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LinkedIn conducted social experiments on more than 20 million user accounts in over five years to know how the platform worked for members.
The study was conducted from 2015 to 2019 and published in a journal along with researchers from Stanford University, Harvard Business School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Researchers evaluated data from multiple large-scale experiments on the ‘people you may know’ algorithm that recommends new connections to users. A split test with an algorithm that suggested acquaintances as connections and other suggestions to add close contacts were analysed.
According to The New York Times report, LinkedIn did not inform its users about the test. However, the company stated that it abided by the user agreement, privacy policy and member settings during the conduct of the research. The study tested a theory in sociology called the strength of weak ties, meaning individuals are more likely to gain job opportunities through arms-length acquaintances than close friends. As per the report, relatively weak social ties on LinkedIn proved twice as effective in securing employment as stronger social ties.
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