedIn does little to stop or enforce against job wrapping and duplicate posts remain commonplace. LinkedIn seems reluctant to take stronger action since job posts are a major revenue source.
While noting that wrapping is “strongly discouraged,” LinkedIn largely relies on user reporting to identify and remove wrapper job posts on a case-by-case basis.
How to Identify Wrapped Jobs on LinkedIn
Here are some signs that can help identify wrapped job posts:
- Generic job titles like “Sales Representative” instead of a company-specific title.
- Vague company descriptions that lack specifics about the role.
- Posts by recruiters and staffing agencies, especially with multiple openings.
- Duplicate postings with the exact same job details but under different companies.
- Jobs missing a company name altogether.
When in doubt, looking up the job on the company’s own career site is the best way to confirm if a LinkedIn listing is legitimate or simply wrapped. Proceed with caution if details are scarce or don’t align with information on the company site.
Best Practices for Ethical Job Wrapping
If companies and recruiters choose to wrap roles, there are some ethical best practices to consider:
- Only wrap with express permission from the hiring company.
- Disclose in the job description that it is a “wrapped” or “duplicate” posting.
- Clearly identify the hiring company instead of omitting names.
- Avoid excessive duplicate posts of the same role.
- Ensure the job details accurately represent the real opportunity.
The key is transparency – clearly indicating when a job has been wrapped and providing accurate company information. This helps candidates understand what they are applying for.
The Future of Job Wrapping on LinkedIn
Looking ahead, here are some possible scenarios for how LinkedIn may address wrapping jobs:
- Stronger policies – LinkedIn may face pressure to take a harder stance on duplicates, limiting how many times a job can be wrapped.
- Disclaimers required – LinkedIn could demand clear disclosure when a job is wrapped versus original.
- Algorithm changes – Jobs could be weighted to rank original posts higher than duplicates.
- Verification steps – Extra vetting could be needed before wrapping jobs, similar to how ads are approved.
- Premium permissions – Paid accounts may unlock ability to wrap a limited number of jobs.
While LinkedIn currently allows the practice, efforts to provide more transparency around wrapped jobs could help improve the experience for members and job seekers down the line.
Conclusion
LinkedIn job wrapping allows recruiters and companies to repost job listings in an effort to reach more candidates. While wrapping can increase exposure, it also clutters the platform and creates a poor experience for job seekers confronted with duplicate postings.
Companies who choose to wrap should do so ethically, with transparency about the source of the job opportunity. As wrapping remains prevalent, LinkedIn may face increasing pressure to better regulate the practice on its platform.