Member Article

Yorkshire business people "the most active networkers but struggle online"

Yorkshire business people are amongst the UK’s most active face-to-face networkers, according to new research commissioned by EY into the future of networking.

The research, comprised a white paper by visiting Professor of Networking at London’s Cass Business School Julia Hobsbawm and a Populus survey of 750 business professionals.

This included 57 in Yorkshire, found that 61% of people surveyed in the region said that they network in person, the second highest percentage in the UK behind only Northern Ireland (82%).

Face-to-face contact was followed by email (50%) and telephone (37%) in a list of ways people network in the region.

Meanwhile, just 44% of respondents in Yorkshire agreed that they value networking as a professional skill, compared with 55% nationally.

The research also found that professionals in Yorkshire struggle to manage their networks online. 49% of Yorkshire’s business people do not have LinkedIn accounts, while only 28% network using online social networks.

David Buckley, transaction advisory services partner at EY in Yorkshire, said: “Networking is often seen as a separate distinct activity, where business cards are exchanged and hands are shaken.

“In reality it’s something we all do every day with our friends, colleagues, clients and acquaintances. Networking is about forming and maintaining relationships.

“It’s encouraging that Yorkshire professionals are amongst the most active face-to-face networkers in the country, and it’s important that companies and individuals in the region treat networking as a skill to be developed and maintained over time.”

“While face-to-face contact is clearly preferable, business people in our region also need to embrace new channels for networking. Online professional social networks present a significant opportunity to make new connections and keep in regular contact with them.”

Julia Hobsbawm, author of Fully Connected, the EY whitepaper, commented: “In the sea of digital overload, people crave human connection, either one-to-one, or one-to-many.

“The ability to connect with another human, to develop trust, understanding, faith, belief and a relationship, happens best face-to-face.”

“Being able to network and collaborate with peers is now being directly linked to productivity.

“The softer skills of connection are increasingly crucial to professional success and it can only be a matter of time before more of us recognise the value of investing in relationships and building social capital.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .