LinkedIn’s new feature nudges users to reach out to people in their network

LinkedIn users have a ton of connections in their network, but they don’t reach out to a lot of them regularly. The professional social network is trying to make that happen through a new tab called “Catch Up” in the redesigned My Network section.

The new “Catch Up” tab will highlight things from your connections like a new job, work anniversary or if they are hiring. You can like their post with one tap or even start a DM conversation with an automatically generated prompt such as “Congrats on your 3-year work anniversary.”

The company is moving options like connection requests, invites to newsletters and events, and recommendations for connections to a new tab called “Grow.”

Last year, LinkedIn started testing a “Celebrations” landing page in the My Networks section. The page listed milestones like job changes, birthdays and work anniversaries. However, it just remained in beta.

The Microsoft-owned company is also releasing a new AI-powered messaging feature that helps premium users draft a first message to someone on LinkedIn even if they are not connected. The social network said that it uses data from both profiles to help form the message. The feature has ready prompts for introducing yourself or asking the other person for advice or work experience. Users can edit this message before sending it.

LinkedIn has leveraged AI in multiple features until now. Last year it rolled out AI-assistant writing features for profile building, ads, conversation starters for collaborative articles and recruitment. In October 2023, it introduced an AI assistant for learning that advises users on areas like soft skills.

In an article published last month, LinkedIn said that 85% of people in the U.S. are considering switching a job. With companies like Amazon, Google, Snap, Microsoft, eBay and Discord cutting their workforces, LinkedIn would expect to be at the center of job-related activities. In January, the company released a new tool called “Job Collections” to look at openings through different filters.