And I find this particularly puzzling as HR practitioners are often the ones encouraging others to build their personal networks. Now I don't have any empirical data to support this but have formed this view largely by contrasting my experience of networking in HR with my other worlds in the recruitment industry and more broadly working with entrepreneurs and in business. I am chair of the HR network The London HR Connection, which is a CIPD Special Interest Group that holds monthly events for HR professionals working in London. We regularly have 100+ attending these events but what surprises me is how few new members we recruit despite the reputation the group has achieved.
Why do people in HR network less well than others? Some research conducted by the Bridge Consultancy across a range of different professions has highlighted the fact that people who work in HR tend to be less curious. It may also be due to the fact that as custodians of confidential company and employee information, HR specialists may be more reserved about talking to others outside their organisations. And it may also be due to an insecurity that exists within the profession about the exact role of the function and how it adds value to organisations. From my experience HR will spend more time justifying its contribution than any other function.
Whatever the reasons, networking is important and we need to be better at it. In the 21st Century, building careers is all about building personal brands and promoting these across a range of networks. In a recent survey from the broadcasting giant ABC, over 80% of job seekers said that their personal network helped with their job search. When it comes to investing in your own career, networking has never been more important than it is in today's economy and, once learnt, networking is a life skill which has many applications. Networking should be a habit and part of a daily routine. It has cumulative benefits and should be seen as an investment. With many people chasing the same career opportunities, valuable contacts can make all the difference. Not only can networking create opportunities to sell a product or service or to share invaluable experiences and ideas, without doubt it is now a key tool or skill. A skilled networker is recognised as a more 'rounded' employee - someone who can tap into their network for specialist knowledge, pursue new business leads, gather market intelligence, source new strategic alliances and raise the profile of their organisation.
I have tracked many of our most senior and talented HR practitioners over the years and what has struck me most about these individuals is how well they are known within the industry. They have built strong peer to peer relationships across sectors, spoken regularly at events, been proactive in being known by the major search companies and have extended their networks into the broader business community. They have also taken full advantage of the opportunities to put their ideas out there using technology.
There is no doubt networking is becoming increasingly more strategic and sophisticated and has been significantly enhanced through the proliferation of social networking; especially LinkedIn. This is a great tool but it is dangerous to fall in to the trap of believing that this is all there is to effective networking. LinkedIn and the numerous other social media platforms give you great access to people and a great method of keeping in touch but there is no substitute for meeting people or, to use the North American vernacular - 'face time'.
John Maxted is an entrepreneur who founded Digby Morgan, the international HR recruitment company acquired by Randstad in February 2011. Now he is actively involved in the charity sector, politics, and working with private companies as an advisor, investor and non-executive director.
Maxted is among the contributors to new book BusBusiness Gurus iness Gurus (Crimson Publishing) which features punchy, lively summaries of the vision of the top business thinkers. He has written the chapter about Frederick Herzberg.
