LinkedIn Hopes Redesigned Home Page Spurs More Conversation

LinkedIn is doing a little rearranging in the hope that you’ll be more sociable on the platform.

The company unveiled a redesigned home page Thursday that includes a few minor changes that should get users connecting with one another more frequently, said Joff Redfern, VP of product management at LinkedIn.

Included in the new look is a dashboard near the top of the screen that alerts people to how often their profile is viewed and by whom. The text box for writing an update has also been moved up to make it easier to find. And a section titled “ways to keep in touch” has been added to the right of this dashboard to remind you when those in your network do things like change jobs or get promotions.

“In the ten years of our company, we could have done more to make [connecting with others] super clear to members when they opened up the home page,” Redfern said. “Now we want that to be super clear. This page is about how you start your day.”

None of this technology is new to LinkedIn, but it has been repositioned on the site to grab your attention from the moment you log on. The “ways to keep in touch” section uses the same technology from LinkedIn’s Connected app. Once you’ve seen an update on the app, you won’t see it on the Web (and vice versa), said Redfern.

So why does any of this matter?

LinkedIn, which was primarily a place to update your resume in its early days, has evolved in recent years to cater to users who aren’t actually looking for a new job. You can publish blog-style posts; it can help you manage your calendar; you can read what the influential people in your industry are talking about.

All of this helps LinkedIn’s business, which relies on an active user base to lure hiring managers into posting their job openings on the service. If you’re reminded that your old friend got a new job, you’re more likely to congratulate her and rekindle that relationship — and visit LinkedIn more often.

Redfern says the company isn’t trying to fix an engagement problem with the update, they just want more people connecting.

Here’s a look at the new page:

And here’s the old design:

LinkedIn will begin rolling out the new design Thursday, but it will take until early 2015 for all users to get the upgrade, Redfern said.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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