Microsoft, the creator and owner of LinkedIn, is a trillion-dollar corporation that earns billions from the same consumers and businesses that use its products every day. Yet even with this level of power, influence, and resources, major corporations like Microsoft continue to fall short when it comes to building meaningful tools that genuinely help people find work or help companies hire effectively.

With all the leverage they have, they create platforms where employers are charged simply to access job seekers — the very same consumers who already spend money on Microsoft products, subscriptions, and services. Businesses run their operations on Windows and Office. Individuals pay for devices, software, and cloud services. And despite all of this, companies still have to pay again just to view or contact candidates.

It's like you can always buy the latest product from Mircosoft - but No, we can not help you get a job. Instead we will charge companies that want to hire you and continue to make more money while still need you to be updated on the latest product we want you to buy.

The Real Problem With the Current Hiring System

It creates a wall — a barrier that slows down both sides of the job market.

Companies are forced to pay to access candidates.

Even small businesses with tight budgets must spend large amounts on job postings and candidate search tools. This reduces the number of opportunities posted, limits visibility, and raises hiring costs.

Candidates are stuck submitting endless applications.

Job seekers spend countless hours searching for roles, sending resumes, and tailoring cover letters — often with almost no response. Their visibility depends on employer budgets, algorithms, and paid listings, not on their actual skills or potential.

The system prioritizes revenue, not efficiency.

Rather than solving the hiring problem, these platforms monetize it. The result is a cycle where companies keep paying more, and candidates keep feeling unseen.

Skills Are Overlooked in Favour of Paid Prioritisation

A candidate’s visibility often depends more on budget tiers, boosted posts, and algorithm ranking than on actual ability or experience.

The Opportunity Microsoft Is Ignoring

Microsoft has the financial strength, technical capability, and global reach to redesign the hiring ecosystem entirely. It could create a platform where:

• Every employer can access candidates without financial barriers
• Job seekers gain visibility based on skills, not paid boosts
• The hiring process becomes efficient, faster, and fairer
• Companies of all sizes can compete for talent
• The market is driven by merit rather than platform revenue strategies

Nothing stops Microsoft from doing this. It already earns enormous revenue from Azure, Windows, Office, GitHub, Cloud services, enterprise licensing, AI tools, and more. LinkedIn is one of the few products that does not need to be monetized through access barriers.

Conclusion: Microsoft Should Make LinkedIn Free for All

LinkedIn should not be a pay-to-play hiring marketplace. Microsoft has the resources to run it as a free global platform that serves both sides of the job market without financial walls.

Companies would still use it. The platform wouldn’t lose relevance. And with Microsoft’s existing revenue streams, the cost of maintaining LinkedIn is insignificant in comparison.

Removing financial barriers would:

• Help companies hire more efficiently
• Give job seekers equal visibility
• Strengthen workforce mobility
• Improve global access to opportunity
• Restore LinkedIn’s original purpose — connecting people, not monetizing access to them

If Microsoft wants to shape the future of work, the most meaningful step it can take is simple:

Make LinkedIn free for everyone. No walls. No paid gates. Just opportunity.