(NewsNation) — It’s typically been thought it’s a bad idea to mix the personal with the professional, but it’s worked out for some people who are using dating apps to network and even gain job opportunities.
A report by Insider published Saturday notes about 25% of Grindr users say one of their key activities on the LGBTQ+ app known for finding romantic partners or hookups is networking.
“We know people use our app to meet new people in their area and in new towns, and we also have plenty of anecdotal evidence of people making connections that lead to professional opportunities like jobs,” a spokesperson told Insider in an email.
It’s not just Grindr’s users but also CEO George Arison, who told the Wall Street Journal that he’s personally hired, or had a professional relationship, with several people he’s met on the app “over the years.”
“We encourage people to network on Grindr,” Arison wrote in an email to the WSJ.
Insider notes that many of Grindr’s key features are meant for “instant hookups.” For example, people on the app can say they want someone “right now” in their “I’m Looking For” filter.
There is an option on Grindr, though, letting people say they want “networking opportunities.”
Scouring dating apps to find jobs is something young professionals at other apps, such as Hinge, have tried, according to the WSJ, though the publication notes that some have community guidelines against it. Tinder, for instance, tells users to “make personal connections, not biz ones.”
Other dating apps, such as Bumble, have features that are specifically for career networking. On “Bumble Bizz,” “professionals can connect with each other, share and learn,” according to its website.
However, a Grindr spokesperson said to Insider this isn’t an area the company wants to expand to.
“As users are already using the app in myriad ways, the features we look to build will likely support activities that are already happening on the app,” a spokesperson said, adding that more than half of users are looking for relationships, and that “over 60% simply want to chat.”