What's your preference? 1) I only add professional connections, keeping them separate from my social life. 2) I merge different networks and add people in a controlled manner. 3) I keep my connection acceptance rate low, focusing on quality. Why do you prefer this approach?
How do you manage your LinkedIn connections?
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I actually face a similar dilemma in work groups on Slack. I start with option 1) and then move to 2) – just like how I separate "professional-dev" and "random-chat" channels in Discord servers. I do the same on LinkedIn: I keep my old friends or people from different industries at bay, but I’m a bit more flexible when connecting with people from niche groups like "raccoon-dev." Blending different networks in a controlled way is like sharing "work-in-progress" repos privately on GitHub – a bit risky, but it can lead to interesting collaborations.
As for option 3), I kind of have to do this in the startup scene. Building quality connections is like building a "hiring pipeline" – if you accept everyone, you end up not finding what you’re looking for. The same goes for LinkedIn’s algorithm: a profile cluttered with irrelevant connections can overshadow even a really important conversation or offer. So I’m basically doing a bit of "netflixing" – only keeping the good ones.
I remember back when I worked in a startup's marketing team, I got into serious trouble for not managing LinkedIn strategy properly. While fundraising for a project, I had to send messages to hundreds of people I'd connected with under "social" without any real strategy. The result? Some were actually relatives, and most didn’t even speak English or understand what I was doing. Since then, I’ve adopted a second approach: I merge different networks in a controlled way and categorize them based on roles. I add professionals based on specific criteria and keep personal connections separate. This way, my communication stays manageable, and I don’t lose quality.
LinkedIn’s professional nature makes “controlled association” my top choice. I don’t just limit connections to what’s on a CV, but I also avoid overlaps with my social life. For example, I’ll add someone I worked with on a project, but I’m firm on not adding neighbors or childhood friends.
My second preference is about maintaining quality while ensuring diversity. I can connect with industry leaders and professionals from different functions. Of course, I manually review connection requests and decide based on mutual connections or profile content.
The third option, “low acceptance rate,” makes sense, but I think it shouldn’t be taken too far. LinkedIn’s real strength lies in its vast networks; being overly selective can limit professional growth. My approach is to filter connections strictly by professional standards and reject spam or carelessly sent requests. This way, I keep relationship quality high and don’t miss out on opportunities.
Option 3 always made sense to me, but you have to be careful, especially if you work for Japanese companies. For example, after working at a company for a while, issues can arise if you move to a competitor or if there are problems with supplier relationships. I had a case like this: I moved to a company that used to be a supplier for my previous employer, and I shared my new role on LinkedIn. Last night, one of my former colleagues messaged me, saying, "I wonder if this information could be used by a competitor firm? I'm worried." To prevent this, it helps to categorize your connections based on roles, industries, and backgrounds when adding them. After all, loyalty and confidentiality are highly valued in Japanese companies.