Networking: Important for Individuals AND Organizations
The benefits associated with networking are most often focused on the individual. And for good reason. Networking is one of the most important job search and career development activities one can participate in. Among other things, networking gives individuals the opportunity to:
1. Sharpen social skills
2. Gather and share information about opportunities
3. Establish connections and friendships
4. Audition for potential employers
More specific to the job search process, effective networking allows individuals to stand out from the crowd. This makes their names and faces more recognizable to potential recruiters and hiring managers. Individuals also get the opportunity to display their social skills, which are in high demand in the workplace. In essence, networking allows individuals to participate in a matching process which increases familiarity, removing a degree of uncertainty that often plagues the job search process.
Networking is just as important for organizations. Here’s why – a bad hire can be expensive, time consuming, and disruptive to business operations. Organizations put themselves in this position too often by employing failed recruiting and hiring strategies, including “Posting and Praying,” single source recruiting that limits the applicant pool, and rushing to fill a vacancy and hiring too quickly without properly screening applicants.
Instead of relying on a vicious cycle of failed reactive recruiting, organizations would be better served by networking with prospective employees as part of a proactive talent acquisition strategy. Just as individuals use networking to learn about employers and opportunities and to showcase their strengths, organizations could do the same. A wide range of organizational members, including recruiters, hiring mangers, and senior leaders should seek to connect with as many community members, students, and industry professionals as possible, both online and in person, formally and informally. Three important benefits of organizational networking include:
1. Developing relationships with a wide range of potential hires
2. Promoting the organization’s mission, vision, values, and opportunities
3. Seeing potential employees in action
The more individuals an organization networks with, the more information it will have to use in recruiting and hiring decisions. Familiarity with job applicants and their strengths can increase screening accuracy and reduce the chances of surprises. By intentionally developing relationships that increase familiarity and reduce uncertainty, networking helps organizations increase the odds of hiring a good fit, enlarges their applicant pool, and mitigates failed recruiting and hiring strategies.
[Originally published on LinkedIn on December 27, 2018: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/networking-important-individuals-organizations-bill-leonard-mhrm/]