LinkedOut – Mobilizing for the Inclusion of the Most Disadvantaged – Jean Marc Potdevin

LinkedOut: The Professional Social Network for Those Without a Network

LinkedOut was born within the Entourage association, which creates citizen-led support networks for people in extreme exclusion. The idea came from a simple but powerful observation: if you don’t have a network, you can’t find a job. The story of Kenny, a 30-year-old man without a network since he was 18, was the trigger: by sharing his CV on Facebook, 200 spontaneous shares helped him find a permanent contract job.

LinkedOut operates on three main pillars: a platform that allows CVs to go viral, candidate support with volunteer coaches who mentor them, and company support to help them recruit atypical but motivated profiles.

Transforming Company Culture Through Inclusion

Integrating LinkedOut candidates into a company profoundly transforms organizational culture. These candidates bring exceptional resilience, very strong motivation, and a low turnover rate once integrated. They also bring a lot of spontaneity and freshness to interactions, creating real team dynamics.

The example of Advens, a cybersecurity company, illustrates this transformation: in six months, the CEO became very inclusive, 17 employees coach candidates, and the company is even creating an inclusive cybersecurity school. Inclusion has become a business strength at the very heart of the activity.

Reinventing the CV to Put People at the Center

LinkedOut’s secret lies in reinventing the CV. Unlike traditional practices, LinkedOut places a beautiful photo on one-third of the page, emphasizes the personality and the person themselves, and allows candidates to tell their story, including not hiding their difficulties. It focuses on the human aspect and makes you want to meet them.

This approach allows for moving beyond traditional recruitment channels where candidates don’t fit into predefined boxes. The platform generates approximately 400,000 visits per year, and CVs can be shared up to 5,000 times on social media, creating a significant impact.

Personalized Support: The Key to Success

Each candidate is paired with a volunteer coach who supports them throughout their journey. This very strong personal relationship is the key to success: former candidates consistently mention their coach as the best. The coach plays a key role in the connection with the company, helping to maintain proximity and understand difficulties.

Coaches commit to 2 hours per week for approximately 6 months, with particular attention paid to location (to facilitate physical meetings) and shared passions (to create bonds beyond employment).

How to Get Actively Involved

Companies and sales managers can get involved in several ways: consult CVs on the platform and offer jobs, share CVs on social media to increase their visibility, and become a volunteer coach to support a candidate in their job search.

LinkedOut also offers tailor-made programs for companies wishing to involve their teams. The goal is to create a human adventure where everyone can contribute to inclusion, thereby transforming company culture and employee engagement.

In a nutshell

Here are the key takeaways from this Masterclass with Jean-Marc Potdevin and Amandine:

• Inclusion transforms company culture: Integrating atypical profiles brings resilience, motivation, and dynamism to teams, while strengthening the sense of collective action.

• Reinventing recruitment to put people at the center: Moving beyond classic processes to create authentic encounters and make people want to get to know the person behind the CV.

• The importance of networking and support: Offering your network to those who don’t have one, and personally supporting candidates to maximize their chances of success.

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