We hear lots in the media about the glass ceiling but it seems that women are looking at alternative networking opportunities as a way of driving career progression. We carried out research which showed that whilst 70% of women admitted that lack of time prevented them from networking, they are far better at networking in social situations. 36% of women saying they’ve made a new business contact at a wedding or birthday party, compared to 18% of men.
Wherever they decide to network, both men and women recognise the importance and impact it can have on their business. Interestingly, the research also showed that for those people working in serviced offices which are shared with other companies, networking has reached a whole new level with 25% of respondents claiming to have developed new business from other companies in their buildings.
In the current economic climate, networking is more important than ever, meaning that professionals are constantly at it, both in the office and in their social lives. The fact that 24% of office workers have made new contacts in lifts demonstrates that the well known ‘elevator pitch’ which professionals use to pitch their expertise has become an actual reality. It also shows that time-poor professionals, especially women, are seizing every opportunity to maximise their networking potential. The conventional 9am-5pm day is largely gone and businesses are adapting to this by introducing things like flexible working schemes or virtual offices for their staff but as the research shows, the importance of networking cannot be highlighted enough.
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