Five Features LinkedIn Should Have by Now

“You’re not networking. You’re doomscrolling career highlight reels.”

– The Tacoma Ledger, ‘I Hate LinkedIn’

“It’s like everyone’s trying to out-inspire each other with recycled TED Talk energy.”

– The Guardian, ‘Why Has LinkedIn Become So Weird?’

“Every time I open the app, I feel like I’m behind on a race I didn’t even want to run.”

– NY Post, on 'LinkedIn Envy and Gen Z Anxiety'

It’s no secret that LinkedIn isn’t exactly a fan favourite. In today’s job market, using the platform can feel like walking a tightrope between showcasing your work and dodging a minefield of humblebrags, AI-generated thought leadership, and unsolicited sales pitches.

As someone who builds solutions for a living, I thought I’d take a break from the serious stuff and have a little fun—here are five features I think LinkedIn desperately needs.

Feature: Understand My Market

Job searching can feel like guessing in the dark. "Understand My Market" would provide users with a clear, personalized view of the job landscape tailored to their role, location, and industry. Instead of vague headlines and endless scrolling, you’d see concrete insights like average salaries, typical time-to-hire, and how many new roles were posted in your field this week. It could spotlight companies that are actively hiring, industries on the rise, and even roles similar to yours that were recently filled. With GPT-powered summaries and visual trends, LinkedIn could shift from a passive platform to an active partner.

In fairness, they have some market intelligence today, but here is a shortlist of what is missing and easy to add:

• No real-time market health indicator for your field, location, and role.
• No dynamic hiring velocity tracker (how long roles stay open, how quickly they're filled).
• No aggregated trendlines for new jobs added week over week in your sector.
• No smart insights on recently filled roles and how your profile stacks up.
• No visualizations powered by GPT-style summaries (job trends, emerging skills, etc.).
• No easy way to understand which companies are growing, hiring, or freezing.

Feature: My Professional Goals (Private/Not Private)

LinkedIn asks for your job title but rarely your direction. "My Professional Goals" would let users define where they're headed, whether it's switching industries, moving into leadership, or learning a new skill. This information could stay private or be shared selectively.

With these goals in place, LinkedIn could recommend relevant learning paths, highlight companies aligned with your aspirations, and connect you with professionals on similar journeys. It turns networking into something intentional and supportive, rather than random connection requests and algorithmic guesswork.

Feature: Neuronuanced Networking Options

Not everyone thrives on cold outreach and coffee chats with strangers. "Neuronuanced Networking Options" would offer a more thoughtful, inclusive way to build connections. As professional diversity expands to include neurodivergent experiences, mental health needs, and communication preferences, LinkedIn should meet people where they are. This feature could include toggles for preferred interaction styles, quiet networking modes, or asynchronous conversation starters. It might also suggest online-only or low-pressure offline events tailored to comfort levels.

The goal isn't to avoid connection—it's to make it accessible and sustainable for everyone.

Feature: Embed Background Checks

Background checks are one of the most opaque parts of the hiring process. Every time you land a new role, you're starting from scratch with a different third-party firm, often repeating the same steps. "Embed Background Checks" would streamline this by partnering with a trusted verification service to let users verify past roles, titles, and dates once—and store that verification securely on their profile. Employers could request access when needed, saving time for both sides and reducing friction during onboarding. It brings transparency and efficiency to a process that’s long overdue for an upgrade.

Feature: Please Fix Your Fake Recruiter Problem

In a market this tough, where opportunities are scarce and job seekers are already anxious, being bombarded by fake recruiters with sketchy Gmail addresses feels downright cruel. These messages waste time, prey on vulnerabilities, and erode trust in the platform. LinkedIn should prioritize verifying recruiter identities, flagging suspicious activity, and giving users more control over who can contact them.

This might be the last item on this list, but it’s the first thing that should be fixed. Cleaning this up would go a long way in restoring integrity and showing users that LinkedIn actually has their back.

These aren’t just nice-to-haves. Together, they’d make LinkedIn feel more thoughtful, less chaotic, and better equipped to support real people in real transitions. In a time when everything is moving faster (AI, layoffs, learning curves), we need tools that offer clarity, not more noise. A smarter, safer, and more supportive LinkedIn isn’t out of reach. 

So what would you add? What feature would make this marketplace work better for you?