Should You Accept LinkedIn Connection Requests from Anyone #UROpinion

Should You Accept LinkedIn Connection Requests from Anyone #UROpinion Our LinkedIn group is full of many fantastic discussions, started by various  industry professionals. This week,  Carolyn Hyams  asked our group if they  think you should accept LinkedIn connection requests from anyone and everyone? Heres the LinkedIn discussion! Join our #UROpinion discussion every Monday on LinkedIn, where you can comment on our latest discussion now! Jennifer Jones Newbill says that the issue she has with adding numerous contact on LinkedIn is managing such a huge network. Jennifer Jones Newbill Senior Manager Global Talent COE at Dell I really enjoyed this article. I have found that I have had to modify my settings on LinkedIn (unfortunately) because I had 100s of invites from people I didnt know waiting for me in my inbox pretty overwhelming. Gee, I wish I could manage a network of 10,15 or 20 thousand people but I cant! I would like to see more discussion around connecting with those that you either know (school, previous job), met (event or trade show) and agreed to connect OR in some cases a connection of a connection. To me this is fine hey, you and I both know Suzie would you mind connecting? I can offer X to you and she mentioned you are super at Y Sadly, I just dont see a lot of reciprocation more of a hey, I need help help me. I think it needs to be more of a two way street. Steve Stotz mentions that hes hesitant to accept any connections unless the actual intent is to network.  Moderating whos accepted into your LinkedIn contacts is a great way of keeping your network focused on your specialist industry. Steve Stotz, B.Sc.(Eng),MBA Director Facilities / Properties Drive Innovation, Service Financial Health To Exceed Corporate Objectives No. Some individuals want to connect so to increase his or her number of affiliates. Unless the intent is for networking and or other non professional reason, I would be hesitant to accept the connection. Carolyn Hyams Marketing Director at Aquent (incorporating Firebrand Talent and Vitamin T) @Jennifer I totally agree with you. Not sure why people dont realise that its not just about taking. They need to be generous with their time and knowledge then Im sure you wouldnt hesitate. @Steve I personally think there needs to be some commonality in order to connect. And preferably a customised message as to why I should. Antonis Papadimitriou said that he would add users that share something in common, such as same education or similar industry/background. Moderate to improve your contacts within your industry Youre here to network professionally, not to brag about your extensive list of contacts! Antonis Papadimitriou Senior Sales Professional in Healthcare-Medical Devices Personally I think that we should accept invitations from people that we share something in common like University, School, previous companies,groups, or similar professional areas and interests. Are there any filters for that in Linkedin? Something else: Do you get many Anonymous Viewers at your profile? I do.. Jennifer Jones Newbill Senior Manager Global Talent COE at Dell Carolyn, you bring up a good point. I get the need for pre-created messages if you are in Recruiting and reaching out to 50, 100 people about a job opportunity. Maybe there are other times when a pre-created message is also warranted but not for connecting 1 on 1. And, I feel like the requests I get are not personalized. Customized and personalized is a big help! Should you  accept LinkedIn connection requests from anyone and everyone? Let us know in the comments! To conclude, the general consensus is to be mindful of who you add on LinkedIn, and dont just add everyone to possess a huge network. A small, relevant network full of strong contacts is more useful than a massive network full of LinkedIn users outside of your industry. As  Antonis said, adding users with a similar interests is acceptable  when moderated. We ask our #UROpinion question every Monday on Twitter. Be sure to join us on LinkedIn, where you can comment on our latest discussion now!