LinkedIn brings its verification tools to job posts | TechCrunch

by tyler | May 22, 2023 | Tech

After launching its verification features last month, LinkedIn is now bringing verification to job posts, the company announced on Monday. The company will now start showing verifications related to a job post, displaying verified information about a job poster or their company.

When you see verifications on job posts, that means there is information that has been verified as authentic by the job poster, LinkedIn or one of its partners. The verified information will show whether the poster is affiliated with an official company page, has verified their work email or workplace or their government ID was verified through CLEAR, which is a secure identity platform.

Image Credits: LinkedIn

Image Credits: LinkedIn

“We’re showing these verifications to help you feel confident in your search and give recruiters the opportunity to build trust with potential candidates,” the company wrote in a blog post . “Verifications on job postings are just rolling out, and as we expand access to our free verification tools, you’ll see even more across the jobs you’re exploring.”

Last month, LinkedIn introduced new ways to verify your identity and where you work. Unlike with  Twitter  and  Meta , LinkedIn’s new verification measures don’t include paid subscriptions or blue checkmarks. At the time, LinkedIn said it believes verification should be available for everyone, which is why its verification features will be available for free.

Unlike Twitter and Meta, which bundled verification with additional features, LinkedIn is choosing to keep its verification features focused on confirming users’ identifies in the hopes of providing an extra layer of protection when it comes to fake or scam accounts.

LinkedIn rolls out ways to verify your identity and employment, without a price tag

LinkedIn cuts 716 jobs as it phases out its China app | TechCrunch

by tyler | May 9, 2023 | Tech

LinkedIn is cutting 716 jobs and will begin phasing out its local jobs app in China. In a letter today, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslanky said the decision to shutter the standalone China app, called InCareer, was because of “fierce competition and a challenging macroeconomic climate.”

While reducing some roles, LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft and has 20,000 employees , also plans to open about 250 new jobs in some segments of its operations, and new business and accounting management teams on May 15.

LinkedIn is the latest tech company , ranging in size from Google and Amazon to startups, to announce layoffs. Its parent company, Microsoft, said it was cutting 10,000 jobs, or nearly 5% of its global workforce , in January.

InCareer was launched in December 2021, a couple months after LinkedIn announced it was shutting down its main service in China . At that time, it attributed the decision to shutter LinkedIn China to “a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements.”

InCareer was meant to help professionals within China network, find and apply for jobs, but it was up against competitors like Maimai , the dominant professional networking site in the country with over 120 million users, according to its website. Maimai’s advantages include the ability to share posts anonymously, which makes it a popular destination for workers seeking to vent or find information about their companies.

LinkedIn plans to finish phasing out InCareer by August 9, while shifting its China strategy to help companies operating in China hire, market and train abroad. This means it will continue to have Talent, Marketing and Learning businesses in China.

Laid off employees who are covered by U.S. benefits will get severance pay, continuing health coverage and career transition services, while employees outside the U.S. will get benefits that align with local labor laws and practices.

The layoffs and InCareer’s phasing out are part of changes that LinkedIn is making to its Global Business Organization (GBO) and China strategy. As part of that, LinkedIn is sunsetting its Business Productivity team. It also plans to reduce management roles and use more vendors to “serve emerging and growth markets more effectively.”

Roslansky said he expects fiscal year 2024 to “remain challenging. “We’re adapting as we have done this year and will continue to operate with the ambition we need to deliver on our vision and the pragmatism required to run the business well,” he wrote.

As part of Microsoft’s latest quarterly earnings report , issued in April, LinkedIn reported a 8% increase in revenue year-over-year. In the report previous to that one, Microsoft warned it expected revenue growth to slow to the mid-single digits in the third quarter, due to a slowdown in hiring and advertising spending.

LinkedIn now requires phone number verification for all users in China

HUSSLUP, a LinkedIn for the entertainment biz, launches web app in beta | TechCrunch

by tyler | Apr 20, 2023 | Tech

HUSSLUP , currently an invite-only beta, is a job search and networking app for creative professionals in the media and entertainment industry to connect with studios and production companies looking to hire talent.

Today, the company announced a web version of its mobile app. It will roll out widely next week.

Much like LinkedIn, HUSSLUP allows users to write posts, network with others and search for gigs.

However, instead of being targeted to the general public, the app aims to be a central hub for creative professionals in the entertainment industry, above or below the line, to collaborate on a project, promote an upcoming movie/TV show, invite others to an event, find new talent and more.

Other community tools include the ability to create a group, share encrypted creative samples, chat via in-app messenger and create annotated contact lists for each project, movie or show.

In tandem with the web launch, the company also introduced new web-based features called “Pro Search,” a proprietary feature that allows for more in-depth searches, and “Serendipity Mode,” a Tinder-like section on the platform where users can quickly connect with other members.

The new ProSearch tools provide a way for staffers to look up talent based on specific criteria, such as their credit level, representation, go-to genre/project types, availability, locations where they’re willing to work, professional affiliations and more.

Users can also save potential hires to a list, where they can then add comments, note which person they hired and share with others.

Notably, the tool also allows users to sort search results to discover diverse hires. HUSSLUP claims that approximately 65% of its current membership self-identifies as diverse in at least one of the following categories: gender, race and LGBTQ+.

The industry continues to be criticized for underrepresentation, so HUSSLUP’s new feature is a significant addition to its toolbox.

Among the top 200 highest-grossing theatrical releases at the North American box office in 2022, people of color (POC) made up only 22% of lead actors, 17% of directors and 12% of writers, per UCLA’s 2023 Hollywood Diversity Report .

Web users are also getting “Serendipity Mode,” a feature that lets them “swipe” – or, in this case, click right or left with their mouse – on tiles that feature profiles of members, companies, and communities. The cards are organized randomly to give users a better chance of discovering a wide range of people.

In the future, the company plans to launch more web-based features, H Shuster, founder of HUSSLUP, told TechCrunch. This includes “Project Rosters,” a feature that would enable users to take a list of their hires and generate call sheets, anonymized statistical reports for tax incentives and more.

HUSSLUP also intends to create a text, image and video search tool as well as AI-powered recommendations.

Unlike the majority of professions, there’s no rule book for how to get a career in entertainment. Most of the time, you either have connections in the right places, luck is on your side that week or — if you’re fortunate enough — you’re a nepo baby.

Hence HUSSLUP’s tagline, “Transforming Hollywood from clique to click.”

Schuster founded HUSSLUP as a potential solution to this ongoing clique problem–“the antiquated game of telephone,” as she and her team like to call it.

An executive producer with 20 years of experience in Hollywood, Shuster has worked on reality shows like “MasterChef” and “The Biggest Loser,” and knows all too well how frustrating it can be to find new talent.

“When I was sitting behind the desk of hiring, you know, I would literally make five or ten phone calls to colleagues, friends, a manager, agent, and get five or ten names,” Shuster told TechCrunch. “You don’t know these people, so you’re then trying to get their credits on IMDb and their creative samples on YouTube… It’s super painful and disaggregated, and it can take a really long time to find someone who’s available and then vet them.”

“There has to be a more efficient way and also a more joyful way, frankly, for creative talent to first of all have a place to aggregate all of their professional information and build a profile that really allows them to tell the story of themselves and present themselves to the industry the way they want to be seen,” she added.

H Shuster, founder and CEO of HUSSLUP

H Shuster, founder and CEO of HUSSLUP

All the profiles on HUSSLUP have verified credits to ensure everyone on the app has worked in the industry at some point. About 75% of HUSSLUP users are at least mid-career, Shuster claims, ranging from directors, writers, producers, editors, animators, composers, music supervisors, art directors and more.

However, once the app exits beta, the company wants to eventually invite students and recent graduates who are still looking to break into the industry. HUSSLUP is currently working with a number of universities, including NYU and the American Film Institute, among others.

The company also partners with numerous production companies, studios and organizations, including Universal Studio Group, Universal Pictures, Blumhouse, Will Smith-founded Westbrook, the Russo Brothers’ AGBO, Tyra Banks’ Bankable Productions, Don Cheadle’s This Radicle Act and Women in Film, among others.

In December 2022, HUSSLUP raised a $2.5 million seed round, led by f7 Ventures and Fuel Capital, with additional funding from Ulu Ventures, Gaingels and 360 Venture Collective.

Previously, HUSSLUP raised a pre-seed investment in 2021 from the Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs accelerator powered by Techstars.

To date, HUSSLUP has around 6,000 members, according to the company.

LinkedIn rolls out ways to verify your identity and employment, without a price tag | TechCrunch

by tyler | Apr 12, 2023 | Tech

LinkedIn is introducing new ways to verify your identity and where you work, the company announced on Wednesday. Unlike with Twitter and Meta , LinkedIn’s new verification measures don’t include paid subscriptions or blue checkmarks.

The company is partnering with CLEAR, a secure identity platform, to provide verification for LinkedIn users in the United States. Starting this month, users can display on your profile that they verified your identity with CLEAR. To do so, you need to provide your government-issued ID and phone number.

Once you verify your identity, your profile will display a new “Verifications” section under the “Connect” and “Message” buttons. Users who visit your profile will see a checkmark next to a “Government ID” banner that will indicate that you have “a verified government ID.”

LinkedIn users around the world also have the option to verify where they work with their company email. To confirm your place of employment, you have to enter a verification code sent to your company email address. LinkedIn notes that this feature works with more than 4,000 companies on the platform. The platform plans to roll out this option to more companies over time.

Image Credits: LinkedIn

Image Credits: LinkedIn

Alternatively, LinkedIn has partnered with Microsoft to allow organizations to leverage the Microsoft Entra Verified ID platform to issue digital workplace IDs for free for eligible users. The new option will roll out at the end of this month. LinkedIn plans to make this option available to dozens of participating companies reaching more than two million LinkedIn members.

“Through all these new, free features, we’re helping give you the confidence that who you’re connecting with and the content you come across is trusted and authentic,” the company wrote in a blog post . “While all LinkedIn members globally won’t have access to these verification options immediately, we will expand availability and ways for you to participate over time. We’ll keep you updated as we continue rolling out more features like these.”

The new verification features come as LinkedIn introduced ways to verify your phone number and email last fall. It’s worth noting that these two verification options aren’t displayed on your profile with verification badges, unlike the new options announced today, which have a prominent space on user profiles.

Unlike Twitter and Meta, which bundled verification with additional features, LinkedIn is choosing to keep its verification features focused on confirming users’ identifies in the hopes of providing an extra layer of protection when it comes to fake or scam accounts. Twitter’s paid verification option is bundled with its Blue subscription , which costs $8 per month, and gives users access to other perks like fewer ads. Meta’s verification option, called Meta Verified , is available on Instagram and Facebook and costs $11.99 per month on the web and $14.99 per month on mobile.

LinkedIn says it believes verification should be available for everyone, which is why its verification features will be available for free.

LinkedIn expands its generative AI assistant to recruitment ads and writing profiles