It is easy to dismiss professional socializing as a tiresome chore, but networking is more than just the art of gab. It is an integral step in building a professional career. A new report found that over 54% of workers were hired through connections rather than other modern platforms designed for finding jobs. Such practices of networking provide professionals across industries with an opportunity to build relevant links with each other, opening up new doors that weren’t previously visible.
Despite being a relatively underutilized method of recruitment, it is apparent that there is a thriving market of job seekers who are ensuring their connections to colleagues do not go to waste. The rise of hiring through connections is not just a pleasant outcome for job seekers but a useful recruitment tactic for HR to implement more frequently.
Networking and expanding your professional circles is never easy, but it is an endeavor worth undertaking. (Image: Pexels)
54% of Employees Claim They Were Hired Through Their Personal Connections
In a new survey by MyPerfectResume, 54% of workers stated that they were hired through their connections. Around 34% were hired as a result of their personal contacts, while 28% indicated that their professional networks were critical in helping them find a job. These numbers are better than the 13% of respondents who secured employment through job boards or the 8% who did so through other professional platforms. Relying on social media or staffing firms, and cold calling hiring managers was useful for a much smaller percentage of respondents.
The number of candidates relying on their network is considerably high in a world where we have come to expect hiring to occur through company websites and online job portals a majority of the time. This is likely because many have come to realize that networking is not just beneficial for job hunting, but it also helps with finding reliable mentors, role models, and colleagues with insight into the industries that are of relevance to them.
Despite the effectiveness of this job hunting technique, however, the data suggests that referrals are an underutilized method among employees.
Relying on Referrals in Hiring Is an Underutilized Technique
Asking for a referral can be an uncomfortable task on the best of days, and there are many who shy away from putting themselves in such a vulnerable position. From the study, 21% of the respondents admitted they had never asked for a referral before. The hesitation can stem from many things, for example, the guilt that comes with asking for a favor or the embarrassment of being caught searching for a job.
Almost 60% of the respondents stated that they reach out to a limited number of contacts or none at all when they start looking for a job. Looking for a job and trying to improve your prospects is no laughing matter, but there tends to be a general attitude of disapproval at having to “look” for a job instead of just having one already.
In some circles, finding work through your connections is slightly frowned upon, but there is nothing inherently wrong with being hired through associations. The problem arises when unqualified candidates manage to get their foot in the door, and then continue to underperform and rely on the relationship to keep them employed. This version of getting hired through connections does get alarm bells ringing.
HR Teams Can Benefit From Hiring Through Referrals
Hiring through contacts and connections is not just beneficial for employees but for employers as well. HR teams are typically left overwhelmed by the number of applications they need to sift through for any given position, and it can be very difficult to pick out the serious candidates from the ones who are passively sending out their applications everywhere without looking at the role.
Employees who already work at the organization are likely to have contacts who are aware of the job and the duties it entails. They are also likely to only recommend contacts they trust, in order to ensure the new hire doesn’t affect their own job. Applications received through these employee contacts are often very credible.
Many organizations have referral programs that incentivize employees to bring in their contacts to work at the businesses, making the job much easier for HR teams. Such programs have recruitment procedures of their own to verify the qualifications of the candidate, but they still allow every party to walk away from the deal satisfied.
Expanding Professional Circles is Critical for HR
Apart from referral programs, HR teams can also benefit from attending events that allow them to expand their own professional network. There are often niche jobs and roles that open up on short notice, and having a pool of contacts to draw from can make it much easier to hire the right person for a role. Building an entire workforce through networking may be an overambitious undertaking but it is certainly possible to fill in the gaps by relying on professional contacts.
Whether you’re a Gen Z job seeker hoping to get hired or an HR professional keen on doing the hiring, building an extensive network of contacts can be beneficial for you. The data from the report make it clear that there is success to be found in these old-school traditions of building a professional circle.
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