LinkedIn polls provide a great way to get quick feedback from your network, but all responses are visible to anyone who can see the poll. Unlike anonymous polling options on other platforms, LinkedIn does not currently have a built-in way to make poll responses anonymous.
Why Would You Want Anonymous Poll Responses?
There are a few key reasons why you may want to collect anonymous poll responses on LinkedIn:
- To get more honest feedback. If responses are anonymous, people may feel more comfortable providing their true opinion without worrying about professional ramifications.
- To prevent biasing other voters. If responses are public, early voters could influence later voters’ opinions.
- To comply with privacy regulations. For polls asking for personal or sensitive info, anonymous responses may be required.
- To reduce social pressures. Making responses private can limit the impact of social desirability bias.
In short, anonymity allows for more open, unfiltered, and unbiased poll responses compared to completely public polls.
Workarounds for Anonymous LinkedIn Polling
While LinkedIn doesn’t have built-in anonymous polling, there are some workarounds you can use to collect anonymous responses:
Use External Polling Platforms
You can link out to anonymous polls created on external platforms like Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Typeform. The downside is that users will have to click out of LinkedIn to respond.
Anonymous Spreadsheet Polls
Share a link to an editable Google Sheet or Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and ask respondents to add their feedback anonymously. Disable editing access after you’ve collected responses.
Third-Party LinkedIn Poll Apps
Some third-party apps like Polly and SurveySparrow integrate with LinkedIn to allow anonymous poll creation. This provides a more seamless experience than external platforms.
Hide Names via Settings
You can hide names on poll responses by changing the audience targeting to “Only Me.” However, you still see who responded even if names are hidden publicly.
Best Practices for Anonymous LinkedIn Polling
If you opt to use an anonymous polling workaround on LinkedIn, here are some best practices:
- Clearly communicate that responses will be anonymous.
- Don’t ask for any identifiable info (name, email, etc.).
- For external polls, use a neutral/generic link caption like “Take the poll here.”
- For spreadsheets, make a copy to preserve anonymity rather than sharing an existing file.
- Limit access to poll results to preserve anonymity.
- Thank people for responding anonymously if applicable.
The Pros and Cons of Anonymous Polling
Anonymous polling has both advantages and drawbacks to consider:
Potential Pros
- More candid, honest feedback
- Avoids biases from public responses
- Encourages participation from hesitant respondents
- Can increase response rate
- Results may be more reflective of true opinions
Potential Cons
- Harder to prevent duplicate/false responses
- Lacks accountability that names provide
- Respondents may be less thoughtful without name attached
- Demographic data is limited for segmenting results
Tools to Make LinkedIn Polls Anonymous
Here are some of the top tools you can use if you want to make LinkedIn polls anonymous:
| Tool | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Google Forms | Free |
|
| SurveyMonkey | Free plan available |
|
| Typeform | Free plan available |
|
| Polly | Free demo, paid plans |
|
Conclusion
While LinkedIn’s built-in polls don’t support anonymous responses, there are ways to create anonymous polls for your LinkedIn network using third-party platforms. This allows you to garner open, honest feedback while giving respondents privacy. Just be sure to clearly communicate that responses will be anonymous to set proper expectations. With some creative workarounds, you can collect insightful anonymous polling data even on platforms like LinkedIn that don’t have native anonymous polling features.
