Open to Work on LinkedIn: public badge, recruiters only, or private?

Open to Work is useful, but it is not one-size-fits-all. The right setting depends on whether you are unemployed, quietly searching while employed, returning after a break, or trying to attract recruiter conversations without broadcasting it to your whole network.

The three visibility choices

• All LinkedIn members: strongest public signal, includes the profile photo frame, and can be seen by people at your current company.
• Recruiters only: visible to people using LinkedIn Recruiter. LinkedIn says it takes steps to hide this from recruiters at your current company, but it cannot guarantee complete privacy.
• Visible only to you: keeps your preferences private and uses them to tailor job recommendations.

When the public frame helps

Use the public frame when you are openly searching, laid off, freelancing, returning after a break, or trying to activate a broad network quickly. The public badge works best when your headline, About section, and recent activity also make your target clear.

When recruiters-only is better

Use recruiters-only when you want more inbound recruiter activity but do not want a public signal. Make sure your current company is correctly marked as your current employer on LinkedIn, because LinkedIn uses that information to decide what to hide from recruiter users at your company.

When to keep it private

Keep it visible only to you if you are in a sensitive workplace, if your manager checks LinkedIn activity closely, or if you would rather create opportunities through direct outreach, referrals, and quiet recruiter conversations.

Source

LinkedIn Help: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a507508/making-your-profile-visible-or-hidden-from-recruiters