LinkedIn introduces a complimentary verified badge, enabling you to demonstrate your current workplace.

LinkedIn's latest verification system accommodates CLEAR, Microsoft Entra, and work email verification, catering to over 4,000 different companies.

LinkedIn, a subsidiary of Microsoft, is introducing a no-cost verification system that empowers users to confirm both their identity and employment details. These verification choices encompass leveraging CLEAR for identity verification, validating workplace affiliation via email addresses, and accessing Microsoft's Entra-verified ID platform to acquire complimentary digital workplace IDs.

Unlike platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, there is no charge for obtaining verifications that will appear on your LinkedIn profile. You can verify your workplace simply by utilizing a company-issued email address or by utilizing Microsoft Entra if your organization is already integrated with it.

If you wish to authenticate your own identity, LinkedIn has established a partnership with CLEAR, enabling you to securely validate your identity. By using CLEAR, you can showcase your verified identity on your LinkedIn profile, facilitated by a US government-issued ID and a US phone number.

Should I verify with CLEAR on LinkedIn?

Verify your profile via CLEAR (available exclusively to US citizens and legal permanent residents aged 18 and above).

By selecting this option, you can verify your identity by furnishing a U.S. government-issued ID and a U.S. phone number. Subsequently, CLEAR will verify your profile, and LinkedIn will display a verified checkmark (either blue or green) next to your name on your profile. While the distinction between the green and blue checkmarks remains unclear at the moment, I will provide an update once LinkedIn clarifies any potential differences.

How can I complete Workplace verification using a work email?

This is likely the simplest method to verify your profile—simply include your work email address! Presently, 4,000 companies are engaged in this verification option, and LinkedIn intends to extend this capability to additional companies. As shown here, LinkedIn encouraged me to include my email domain on my company page to initiate the employee verification process:

If you haven't already, here's the process to add your work email address!

Select "Settings and Privacy" from the drop-down menu accessed by clicking your profile photo

Navigate to "Sign In and Security" in the menu and proceed to input your work email address:

If verification is accessible to you, it will be visible when you click on the 'Verifications' tab:

LinkedIn will emphasize verifications by displaying a green and blue checkmark on profiles, but it doesn't seem to be extending this to include a badge next to your name across the entire LinkedIn platform.

The company email verification option is currently accessible to all LinkedIn users who are employed at one of the over 4,000 supported companies. Microsoft Entra verification, on the other hand, will be gradually rolled out by the end of April, initially reaching 2 million LinkedIn members

As an increasing number of businesses embrace cloud technology and remote hiring becomes commonplace, the demand for online credential verification has become evident. Microsoft has developed its Entra Verified ID system, which is currently integrated into LinkedIn. This system is built on open standards, making it compatible with various HR and identity systems.

Alex Weinert, Vice President of Identity Security at Microsoft, emphasizes the growing significance of online authenticity, stating in an interview with The Verge, 'Ensuring authenticity online has never been more critical. We've observed a consistent rise in fraudulent impersonations, where individuals assume false identities in various ways. It's crucial to have confidence in the identity of someone claiming to be affiliated with a specific company or representing one. The necessity for this is quite evident.

Microsoft Entra extends its utility beyond LinkedIn. Digital verified IDs have applications in background checks, loan applications, loyalty programs, and a wide range of other scenarios. This system is expected to streamline the onboarding process for new jobs, enabling individuals to validate their skills and qualifications, which can be applied across various positions and organizations. This, in turn, aims to reduce the need for exhaustive security checks when initially joining a company.

The system relies on a decentralized identity framework and a trust model comprising an issuer, a holder, and a verifier. Companies have the capability to issue digitally signed IDs, which their employees can subsequently utilize to verify their employment status for various purposes, such as accessing discounts or obtaining loan approvals. Microsoft aims to expand the adoption of this system into additional contexts where verification and trust are essential.

Joy Chik, President of Identity and Network Access at Microsoft asserts, "This marks the initial phase. Verified ID credentials have the potential to enhance trust, authenticity, and verifiability, all while reducing costs, time, and complications across numerous situations."