How can we improve the networking process on LinkedIn, from both sides of the screen?

Network, network, network. And if you are done with your networking for the week, network some more. Besides earning your credentials and making your application spotless, we, as job candidates, are taught that networking is the best thing to do when trying to find a job. Make the connections to learn more about the company, to show your interest in the position, and gain a friend while you are at it. We are told of amazing stories of how our alumni, professors, and mentors landed jobs just by networking and never even coming close to submitting an application. With those stories, it begins to feel like an unachievable feat.

Not to say anything is wrong with that, actually quite the opposite, because it stresses the full importance of networking. It is a necessity to not just expand your network and connect with any 3rd+ profile that comes across your feed, but to be intentional towards the people we are reaching out to and building and nurturing our new and existing relationships.

Although it takes a lot of grit, networking can be extremely frustrating. I will admit, I am not the perfect networker, but I’ve been slowly making progress over the past 8-9 months and I still see a lot of work ahead for myself. I have learned a lot of lessons that I have applied to my networking journey, but they can only go so far depending on if the person on the other side of the screen even accepts my connection request.

Only coming from the candidate’s side of the screen and expressing commonly shared lessons when networking, I hope to emphasize some lessons I’ve learned so other candidates can implement these practices in their own networking regimens.

Again, just coming from the candidate’s side of the screen and not having a full view of the recruiter’s or employee’s side, these are the thoughts and suggestions that have been rolling through my mind.

Here are the lessons I’ve learned as the candidate:

·      Always send a personal note with a connection request. This shows the recipient that you care about this connection, and not just trying to have an easy in to the position and/or company. If possible, try to find a connection between you and the employee, whether it be the same school or company, or a similarly shared value. On top of that, express why you are trying to connect with them instead of having them try to guess. If you want a job there, express your interest in a position and strong desire to learn more. If you see them as a great thought-leader, express your admiration and see if they would be open to mentoring you. 300 characters is not a lot to express this message, so make it strong yet brief.

·      Leverage current connections to meet others. Assuming that when you first joined LinkedIn, you automatically connected with your immediate friend group, you already have a large backing of people ready to support you and your career aspirations. There are so many people willing to help you succeed, all you need to do is know who to ask, know what you are asking for, and ask.. And remember, networking is just as much about giving as it is about receiving, so always try to make an effort to help others when they need it to.

·      Don’t stop communication at the connection acceptance. Continue to get to know your new connection after they accept your request, whether or not you get the job. Engage on their posts and with their company regularly to continue to show your interest in them and the work they are trying to accomplish. If possible, try to meet up for coffee (in-person or virtually depending on location and world health factors) and engage in a discussion that includes business but also goes into deeper conversations. Don’t just connect to add another number to your LinkedIn network, but make those connections meaningful, because you never know when you’ll need that backing.

My outside perspective on the employer’s side of the screen:

Again, this is from an outside perspective, so I am not fully aware of the thoughts and processes that are happening on the backend.

Trying to connect with someone in your interested field with very little in common is extremely difficult, and I am sure many have felt the same way too. Finding and trying to connect with that one person that is in the position or at that company you are interested in only to have never heard back. Reading over your 300-character personal note to that employee dozens of times to make sure it is perfectly fitted and personal to them, only to probably have it lost in the feed. At this point, we are thinking to ourselves:

·      I didn’t write a good enough note

·      I don’t have a “hireable” profile

·      I’m never going to get hired here

·      What else can I do to be noticeable to this employee and/or company?

I am not trying to speak for the grand majority of candidates, but these are only some of the many thoughts some candidates have, and I know I have felt them a time or two before as well. But all these thoughts we have are focused on our side of the screen, on the “me and I” and not the “them.”

The truth is that networking is a two-way street. And there are many factors that determine if an employee accepts the request or not, such as they receive no note or they don’t believe they are the one’s to be reached out to. But after having been in this MBA program for a semester and a half so far, you realize that the big, and probably most realistic, explanation for not earning an acceptance is that the employee is too busy. These employees are working 40+ hours a week and the last thing they want to focus on is their LinkedIn cutting into their work-life balance.

But if candidates are trying harder to improve their networking skills, and employees are only getting busier, what can be implemented to smooth the networking process for both sides of the screen? My suggestion: a Specialized Networking Liaisons.

The Recommendation:

Specialized Networking Liaisons. The intersection between the recruiting branch of HR and any of the respective departments within a business.

How would it work? Let those who have been fully engrained within a specific department become full-time liaisons that are mostly dedicated to networking with new talent and answering whatever questions are at the forefront of their minds. The Liaisons operate on a primary and secondary directive. Their primary directive is to be fully available to connect and interact with potential candidates on a regular basis, including answering emails and responding to messages on LinkedIn. The secondary directive is to use their excess work time they are not interacting with candidates to be engaging on departmental tasks and responsibilities.

The reasoning? This keeps the functions and happenings of the department relevant in the liaisons mind and skillset so that they can answer any questions thrown at them. This is not just a recruiter who can talk about the company and application process and it isn’t just a departmental employee who can speak about the life on the job, and both of whom don’t have much time to talk outside of their normal routine. This position takes seasoned professionals and allows them to interact with the talent that they could possibly be working with soon.

Now, this is not a hard and fast solution to fixing the world of networking, but merely a recommendation to hopefully launch from. Not every company has the capacity to pull a productive employee from the line to primarily interact with potential candidates, but there are large enough firms where an employee can be transitioned into this position without having much or any impact on the productivity of their department. Such positions could include Sales Specialized Networking Liaisons, Marketing Specialized Networking Liaisons, Engineering Specialized Networking Liaisons, and more! This opportunity allows companies to meet candidates at the intersection of where can assess their needs and target their capabilities to help them.

Feedback:

Current or previous job candidates, what other lessons have you learned along your career journey that have elevated your networking possibilities?

Recruiters, employers, and employees, what is your opinion to the recommendation I have posed or how is your company working to make networking opportunities accessible to more candidates?

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