The Networking Challenge
Here, we would like to present two cases from people who started a new job during the pandemic. In times of work-from-home environments, this presented to be a particular challenge, since integration processes and the first steps in the new job, as well as first encounters with colleagues and the own boss all, had to happen remotely. The two cases are also highlighting a challenge that both relates to leadership and communication: Without physical contact and without the chance to “run into someone”, to be introduced to a new contact during a meeting or quickly knock on their door, networking, both inside and outside the company, becomes much harder if not almost impossible.
For Fernando, this year has offered him a career opportunity, as other colleagues higher in the hierarchy have left the firm: Fernando was offered to replace them and to embark in a whole new journey. Despite having only worked with his new team online, he has managed to keep learning and assuming new challenges. However, he did not come to appreciate the powerful tool of internal networks.
While he does take advantage of the time available to invest in personal matters, he cannot help but feel that communicating and listening has dwindled to “just work matters”. His boss, too, without having had any physical one-on-one conversations, seems to miss spontaneous interactions. Still, after more than seven months working remotely in his new position, Fernando has not lost his motivation. Nevertheless, he is wondering what might happen when he should apply for another job in the future and he cannot rely on his internal network.
Maria, to take another example, entered her introductory year for working in the government’s foreign affairs department when the pandemic had already started. She began with 20 other colleagues who - instead of meeting constantly at events and in seminars - now only have got to know each other from online meetings. Maria mentioned that some parts of her integration time went well despite the COVID restrictions, for example, online seminars instead of face-to-face ones. While in her professional networking is indeed part of the job description, during the pandemic it was not possible to meet other people at all. In addition, as her professional network still has to be built up, she cannot simply contact people via Zoom, she still has to meet them first.
In conclusion, these two examples highlight that networking (both as a form of communication and as a leadership skill) has become more difficult in remote work, particularly for employees starting a new job. Indeed, networking was brought up a lot implicitly during some of the interviews we conducted. Some comments related to the regret of missed interactions with people from different departments and non-related work conversations, e.g. during a birthday celebration (internal networking). In addition, there are some job roles that depend directly on personal contacts, like sales and governmental relations (external networking). As also for these roles a lot of communication has shifted towards online channels, external networking contacts have all but diminished.
In contrast, the use of digital communication channels seems to work reasonably well within an existing network, i.e. when the protagonists already have known each other for a long time before. In that sense, some managers mentioned that they have now, during the pandemic, actually more contacts with other people than before. It is important to note that in Mexico, as a German interviewee noticed, the personal relationship is even more important, which makes it harder for Germans to get or remain in contact with Mexicans.
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