I work in HR, and one of our recruiters frequently shares pro-Trump content on LinkedIn.

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Elaine Varelas provides guidance on how posting political content on LinkedIn could potentially have a negative impact on both a company’s recruiting efforts and reputation.

Q.  I’m in HR and one of our recruiters posts pro-Trump content almost every day. This does not represent the company’s viewpoint, and we remain apolitical for obvious reasons. We are a global company. Can we tell people what they are allowed to post on LinkedIn?

A. This is a great question as there are varying viewpoints on who owns LinkedIn content. Is it the individual? Is it the company? Is it some combination of the two? If you’re a recruiter, your organization is most likely paying for you to have an advanced LinkedIn account, such as LinkedIn Recruiter.

A company’s Employee Handbook and Guidelines should include guidance on how the organization’s equipment is not to be used for political comments or solicitations of a personal nature. Most organizations have some type of social media policy in their employee handbook. It’s important for companies to review and update policies on a regular basis. So, you may notice this employee making these posts, but the challenge comes down to if there is anyone more senior who notices this and is in the position to tell this employee to stop. Or someone may have to anonymously or openly forward a post and say this may have a negative impact on our recruiting abilities. And if you are a leader and someone approaches you with this kind of information, don’t shoot the messenger. Handle any issues promptly and reinforce the organizational policies to all.

Many people view political posts on LinkedIn as unprofessional. There are many other social media venues to post your personal and political beliefs that aren’t affiliated with your company, whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, NextDoor, Substack, Bluesky, Threads, X, etc. If you are in a position where you represent your company, you especially don’t want to post political information. If you’re the CEO and you own the company and you want to post political information, you can. But if you’re the CEO and you don’t own the company, you can’t.

All political discussions online during elections, campaigns, or within any political administration should be approached with caution—especially for those in recruiting, sales, or other externally-facing roles—since such conversations could potentially harm your organization’s success. This is a case of recognizing that there is a time and place to share different information and that professionalism on LinkedIn is important for a company’s brand and success regardless of your personal beliefs.