In this week’s episode of ‘Office Hours’ Adam is joined by two recruitment consultants to explore how the industry works. Essential listening if you are thinking of moving careers, and interesting listening if you are not! Amandine Bianchi and Darren Robinson provide insights into the inner workings of the job market, and some “do’s” and “do not’s” for that all-essential CV, and much more.
In this week’s episode of Office Hours, both of my guests emphasized the importance of networking, which got me thinking.
During my career, corporations rightly prioritized ensuring that people from all backgrounds had the opportunity to reach the top. They implemented well-intentioned processes to prevent top leadership positions from being dominated by an elite group who shared the same university ties or class rings. However, I believe they missed the point.
In many modern workplaces—where reorganizations are constant, technology accelerates the pace of change, and information is distributed in unstructured ways—networking has become a critical skill. Those who excel at networking can gather information and build cross-functional connections, which it turn helps them to perform better. Instead of trying to dismantle traditional elite networks, wouldn’t it make more sense to train everyone in networking to level the playing field?
Networking is a skill that can be learned and taught, yet I have never seen it included as a core pillar in a company’s competency framework.
When I started my career, I was terrible at networking. Like most people, I gravitated toward the comfort of familiar routines. Stepping out of that comfort zone was, well, uncomfortable. But over time, I made a conscious effort to improve.
At training courses, I forced myself to sit at a different table each day to meet new people. Now, with over 25 years of practice, I’ve come to enjoy networking. Every person I meet has an interesting story, and there’s always something to learn. This shouldn’t be surprising—research published over the past decade shows that talking to new people, even complete strangers, has a positive effect on self-perception and overall well-being.
If you’re reading this and feeling frustrated by the influence of informal networks in your company, don’t wait for your organization to recognize the need for networking training. Instead, take charge and start practicing your networking skills. You may not be able to join the ‘old-boy’ networks, but you can beat them. And as Darren and Amandine shared on the latest episode of Office Hours, improving your networking skills might just land you the job of your dreams too.
