Authenticity & community: How to make your networks count?
May 2023
In 2020, a LinkedIn survey found that 73% of respondents were hired as a result of someone they know making an introduction or a connection.
It’s easy to feel on the outside. Especially when we are so often faced with age-old structures and institutions that seem to look after their own. We see the same people getting promoted; being invited; having the last word. Pretty demotivating. Whilst we should all continue to challenge the perpetual in-group advantage systemically, maybe we could also take a different approach from the outside, and start to build our own ‘in-groups’. It might be a welcome break from banging on a door that refuses to open for you.
In other words, if it’s all about who you know, perhaps it’s time to find your people. There are brilliant networks of like-minded folk out there for every kind of mind, and finding the ones that are right for you could accelerate your career and enhance your life in ways you hadn’t yet imagined.
So often in life we seek to impress and mould ourselves into the professionals we think the people in power want us to be. We exhaust ourselves with this shape-shifting and slowly chip away at our self-esteem. So, what is it that makes it all so tiring? That makes our toes curl and our faces scrunch up at the mere thought of ‘a networking opportunity’?
The absence of authenticity.
Every time we have to go out there and be someone we’re not, a little piece of our confidence (and soul!) dies. Authenticity is our superpower, and by harnessing it we can recharge our resolve and start building a network that’s fit for the future. And it’s not just about an authentic persona – it’s about building authentic relationships. That starts with being honest about the kind of connections we want to make and why. Am I adding that executive to my Linkedin network because they’re influential? Or because I believe in the causes they champion and admire their work? Most of us can tell when someone sidles up to us on the take, but we can also tell when an attempt at connection is driven by genuine interest. If we can build a network that makes sense for us, when it comes to looking for a new opportunity, we’ll already have a pool of potential around us, made up of connections that align with our values and resonate with our mission.
Beyond the social advantages of authentic connection, we also benefit from this authenticity in our own energy. Perhaps it’s time to stop playing down the power of pursuing that which lights us up and gets us moving. What’s more, that energy is infectious. Employers everywhere are looking for that spark – to have people working in their organisation that are energised by their work. The same goes for investors supporting entrepreneurs, or mentors looking for mentees. There are practical steps to take and barriers to overcome – especially for marginalised groups – but it all starts with getting comfortable with the fact that being true to you is the best thing you can do.
Let’s not forget that networking is not a linear or transactional process. Yes, there may be opportunities to land within our networks, but this is all fuelled by what we put in and give back. So when you’re mapping out your network, think carefully about what you have to offer and the ways in which you can offer it. This is often the way networking groups start – with people sharing their knowledge and experience with each other for the common good.
Networking might not be the first consideration an organisation has when it comes to their DEIB initiatives, but barriers to networking faced by marginalised employees can have a profound effect on their sense of belonging, wellbeing and career progression. It’s easy to think of networks as a business-building money-making enterprise, but what it can provide more fundamentally is support. These efforts could even mean the birth of a networking group that changes the company for the better.
If organisations can play their part in providing training and opportunities for networking and helping those without de-facto connections to build a community of support around them, they could be doing much more for their own interests in the long run than they imagine – attracting a diverse group of energised professionals into their business, and retaining valued employees with high levels of job satisfaction and buy-in to the company culture.
