Members of Gen Z are now networking on LinkedIn more than older generations, and they’re innovating ways of doing it, Fast Company reported.
“Gen Z is networking the most on the platform, making the most connections month-over-month,” said Suzi Owens, senior director of corporate communications at LinkedIn, in an interview with Fast Company. “Younger generations in the U.S. are growing their network at a faster rate than older generations, including 28.7 percent more monthly connections than millennials, 54.7 percent more than Gen X, and 143.5 percent ... [more] than boomers.”
Owens added that the networks that these younger workers are building are more diverse and community-oriented than those of past generations. She said that they are using “internet sleuthing” skills to research, identify and get in touch with people with similar backgrounds and career paths. They are stressing the importance of peer-to-peer networking, in addition to top-down networking. They are also being more candid about their values.
Fast Company interviewed several Gen Z thought leaders to find out how they network differently on LinkedIn.
Jenk Oz is the 18-year-old founder and CEO of Thred Media, a social enterprise focused on publishing, media, consulting and production. He said that the many Gen Z workers believe that the modern job environment requires “a different approach to networking." He explained, “Typically, young people thought about [networking] as competitive and transactional. Instead, they are now being guided by curiosity and exploratio. This is why LinkedIn stands alone as the best platform for non-transactional community building and learning for Gen Z. LinkedIn allows us to approach it differently, turning the old process on its head.”
Arin Goldsmith, senior talent marketing specialist at Blizzard Entertainment, told Fast Company that it is a common fallacy that you “have to be a mega-popular influencer who posts cringey inspirational quotes.” She recalls: “I had 300 connections and LinkedIn posts with 15 likes each when I got my job offer at Blizzard Entertainment, and it was all through networking and content creation. Networking as a concept was highly intimidating to me, until I reframed it in my mind as ‘making friends’ instead of the traditional meaning which made me feel like I was using people as stepping stones.”
Goldsmith added that "networking has slowly become more of a priority as my career has continued. It’s kind of forced its way into my life and I have welcomed it with open arms.” Because she is an informal person, her approach to networking is also informal “My networking approach is 100 percent rooted in authenticity,” she said. “I’m bad at pretending to be someone I’m not, hence why I couldn’t pretend to like golf at New York corporate happy hours or talk about your summer home in Connecticut?” She added that a great way to network informally is to wait before sending a cold message or email and start by engaging with someone’s social media content.
Fast Company reported that many Gen Z networkers buck the traditional advice about only networking with professionals more senior than themselves. Gen Z marketing leader Zaria Parvez said, “I find it easier to network peer-to-peer because it’s always easier to relate to someone who is in the same boat as you." She noted, “There’s been a shift from traditional networking, such as specialized events and conferences, to the era of the ‘internet friend.' ...[N]etworking is always an opportunity to learn. No matter how cliché that sounds, I try to find someone whose path seems interesting.” She added, “I have found it more effective to be real than put on a professional persona. ... Those small moments are actually where the foundation of good connections are built."