Gen Z aren’t networking

New LinkedIn research has found that younger professionals are being held back by the fear of public humiliation when it comes to developing professional networks.

Despite the fact that networking has been identified as one of the most beneficial steps during an increasingly dynamic and unpredictable labour market, young Australian workers are seemingly as disconnected as ever.

According to the latest LinkedIn research, a fear of bothering people, being judged or sounding inauthentic is holding back Gen Z from the networking pool. Further, more than 50 per cent aren’t sure how to get started, and half struggle turning contacts into meaningful, impactful connections.

But perhaps the blame shouldn’t be on the generation itself, but the ones before them. According to the survey, 71 per cent of working Gen Zs claim they haven’t been taught how to build professional relationships.

According to LinkedIn career expert Brendan Wong, “No one can predict exactly where work is heading next. Jobs are changing, new skills are emerging, and many young professionals are still figuring out where they fit.”

“That’s why the people around us matter so much. They can open doors, share advice, help build confidence and connect us to opportunities we might never have discovered on our own.”

The research also showed that the issue isn’t in the value placed on networking, but its practice, with 89 per cent of surveyed respondents agreeing professional networks provide important career guidance.

Wong said: “It’s clear that Gen Z knows these relationships matter, but they aren’t always sure how to build them. Real connections rarely start with a perfectly crafted message of a bit [of] ‘networking’ move, but something much smaller – a shared interest, liking a post or a thoughtful comment.”

“Over time, these small interactions line up.”

The findings come at a time of increased job mobility and retention in accordance with dynamic and unpredictable changes. In addition, AI is only worsening the issue, changing the nature of work, how people search for it, and how they apply for it.

In this way, relationships and industry knowledge are arguably more important than ever – and Gen Z knows this. Not only have a quarter of Gen Z reportedly found their next role through online professional communities, but US job applicants with an inside connection were 6.7 times more likely to get hired than those without.

Despite this, there appears to be a generational disconnect, whereby younger workers haven’t gauged the level of enthusiasm from their older workers, with the research also finding that 85 per cent of Millennials and 87 per cent of Gen X professionals would help someone at the beginning of their career.

For those eager to give networking another go, Wong encouraged Gen Z to start forming professional relationships with people they already have something in common with, take note of the conversations happening within their industry or role, open with a less formal yet still professional conversation topic, and start building relationships before they need something from them.

Wong added that it is important not to underestimate how far a thoughtful message can go, adding that the worries of the young are rarely mirrored in the experienced.

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