Creating a Culture of Experimentation

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional networking platform, has consistently been at the forefront of shaping how people connect, collaborate, and advance their careers. Since its founding in 2003, LinkedIn has evolved beyond a job search platform into a hub for professional development, thought leadership, and industry insights. By 2018, LinkedIn had firmly established itself as a pioneer in the conversation about the workplace of the future, advocating for new ways to work, innovate, and succeed in an increasingly interconnected and dynamic world.

As part of its commitment to driving workplace innovation, LinkedIn had recently invested heavily in a 20,000-square-foot Workplace Innovation Lab. This state-of-the-art facility was designed to serve as both a testing ground and a showcase for forward-thinking approaches to work, integrating advanced technologies, adaptive environments, and insights from behavioral science.

LinkedIn faced a multifaceted challenge as it sought to operationalize its vision for the Workplace Innovation Lab. To ensure the lab delivered meaningful results, LinkedIn needed a framework to rapidly and progressively test and validate workplace experiments before scaling them across the organization. This required a structured yet flexible approach that balanced creative exploration with measurable outcomes. At the same time, LinkedIn needed to formalize and codify its unique methodology for workplace innovation—an approach rooted in data, employee insights, and cutting-edge technology. Without a clear and replicable process, the lab’s potential impact could be lost in ad hoc experimentation.

In addition to establishing operational frameworks, LinkedIn needed to create a robust program to manage the lab, its experiments, and the iterative process of testing workplace innovations. This program would serve as the backbone for aligning diverse stakeholders, tracking progress, and ensuring consistent delivery of insights and results. Compounding these challenges was the need for a company-wide culture change initiative to support the adoption of new workplace innovations. Employees across all levels and functions would need to embrace these changes, making it critical to align the lab’s outcomes with the broader organizational mindset. This required not just strategic planning but also a compelling narrative that inspired buy-in and enthusiasm for LinkedIn’s vision of the future workplace.

To meet the challenge, LinkedIn partnered with Prismonde to undertake a comprehensive research effort, analyzing over 150 innovation processes to uncover commonalities and best practices. This research informed the creation of a bespoke methodology tailored to LinkedIn’s unique needs for workplace innovation and experimentation. The resulting framework provided a structured system for capturing, categorizing, and measuring experiments across the organization. It included mechanisms to ensure strategic alignment, adherence to procedural guidelines, and regular review of capital projects for experimentation opportunities. Additionally, the system incorporated robust measures for quality assurance, tracking, and synthesizing findings from experiments to inform broader workplace strategies. The methodology emphasized transparency and accountability, with processes for managing lessons learned, preparing annual reports, and integrating cross-functional insights to maximize impact.

A supporting communications strategy was developed to embed the culture of experimentation throughout LinkedIn. This approach established a common language around innovation, reinforced through group rituals, visual cues, and a targeted content ecosystem. Tools such as articles, drip campaigns, digital Easter eggs, and learnings infographics were designed to engage employees and sustain momentum. A recognition program celebrated contributions to innovation, while workshops and ambassadors cultivated deeper engagement and advocacy. The initiative emphasized frequent, multi-channel communication, ensuring experiment launches and results were shared widely to foster a sense of shared purpose. This comprehensive strategy not only supported the operational needs of the Workplace Innovation Lab but also drove cultural change across the organization, aligning employees with LinkedIn’s vision for the future of work.

The implementation of LinkedIn’s bespoke innovation methodology and communications strategy resulted in significant and measurable outcomes for the Workplace Innovation Lab. Over the course of its rollout, the lab facilitated hundreds of experiments, ranging from incremental improvements to groundbreaking innovations. These experiments provided actionable insights that informed LinkedIn’s workplace strategies, helping the company continuously refine and optimize its approach to the future of work. The rigor of the experimentation process ensured that each project contributed meaningful data, driving both immediate improvements and long-term organizational value. This success led to the launch of a sustaining program, designed to institutionalize the experimentation framework and ensure ongoing alignment with LinkedIn’s strategic goals.

The culture campaign was equally transformative, embedding innovation deeply within LinkedIn’s organizational fabric. The program successfully established a network of innovation ambassadors across the company, empowering employees at all levels to champion and participate in the experimentation process. Through engaging rituals, shared language, and multi-channel communications, the campaign cultivated widespread buy-in and enthusiasm for workplace innovation. Employees embraced the opportunity to contribute to LinkedIn’s forward-thinking vision, reinforcing a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability. This cultural shift not only supported the lab’s success but also positioned LinkedIn as a leader in workplace innovation, further solidifying its reputation as a pioneer in shaping the future of work.