How to encourage (all) your employees to network effectively

The importance of the network in a career is no longer to demonstrate, companies must be aware of the diversity of profiles of "networkers" within them to better help all their employees to benefit.

Purists, moderates, and enthusiasts. These are the three profiles of "networkers" that we have identified in a study analyzing for 12 to 16 months the way in which a hundred professionals, recently promoted in audit firms, strategic consulting and business law, developed their network. Only enthusiasts - about a third of the sample - have a clear affinity for networking. They are strategic in their approach and have a natural talent for relationship building. But most of these professionals are far from being great fans of networking (see also the column "Do you hate networking? You're not the only one" ).

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In fact, the basic attitude of the professionals studied in networking, and the value they attach to it, differ profoundly. Thus, the largest group, the moderate group (50% of the sample), enjoys networking but is wary of its power. Moderates are also uncomfortable when they have to create their networks, especially when they have to approach people "cold". The purists, who make up the third group (20% of the sample), refuse to take part in this kind of practice, which they consider to be sordid manipulation.

Given these differences in profiles, how can companies help their employees access and use knowledge and support related to network development?

Bet on the expertise of purists

Because they do not succeed in getting purists more involved in their culture, companies risk missing out on the benefits they can bring, not just the extraordinary expertise they have in their work. chosen field. Because they stand apart from organizational policies, purists can indeed contribute by playing the role of the devil's advocate, a role that is sometimes extremely necessary.

They also tend to demonstrate great professionalism and unparalleled dedication to the tasks assigned to them. They prefer to get their hands dirty rather than to make an address book. Good managers can use this to help purists develop their networks (read also the column:  "If you do not help your employees to develop, you are not a good manager" ). They can help purists get closer to the people they need to pass on their knowledge and resources by referring to certain people or by sharing their own "social capital". Another study revealed that a subordinate linked to a WAN boss will do better than his peers.

HR professionals can also encourage purists to connect and leverage their relationships within the organization by multiplying networking opportunities based on the tasks themselves and actively seeking ways to reduce the disdain that some employees have towards explicit networking events. To do this, they can highlight the expertise of purists internally by including them in communities of practice or by creating events around certain aspects of the work in progress (by inviting speakers who deal with cross-cutting topics, for example, or by organizing symposia or symposia).

Companies should also study their performance management systems to eliminate biases. Although none of the companies we know of measure or reward networking themselves, performance monitoring systems that inadvertently encourage the build-up of contacts risk setting aside employees who are as valuable as others who are less socially comfortable.

Re-imagining networking from a more altruistic angle could be more in line with the purist's sensibilities and values. One of the best ways to create a powerful and authentic network is to value the people around you, to offer to help others before you need help yourself. And what is remarkable is that purists can do this very effectively. In our study, the purists were the ones with the least dense networks, which means they were most likely to have interesting opportunities to create new connections and build bridges between people in-house or between internal and external contacts. By looking at the expertise of the people around them,

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Beware of the passionate interpersonal skills

Our research has given us a taste of the immense resentment that some professionals have about the exploits of passionate people. And if there is some spite against dynamic personalities who like to show off, it is legitimate to worry about the propensity of the devotees to easily engage in Machiavellian tactics and to be more concerned of their own survival than the success of their business. From this perspective, enthusiasts would do well to ask themselves a few questions about their networking activities. Do they really help the company? What are their motivations? And how will their actions be perceived?

Companies must be warned. Although they are often happy to have networking aces as passionate about their workforce, our study showed that they change employers much more often than members of the other two groups. For example, companies sometimes underestimate the risk that those who flicker within their broad internal and external networks will be among the first to hear about interesting opportunities and that they may be the most willing to leave the ship.

Give visibility to moderates

Moderates, mostly internally oriented, tend to have fewer external contacts than enthusiasts. In fact, moderates have the densest networks, but also the smallest of the three groups. In the mid-career, they often feel the frustrating feeling of being stuck. These loyal and well-integrated "corporate citizens" arrive at a plateau in their careers because it is difficult, with their dense and comfortable networks, to diversify, to gain new skills and to develop the necessary contacts to reach the next level. Without realizing it, companies see them as employees who are bursting with energy, who never stop, but who are not ready to take the next step in their careers.

To help moderates enhance their visibility internally, companies should create opportunities for them to join cross-functional teams or participate in multi-disciplinary projects. They can also very well occupy positions of liaison or representation of their team or their service. In addition, moderates can also seek such opportunities informally by connecting with colleagues in different teams through social activities. To be successful in these extra activities, moderates must learn to let go, identifying which groups are overrepresented in their network and which contacts need less attention.

Companies can support their moderates by giving them opportunities to expand their business through secondments to other offices, assignments to key client accounts, or internal job rotations. They can also pay a portion of membership fees to professional associations. As the moderates are particularly well integrated within their service or their profession, the benefits of these exchanges will not be limited to the network of a single person. Indeed, the bridges thus created will multiply because these collaborators will also create links between other employees, in other places, through recommendations, and may even sign new missions to their key customers.

Source: IT consulting services