LinkedIn has added yet another data reference tool to their job listings, this time in the form of commute time for each advertised role.
As explained by LinkedIn:
“When you visit job listings on LinkedIn from your mobile phone, you’ll start to see a “See Your Commute” module. From here you can enter your address to calculate how long it would take you to get to your new office walking, driving or on public transportation. Soon, you’ll also have the option to save your location information locally on your phone so you don’t have to type it in every time you’re looking at a role.”
In addition to this, LinkedIn will also soon add a ‘commute preferences’ filter to your jobs dashboard, so you can get more relevant job matches based on your travel preferences.
Of course, the information provided is dependent on the job location being listed by the advertiser, which they may not always be willing to do. Given that some advertisers are hesitant to list their actual address, LinkedIn provides them different options on this front:
“For example, job posters with an exact address in mind can post the job to a specific address, but a general requisition in any one of LinkedIn’s Sunnyvale offices can still be posted simply to “Sunnyvale, California,” without an address (although this may restrict the availability of Commute Time features).”
It may seem like a small addition, but it’s an important one – how much you’re willing to change your lifestyle plays an important part in the jobs you seek (LinkedIn says that 85% of U.S. professionals have indicated that they would take a pay cut for a shorter commute).
And while setting a geographic or travel radius within which you’ll accept listings could restrict your potential opportunities, it could also benefit those who are looking, but not really. You might not be actively pursuing a new role, but if something comes up, with better pay, in a similar position, within an acceptable geographic location, maybe you’d be interested.
It could also be of benefit for those looking to move to a new location if they have a specific home base in mind.
In addition to the above settings, LinkedIn will also add a new indicator on job listings, highlighting the travel time for those who’ve saved their location data.
As noted, the new commute insights add to the growing list of data indicators LinkedIn’s added to its job listings.
In the last six months alone, LinkedIn has added:
LinkedIn has also added a professional mentorship connection program, and has improved its search options – all of which are designed to improve your job prospects and connection capacity.
This is clever use of LinkedIn’s professional dataset, and a great way to enhance their jobs features. With more than 560 million members, LinkedIn is in a unique position to provide more insight, and more relevant job matches, than any other jobs platform. They haven’t quite got there yet, but as the platform’s tools advance, LinkedIn could soon become the platform for job seekers, and a key element in all career development pathways.