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Lauren Griffiths: Her old profile picture on LinkedIn on the left, her new photo on the right
Photo: Lauren Griffiths
Lauren Griffiths, 39, works in the HR department of a tech company on the east coast of the USA and has been working from home since the corona crisis - where she and her husband have been trying to cope with everyday life with three children aged seven, five and two years.
A week ago, she changed her profile picture on LinkedIn and wrote this text, which has since been "liked" by more than 700,000 people and on which there are more than 23,000 comments:
"I recently took a close look at my LinkedIn profile photo - the woman looking at me had freshly dyed and coiffed hair, was wearing an ironed blazer, and had a smile that showed just enough teeth that it was obvious she was serious, but that she can be lighthearted too. I still remember taking my 'power pose' when my husband was taking the photos. We took about 80 shots before we found this picture that looked perfectly polished. But I'm not always like the one in the photo, and especially not now.
Today's home office world has blurred the lines between my professional and personal self, and I want to express that with my new profile picture. Hardly any dried hair, a comfortable sweater, torn jeans - slightly disheveled because I just got three kids ready for school - but smiling and ready for work. I've read and seen enough about authentic leadership to know that being sincere and vulnerable is far more useful in a career than having a shiny profile picture. "
SPIEGEL:
Ms. Griffiths, more than 23,000 people commented on changing their profile photos on LinkedIn.
What's going on there?
Lauren Griffiths:
This is actually crazy, I can hardly believe it myself.
My very personal contribution has suddenly developed a life of its own and has become a social discussion.
Actually, I just wanted to express my feeling that the "new normal" looks different than it did before the corona crisis;
more authentic, more unvarnished.
At the beginning of the pandemic, many in online meetings apologized for not having time to dress up.
You don't have to apologize for that!
And why should I look different on my profile picture than in the online meeting?
Glossy business photos no longer fit in with the times.
I have received a lot of personal messages in which people thank me.
Mothers in particular seem to share my feeling, I was probably just the first to put it into words.
SPIEGEL:
How many reactions do you otherwise get to your posts?
Griffiths:
That was my first post on LinkedIn!
My privacy is very important to me, which is why I largely avoid social media.
I don't have a lot of connections on LinkedIn either, and I've thought about it for a long time to find my own voice there.
Apparently I succeeded.
SPIEGEL:
But it also means that people from all over the world are now commenting on your appearance.
Griffiths:
Fortunately, most of the reactions are positive.
Of course there are also people who are condescending, but I'm over it.
Spreading hate online is just plain unprofessional.
And the discussion has also changed: The first comments were still about me, then more and more people spoke up and considered which of the two people would hire them.
SPIEGEL:
You can be seen in both photos.
Griffiths:
Yeah, that's the exciting thing.
Both pictures show the same woman with the same résumé and qualifications - but to some people I seem more competent in the old picture than in the new one.
We often infer their abilities from a person's appearance without being aware of it.
My post has put the spotlight on it.
Why should someone be superior to another just because they're wearing a suit?
Or because he or she has a different skin color?
How someone looks says nothing about their abilities.
I think it's great that my contribution has sparked such a debate.
SPIEGEL:
Especially in the tech industry, which is known for the fact that many come to work in hoodies, one might expect that such a debate no longer has to be held.
Griffiths:
On the whole, the working atmosphere in tech companies is certainly more relaxed than in others.
I have only received positive feedback from my colleagues.
But the subject has so many facets, it is also about how women are generally perceived and what it means to get job and family under one roof in these times.
I have the impression that many companies are providing their employees with excellent support right now in the corona crisis, and I very much hope that this flexibility and cohesion that we are currently experiencing will be maintained in the long term.
SPIEGEL:
How many comments have you read on your contribution?
Griffiths:
Everyone at first, but at some point it just got too much.
What I think is great: Everyone who knows me personally has expressed themselves positively, and my family is proud of me.
SPIEGEL:
Is that you too?
Griffiths:
You mean, am I enjoying the attention?
I still have to get used to it, it still feels strange.
But I enjoy starting this debate.
We are all brought up differently, work in different industries, and have different views.
I don't expect everyone to agree, for some a glossy profile picture may still be the right thing.
But I think it's important that we question what expectations we associate with it - and what prejudices we are exposed to.
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