Amid rise in job scams, LinkedIn rolls out new verification features in India

LinkedIn has announced its latest set of verification features aimed at strengthening user trust on its platform in India. This includes company page, recruiter workplace, and executive title checks, to protect jobseekers from scams. India at present is seen as among the fastest-growing digital job markets in the world. However, there have also been instances of fraudsters scamming job-seekers with fake offers. LinkedIn highlights that its safety infrastructure already blocks over 99 per cent of fake accounts and scams before they are reported.

 According to industry experts, the best defence to not fall to job scams is vigilance, awareness, and trusted tools. In line with this sentiment, adoption of LinkedIn’s verification features in India has jumped 2.4 times in the past year. This is mainly due to professionals increasingly seeking assurance before connecting, applying, or hiring.

The three new verification features introduced by LinkedIn will assist professional interactions more securely. These features are expanded company page verification, recruiter workplace verification, and executive job title verification.

These three features are -

·         Expanded company page verification: Verification was limited to established firms until now. With this, the feature will now be available to more companies, including small enterprises with a paid premium page subscription. According to the platform, 85 per cent of business buyers cite trust as critical when choosing partners. And expanding verification is expected to help smaller firms build strong relationships with customers, prospects, and even jobseekers.

·         Recruiter workplace verification: This feature requires those with recruiter-related job titles to verify their workplace. According to LinkedIn, this feature will foster trust and give jobseekers greater confidence, as they would know that they are engaging with legitimate hiring professionals.

·         Executive job title verification: Senior roles such as managing directors and vice presidents will also now need workplace verification to reduce the risk of impersonation at leadership levels.