Work hard, play hard, network harder - is networking the new ‘hard graft’?
For many years, including my doomed years of trying to make it as an actor, the phrase ‘it’s who you know’ was repeated in a futile attempt to console me that no dreams would ever come true if you weren’t born into the right social circles. A grim statement that often seems true in many industries.
We’ve all heard the phrase ‘nepo-baby’; a rich kid with a perm given easy access to his father’s multi-million-pound business as a Managing Director from the get-go. Or a knockout daughter of a knockout model mother, seemingly by chance, making it onto the same fashionable runways. While we’ve all heard of ‘it’s who you know’ within these sorts of situations, how relevant is the phrase to everyday corporate life?
Do workplaces only scout those they know, regardless of qualifications and experience? Will one candidate have an advantage over another with the same CV, simply because they networked? Common sense dictates – most likely. One source states that while only about 7% of job applicants come through referrals, those referrals account for roughly 40% of all hires. Statistically, a company is far more likely to hire someone who builds connections rather than someone who applies without. So, maybe ‘who you know’ is just as important as ‘what you know’.
But what on Earth is networking? From an outsider looking in, this word has connotations of making a ‘workplace bestie’. Is networking simply going around the room and asking each other ‘What’s your favourite slide transition on PowerPoint?’. A retro question to ask, I know, but you’re lying if you don’t miss using them…Or, do all those wanting to network sit in a circle cross-legged, telling each other deep truths, gently swaying, and singing folk songs to one another?
While the above sounds like great fun anyway, it seems clear that making connections within your industry leads to opportunities. From a recruitment point of view, someone might just remember you from that very cross-legged circle and offer you the job of your dreams, or simply a different challenge. It sounds far-fetched, but the truth is, it isn’t. In the UK, on average, about 15% of hires come from employee referrals or internal candidates.
People like to employ people they know, or people they trust, or those who they have already seen do good-quality, consistent work. The Equality and Human Rights Commission states that word-of-mouth and good old networks are used by around 77-80% of employers when looking for their next employee in lower-paid occupations. And aside from recruitment, getting to know others within your line of work could provide valuable education and insights that could benefit you professionally.
Saying this, does that mean that networking is the new minimum? Is it no longer acceptable to just turn up at work, put a hard (or soft) day’s graft in, smile politely at everyone in the breakroom, and go home? The rise of ‘hustle culture’ and the increase of trends like ‘girl boss energy’ or a ‘man in finance’ has given us all the unachievable idea that we all must go above and beyond. We all must be out there, networking our asses off and making corporate friends around a tepid coffee kettle.
Some, or even most of us, dream of just putting in the hours, leaving work at work, and letting our work speak for itself. Focusing on family life and embracing the non-ideal of not being ambitious is often discouraged on social media and even within the media. And yes, I’m looking at you, the 2025 adaptation of Snow White…The modern employee is portrayed increasingly as being a go-getter, a person who juggles an endless number of plates and networks to high heaven. If we all were made like this, I imagine we’d all be kicking each other down with our kitten heels, rather than getting any work done.
Many of us employees doing the daily grind out there only want to be strictly 9-5, and that should be celebrated as a lifestyle choice. For these employees, then I say to hell with networking and return to your in-office friendships. I encourage you never to touch LinkedIn or listen to podcasts on ‘How to unlock your full potential!’. Screw it, enjoy your potential being unlocked (it’s more mysterious that way, anyway).
And for those of us who do want to achieve in the corporate World, grow and move up one day, maybe networking is now a non-negotiable. Unless you want to progress your career as a lone wolf without any outside help, the chances are, networking can be your friend. It gives you the chance to learn from others, to share insights into your industry, and to keep up to date with what’s happening in the world. Or, in the case of Digital Marketing, how on Earth does one get into the AI Overview on Google?
So, is networking the new normal in the corporate World? Working hard should, in theory, get you far in your career. But let’s not kid ourselves. Often, those within your workplace who seemingly believe that SEO and PPC are some kind of youthful slang terms seem to get promoted, simply for being close pals with the big boss. Those with a lot of talent and work ethic, but who keep themselves to themselves, may fall by the wayside and go unnoticed. In a realistic World, this isn’t too surprising nor necessarily a bad thing. After all, social life is a huge part of a career and harbouring good connections with your colleagues is a must. Maybe networking is simply the new ‘good at team-working’.
So, we can either rise above the networking hype and do what we’re paid to do – our jobs. Or we can embrace it and use it as an opportunity to improve our careers. One is not better than the other in my eyes, but I’m eager to know what recruiters out there think. After all, I am simply networking myself as we speak, by posting my musings on the workplace to an ambivalent crowd. This post is my own cross-legged circle, if you will…
Let’s try it now! Network me and let me know your thoughts on this. I’m interested to know whether people out there engage in Marketing-related chit-chat in a team bonding outing to the local ten-pin bowling. Or to hell with it, keep your head down and immediately reject any ‘Let’s Connect!’ requests.
