Have you ever asked yourself the question “Just how important are LinkedIn profile pictures anyway?”

Interestingly enough, while most people wouldn’t really give a hoot, this new survey by Passport Photo Online suggests that many business owners and retailers do, in fact, judge a book by its cover – your looks might actually matter more than your other qualifications.

A Picture Is Worth Lots

To glean more insight as to the importance of your LinkedIn profile photo, Passport Photos Online surveyed over 200 human resources (HR) professionals, entrepreneurs, and managers about a range of aspects related to LinkedIn profile images.

Among key findings are:

  • 80% of respondents agree that a candidate’s profile photo helps them to better know the person. Think of it as the ability to better know someone just by looking at their hair color or eye shape.

  • 70% of respondents admitted to turning candidates down because of their LinkedIn profile photo. Imagine getting rejected because the boss just didn’t like your freckles, despite being over-qualified for the position. Though this is more of an exaggerated example, the gist is there.

  • 96% of those surveyed believe that a LinkedIn profile photo inspires confidence. Well, you’d expect someone that looks professional to at least be able to own the part, yes? Admitting that you look the part can mentally impact performance, resulting in a much-welcomed esteem boost.

A simple profile image might be more of a crucial element than you may think. For the full details, you can check out Passport Photo Online’s survey here. Some other notable figures include:

LinkedIn recruiters may be living oxymorons

The survey revealed that while 82% said that no one should judge a book by its cover, 71% of them actually rejected candidates based solely on poor profile photos. Self-contradiction at its finest.

Looks matter

Among those surveyed, if asked if a profile photo would be the determining factor between deciding on two similar candidates, 41% answered yes. Furthermore, the survey revealed that nearly 90% of those who would likely “judge” a picture are owners.

When in-Doubt, Edit

The survey notes that image quality is one of the major factors that dictate the viability of profile images, with candidates likely to get rejected due to low-quality profile photos 75% of the time. Likewise, when asked, the best way to optimize one’s profile photo is by using image-enhancing tools, a choice that garnered 77% positive responses.

The Wrap

So, the question is, can a LinkedIn profile photo make or break your chances at employment? Yes and no. For the most part, at least based on the sample size on this survey, having a clear, high-quality, professional-looking profile image will likely net you a job, whereas the opposite will have you jumping from employer to employer, despite having met the necessary qualifications. It’s a good overview of a rather bad practice that unfortunately persists even in the most professional of working environments.

For the broader picture, recruiters will still mostly consider you for your skills and competence, not just your looks, so it will really depend on where you’ll apply and who will be screening you. For brands, this serves as a reminder to have their logos and branding all fixed up, with no blemishes and with everything clear. It provides you with a very interesting duality that’s present not only online, but likely in the real world too. Use this oversight effectively in your planning.

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Sources

https://bit.ly/3rov40a