I’m sure many of you are receiving LinkedIn Endorsements. Some from people you know and respect and maybe some from acquaintances who barely know you or your work. I myself have received these types of Endorsements and it has concerned me. I can’t help but question others’ motivation to endorse me when we have not interacted in a capacity appropriate for this Endorsement.

Endorsements are specific LinkedIn Recommendations that give credibility to your unique skill sets. While it is important to have many Endorsements visible on your profile, this is a situation where quality beats quantity. I don’t know about you, but I would want these Endorsements to come from my superiors and experts who know what I am capable of.

A suggestion.  Next time you receive an Endorsement from someone who has engaged with you on a particular project or works with you on a frequent basis, thank them, and ask them if there are specific skill sets they would like you to endorse that are appropriate.

If you are uncomfortable with your endorsement, you can hide the endorsement.

It is OK to send that person a message, thank them, and politely let them know their endorsement has been hidden. Here is one suggestion:

Hi [name],
I see that you have endorsed me on LinkedIn regarding one or more of my skill sets. While I appreciate you taking the time to do so, I would like to ensure any endorsements I receive are a true reflection of my skills and expertise. Therefore I have take the decision to only keep those endorsements from people who have direct experience working with me and have a clear grasp of what I do, and how I interact with them. Accordingly, I have hidden your endorsement at this time.

I appreciate your understanding. Like you, it is important to me to maintain a high level of integrity throughout my LinkedIn profile.

Thank you and have a great day,
Jaimie Murphy

As a side note, ensure that you add to your skill set, they do not need to be included in the LinkedIn drop down. If your skill is not listed, create your own!

Have you had any experiences with LinkedIn endorsements?