Grindr isn’t just for sex – a quarter of users also there to network
Grindr is not just for hookups – a quarter of users say they’re also on the app to network. (Getty Images)
Grindr might not be the first place that springs to mind for job hunting, but around a quarter of users say they’re not just on the app for sex – they’re also using it to network.
The LGBTQ+ dating app is certainly best known for helping horny queer men find quick hookups, but even Grindr’s CEO says he’s used the app to scout out new employees.
George Arison told the Wall Street Journal that he has personally “hired or had a professional relationship with several people” he met over the years on the app. “We encourage people to network on Grindr,” he added.
The queer social networking app surveyed its users and found that “approximately 25 per cent of our users say that one of their key activities on Grindr is to network”, Insider reported.
“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 Grindr spokesperson said.
There’s no denying that the app is built to facilitate a quick hookup. There’s an option to be open to NSFW pictures, and users can share useful info, like whether the are a top or a bottom and whether they are looking for someone “right now”.
Still, there’s more to the app than sex, as users connect over all sorts of things – including job opportunities.
Open to opportunities
Brandon Tamayo, a 30-year-old compliance specialist at the Chicago Transit Authority, told the Wall Street Journal that he actively tries to recruit people on Grindr.
He will wait for a gap in the conversation to drop a link to his employer’s job board. It doesn’t go down well with the majority of his matches, but for Tamayo, it makes sense.
Other users have shared their “surreal” experiences of networking on the app.
“I’m networking on Grindr hahahahahahha this is more surreal than any odd sexual message I’ve ever gotten,” one user wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, accompanied by a screenshot showing an anonymous user offering him an interview for a job role.
Another posted: “Not me getting a possible law clerk position through Grindr networking.” A third shared a screenshot of someone offering to connect them to a Congresswoman for work.
Other dating apps don’t take so kindly to the prospect of mixing business with pleasure.
Tinder has community guidelines which advise users to “make personal connections, not biz ones”.
The company also began removing social media handles from bios to stop people from using the app to sell things or grow their following.
Hinge’s community guidelines say the service is meant for making “meaningful connections” and that daters should “represent themselves authentically”.
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