Network at work if you want to get ahead

Citation

(2003), "Network at work if you want to get ahead", Career Development International, Vol. 8 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi.2003.13708cab.006

Network at work if you want to get ahead

Network at work if you want to get ahead

Knowing the right people remains a vital tool for successful career progression in a large number of organizations, according to recent research.

Zynap, developer of employee-relationship-management technology, surveyed human-resource managers in more than 200 companies. Almost 30 per cent claimed they had no formal structure for advising staff of new careers within the business, instead relying on word of mouth.

While 88 per cent of the organizations using word of mouth employed fewer than 100 people, 2 per cent of organizations employing more than 1,000 staff admitted to relying on word-of-mouth communication methods for internal hires.

Eudie Thompson, Zynap chief executive, commented: "It is genuinely surprising that so many companies still rely on an informal network when seeking to make appointments internally. This really does put the emphasis on each employee to develop his or her own web of contacts to ensure that they hear about the opportunities that are suitable for them, proving that who you know can still be far more important than what you know when seeking promotion."

For companies with a more structured approach towards internal recruitment, 47 per cent relied on their intranet when advertising vacancies and a further 13 per cent turned to the traditional printed media such as company newsletters, reflecting the fact that there are still large sectors of the workforce who do not have regular access to a company PC.

Use of intranets was most prevalent in companies employing more than 1,000 staff, with 85 per cent of companies in this category using the intranet to advertise internal positions.

Eudie Thompson added: "In an environment where so much emphasis is placed on equal opportunity in the workplace, failure to advertise jobs on an open basis may place employers in a tricky legal position. Furthermore, it is difficult to see how word-of-mouth alone will ensure the company gets the most suitable applicants for the job."