LinkedIn is a powerful professional networking platform used by over 740 million members worldwide. Making connections is a key activity on LinkedIn, allowing users to expand their networks and create opportunities. But what exactly happens when someone sends you a connection request?
In this article, we’ll explore the LinkedIn connection process step-by-step. We’ll look at what happens from both the sender’s and recipient’s perspectives, covering notification settings, pending requests, accepting and ignoring requests, removing connections, and more. Whether you’re looking to optimize your own connecting strategy or simply understand the mechanics behind it, read on to learn what happens when someone wants to connect on LinkedIn.
What happens when someone sends you a connection request?
When someone sends you a connection invitation on LinkedIn, here is what happens:
Sender’s experience
– The sender clicks the “Connect” button on your profile.
– They have the option to add a note with the request, which can be customized or sent without a note.
– After sending the request, the sender sees the connection listed as “Pending” under My Network > Manage my network.
Recipient’s experience
– You will receive an email notification about the request, depending on your notification settings.
– On the LinkedIn mobile app, you may receive a push notification.
– The request appears in your notifications tab on LinkedIn, as well as at the top of your homepage.
– The request also appears under My Network > Manage my network, where you can Accept or Ignore it.
Pending request stage
Until the recipient acts on it, the connection request sits in a pending status and can be canceled at any time by either party. Both the sender and recipient can see the pending request in the “Manage my network” section.
What happens when you accept a connection request?
Accepting a LinkedIn connection request is simple. Here’s what happens:
– When you click the “Accept” button, the connection status updates instantly.
– The new connection appears under “Contacts” in your network.
– The sender gets a notification that you accepted their invitation.
– Your profiles become visible to each other. You can see their full profile and recent activity.
– You can now message each other through LinkedIn’s messaging feature.
Accepting a connection gives you access to their full profile, opens up messaging capabilities, and adds them to your professional network on LinkedIn.
What happens when you ignore a connection request?
You can also ignore a connection request on LinkedIn. Here’s what happens:
– When you click “Ignore”, the request disappears from your account.
– The sender does not receive any notification that you ignored their request.
– Their request remains in a “Pending” state in their account.
– You can change your mind later and accept their request as long it has not been canceled or withdrawn.
Ignoring a request essentially makes it disappear from your inbox. The person who sent it has no indication that you ignored it. At any point, you can go back and accept the request if you change your mind.
Can the sender cancel a pending request?
Yes, the sender has the ability to cancel a connection request while it is in a pending state:
– On the sender’s side, the pending request will appear in “Manage my network.”
– The sender can click “Cancel invitation” to withdraw their request.
– Once canceled, the pending request disappears from both parties’ accounts.
– There is no notification sent to the recipient if the invitation is canceled.
Being able to cancel a pending request gives the sender control if they change their mind or sent it to the wrong person. The recipient will not know the request was canceled unless they try to accept it.
Can you remove an existing connection?
Yes, you can remove existing connections in your LinkedIn network. Here’s how:
– Go to your list of connections under “My Network.”
– Find the connection you want to remove and click “More” next to their name.
– Select “Remove connection.”
– Confirm that you want to remove the connection.
Once removed, that member will no longer show up in your connections list. They will not be notified that you removed the connection. You can send a new connection invitation in the future if you choose.
How to change your LinkedIn notification settings
You can customize notification settings for connection requests and other LinkedIn activities. Here’s how:
– On desktop: Click the “Me” icon and choose “Settings & Privacy”. Go to “Communications” and then “Email preferences.”
– On mobile: Tap your profile icon and go to “Settings & Privacy”. Choose “Communications” then “Email preferences.”
From there, you can toggle notification settings for:
– Connection invitations
– Messages
– Mentions
– Comments
– Likes
– Group updates
– Work anniversaries
Adjusting these settings lets you control which notifications you receive via email and push alerts on your mobile device. You can opt for a daily or weekly digest instead of real-time notifications.
Best practices for managing LinkedIn connections
Here are some tips for effectively managing your LinkedIn network:
– Personalize invitation notes to refresh memories and enhance engagement.
– Keep your network organized by arranging connections into different groups like colleagues, classmates, etc.
– Proactively remove outdated connections to maintain an accurate network.
– Be selective about who you connect with to build a strategic network aligned to your goals.
– Regularly check notification settings to control frequency of connection updates.
Conclusion
Connecting with other professionals on LinkedIn opens up new opportunities to grow your network, advance your career, and boost your business. But it’s important to thoughtfully manage your connections and understand the linking process. Sending and responding to invitations has an etiquette around it. Understanding the user experience from both sides allows you to connect strategically and make the most of your LinkedIn network.