LinkedIn launches ‘How You’re Connected’ tool on profiles to help members introduce each other

LinkedIn today launched a new “How You’re Connected” tool on profile pages that aims to help members introduce each other. This feature will begin rolling out to English members around the world beginning today, and the social media company says the types of insights it provides will be expanded “in the months to come.”

The addition means when you visit someone’s profile, you will now not only see who in your network knows them, but also how they know each other. Here is how the new feature looks like:

LinkedIn hopes that by helping users find “the best path or strongest commonalities shared” between them and the person they’re interested in, it will increase the chance of forming new important contacts. If you’re looking to strike a professional relationship, LinkedIn says this information should help you decide the best contact to request an introduction from.

Here is the example LinkedIn provides:

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So let’s say you’re an advertising professional looking for an introduction to the CMO of a company you’d love to do business with. You might find one mutual connection attended school with her before she kick started her career but another worked with her recently on a very high-profile campaign. Chances are, the connection that worked with her recently is more likely to have a stronger, more relevant connection and therefore be the best source for an introduction.

In the end, of course, you’re still playing a guessing game. It’s possible “the connection that worked with her” didn’t enjoy any of it, and the “mutual connection that attended school with her” was the better choice all along. Regardless of how powerful social networks are becoming, they’re still augmenting human relationships, not replacing them.

See also – LinkedIn partners with 7 online education firms to let users add certifications and courses to their profiles and LinkedIn redesigns its apps for iOS 7, adds endorsements and beginner’s guide to mobile site

Top Image Credit: mariosundar / Flickr