Virtual networking - by Lizzy Turek

Virtual networking  

When you work in an office or attend a professional conference or seminar, networking is simple. When you gather in the break room, attend office meetings and external events, you naturally form connections and relationships with colleagues and other professionals. For people working remotely, networking may take more effort, but it is not out of reach. Remote working became increasingly common over the years, but the impact of coronavirus lead to businesses establishing virtual teams and networks overnight. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) states that the pandemic “accelerated the adoption of technology and new working practices. We’re now seeing these changes taking effect, with only 5% of businesses planning to return to the office full time” (The revolution of work | CBI). Therefore, many businesses have had to adapt their operations and communication methods to maintain existing relationships, find new contacts and make new connections. 

Soulaima Gourani (Leadership Strategy Contributor, Forbes) states that we can build and nurture a network without leaving our home, making it inclusive and accessible to more people, emphasizing “Every online conference, zoom meeting, virtual lecture and remote social event is an opportunity to meet people, build your reputation and expand your base of relations” (The Art Of Virtual Networking forbes.com).  

Virtual Events  

Many organisations that held in-person events transitioned to virtual events during the pandemic. The International Data Corporation (IDC) survey found “The sudden shift to virtual events in the first half of 2020 produced mixed results in terms of attendance. While just over half of the events lost audience in the transition, 46% gained attendees as a result. Removing travel requirements and audience familiarity with video presentations worked together to keep event attendance largely intact” (IDC Survey Finds the Shift to Virtual Events a Modest Success with Room for Improvement).  Attending virtual events can be a good way to network since many events encourage attendees to chat and join event-specific online groups.  

Consider reaching out to speakers or other attendees that you connected with during the event. Attending external training courses and other classes can also be a way to meet and connect with more people in your industry. 

Happy Hours 

Some businesses like the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) has established monthly online networking events, dubbed virtual happy hour (5.30pm-7.30pm) to help people connect and network with other professionals in the industry. By using different formats, from small group conversations and introductions to topical debates, to using chat, voting, breakouts, and Q&A sessions, they aim to create fully interactive and enjoyable conversations online. 

Social media   

When it comes to building your professional network in the digital world, social media is ideal as it is designed for fostering remote connections and you can use various platforms to your advantage: 

• LinkedIn Groups These groups are organised around professional categories, such as skills, industry, and so on. There are also groups for alumni. Once you are a member of a group, you can join in the conversations and react to posts.  
• Facebook Groups Although more often associated with personal social media, Facebook has many groups devoted to careers, from industry-focused groups to job-searching ones.  
• Twitter Being  active on Twitter can also be a way to network - follow the big names in your industry and engage in conversation. You can regularly Tweet about your industry and share news articles, insights, and success stories. 
• Instagram Photos are a wonderful way to engage an audience, and that is what Instagram is all about. Much like Twitter, you can follow people you admire on Instagram and comment on their photos to start a connection.  

Grab a (virtual) cuppa  

• New connections - Meet over Zoom, or a similar platform, for a coffee or tea and get to know each other as a low-pressure way to kick off that new connection. 
• Old connections - A virtual coffee date is a great way to reconnect with existing contacts. 
• Customers/Client - Setting up a virtual coffee chat can help you get to know your customers and clients better and you can find out what keeps them coming back to your business and build on that.

As we return to more face-to-face meetings there will be more opportunities for different types of networking by taking part in conferences, seminars, meetings of professional institutes and a range of business meetings as well as informal lunches, coffee, and social events. However, whether it is virtual or in person networking it is important to have a goal in mind (i.e. to meet a specific person or offer support to a particular organisation) and then to follow up with every contact. Networking is about making quality connections and following up with those contacts to build trust and help you to stand out from the crowd. 

Lizzy Turek 

Client Research Associate