A survey found that one in four workers think using LinkedIn for dating is fair game. This is despite the fact that LinkedIn’s own community guidelines explicitly prohibit romantic solicitation. And a 2023 study found that 91% of female LinkedIn users had received unwanted romantic advances at least once. (Myself included.)
Unlike other social platforms, LinkedIn has largely stood on its own as a place for professional networking. There’s no anonymity: everything is tied to your name and work history. People who are active on the platform aren’t the traditional “creators” you might see on Instagram or TikTok. The platform’s algorithm was designed to primarily show your posts to your connections and their connections — making it a hub for networking.
Until recently. The algorithmic feed has shifted away from professional connections, and LinkedIn shows you what it thinks you’re interested in. (Spoiler: it’s pretty bad at this.)
The dating angle is one data point in a much bigger shift: LinkedIn stopped being a professional network and became a social media platform like any other where people compete for attention. It just happens to have your resume attached. And the people paying the highest price for this change are the ones trying to find jobs right now.
How LinkedIn’s algorithm rewired the feed
LinkedIn replaced its old retrieval system with a unified, LLM-powered architecture. As a result, only about 31% of the average feed now comes from first-degree connections. Some “Suggested Posts” from complete strangers that the algorithm has decided are relevant to your interests.
The feed responds to engagement sequences. If you start clicking on personal stories, you get more personal stories. More of whatever kept you scrolling last time. The job-relevant content and updates from your actual network get buried.
It reminds me of when Facebook introduced content from strangers in its feed. I’d always used Facebook to connect with friends and family. Content from strangers fundamentally changed what I was seeing.
For LinkedIn, this is a significant shift. LinkedIn moved from a connections-based graph — showing content to the people who know you — to an interest-based graph that functions identically to every other social platform. Your feed is now shaped entirely by what the algorithm predicts you’ll engage with, regardless of whether it has anything to do with your career.
Richard Van Der Blom, whose annual LinkedIn algorithm report is one of the most cited independent analyses of the platform, points out that while LinkedIn may be called a social media platform, it “never reacted like the other platforms do.” It lacks the collaborative attitude toward creators that Instagram or even X/Twitter developed over time. LinkedIn also actively shuts down third-party tools and targets “LinkedIn experts” creating a walled garden that it tightly controls.
And now, LinkedIn has rebuilt its algorithm to reward the exact social-media behavior it claims to discourage. The move from a connection-based feed to an interest-based one has turned LinkedIn into a stage where everyone is performing.
Of course, LinkedIn has always had personal content — people share career stories, celebrations, even grief. I’ve shared my own stories of pregnancy loss, because I advocate for more bereavement support in the workplace. The difference is that the old algorithm primarily showed the content to your network and your network’s connections. The new algorithm pushes personal content to strangers who see the post but have no connection to the person behind it. That changes the incentive structure for posting entirely.
The worst timing for the people who need it most
People used to dunk on LinkedIn because of its cringe factor: the inspirational posts, the humblebrags, the “I’m thrilled to announce” posts. (There’s a reason an entire “LinkedIn Lunatics” subreddit exists.)
But, for better or worse, connecting with people on the platform used to matter. This algorithm shift arrives at the worst possible moment for people who actually need the platform to fill its role as a professional networking tool.
LinkedIn’s own research found that nearly 80% of people feel unprepared to find a job in 2026. Applications per open job in the U.S. have doubled since spring 2022. People are competing harder for fewer positions, dealing with AI-driven screening systems — all while the platform that was supposed to help them now optimizes for time-on-site, not job outcomes.
When I log in these days, I can barely find the people whose content I used to enjoy. The feed is now a combination of AI-generated slop and a feeling that LinkedIn’s algorithm hasn’t quite figured out what I’m interested in.
LinkedIn is actively making job hunting harder by rewarding content that has nothing to do with professional competence. And it has zero competition for its place in the market. There is no professional alternative.
For employees: If you’re job hunting right now, the feed is, unfortunately, working against you. You need to engage deliberately with content and people who are related to the type of job you want and build your professional network with intention, because the algorithm won’t do it for you.
For self-employed people: LinkedIn was once the most reliable organic channel for finding clients and building professional credibility. The algorithm shift means your posts increasingly reach strangers who may not be your target audience. It’s worth taking a step back and rethinking your content strategy — or even considering what a pipeline looks like if LinkedIn no longer works the way it once did.
The strain is real right now because the platform can’t have it both ways. You can’t claim to serve professionals while burying any professional utility underneath a feed that’s designed to keep people scrolling.
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