How to Network Effectively During the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the Omicron COVID variant rapidly spreading in several countries, many companies including Nike, Apple and others are wondering whether they should return to the office. Other businesses that are bringing workers back are considering adding extra safety measures like requiring masks.

Even though it’s understandable why we need to maintain physical distance from people, there’s no reason we need to stop connecting with people socially, especially when networking is a vital ingredient in the recipe for career success.

Not surprising that professional relationships can make the difference between staying professionally stagnant and ascending the career ladder. A study shows that 70% of jobs are found through networking while 40% of job seekers reveal they found their dream job though a personal connection. Likewise, entrepreneurs who establish strong connections with venture-capital networks are more likely to easily secure funding at every stage of their business.

Let’s face it. When the current threat passes, we may be able to see a sharp distinction between those who have continued to participate in the business conversation and those who spent quarantine hunkering down and waiting for opportunities to crawl to them.

Here are some tips to get a little creative with relationship-building and adapt to these new realities.

1.   Explore the options available to you

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, most networking took place in person. However, with the introduction of new measures to limit the spread of coronavirus, this has become rather difficult. When it comes to expanding network and making new connections, what we need to do is go over all the options available to us in this new remote-work world.

Video calling has become the staple of the business world in 2021 mainly due to the rise of a remote, geographically dispersed workforce. Sure, videoconferencing existed before social distancing swept the world, but the number of people using video calls has significantly skyrocketed as people find means to stay connected. In fact, the popular Zoom app was downloaded over 600,000 times when the pandemic began in March. This means that most people have become familiar with video call and must be confident using it by now, which is a major plus for networking.

 Similarly, there are other options too. You could agree to connect with someone at a specified time using an instant messaging app like WhatsApp. Or you could sign up to attend virtual meetups and networking events to meet new people in your industry and get your name out there.

You may also choose to set up a socially distanced meeting outside if you live in the same city. Many people are also getting creative on how to flex their networking muscles as well as stay healthy. “Walking meetings” are now being held at six feet apart to kill multiple birds with one stone.

2.   Offer whatever little you have

Networking isn’t about reaching out only when you need something nor is it about racking up business cards at the happy hours. In short, it isn’t about you. Successful networking is about building relationships — and relationships aren’t one-way streets.

Most people, especially the ones who are in the nascent stages of their career, fear they don’t have any value to add to the lives of their more senior counterparts. The good news is, each one of us have something to offer. Before you launch into your networking efforts, weigh up your connections, experiences and skills. Then make a list of the possible things you can do for people in your network rather than focusing on what they can do for you.

Maybe you can help connect someone to an important partner in their field. Or if someone is looking to fill in positions at their organisation, you could recommend some recent graduates you might know of.  

When you’re consistently networking and offering your skills and knowledge to other people, you will rarely find the need to ask for help because giving is contagious.

3.   Utilise social media

With the world experiencing more time online than ever before, now is the time to embrace the advantages of social media and use these platforms smartly to promote yourself.

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Paul Keijzer is the CEO and Founder of Engage Consulting and the co-Founder of The Talent Games, which aims to transform HR by digitising talent processes and creating more engaging and productive workplaces through gamification and mobile technology. As a global HR and Leadership Management expert, Paul knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.