Networking is recognised as an important way of achieving career progression and personal development, but the move towards segregating with the rise of women-only groups is counterproductive, argues Lee Higgins of Diverse Talent Networks.
Women are powerful networkers. A 2023 study found that 94% of women above management level felt confident in the power of their network to “support or advance” their careers and that 80% of those women use networking to secure paid board seats and c-suite positions, as well as negotiate higher pay.
Many women we have spoken to have worked hard, thinking the world is a meritocracy and that getting their heads down and working hard will win through eventually”
It is widely accepted that networking is an incredibly powerful tool in career progression and company success. It is not a new phenomenon, but it has changed substantially in its delivery. The focus of this is to look at how useful women-only networks are. We have seen a rise in female-led networking groups over the last few years. They provide access to resources many might find hard to acquire and connections to people with similar challenges.
Working in a diverse networking environment, we at DTN are privy to many conversations that do not make it into the wider business world. A conversation we hear time and time again is that despite networking often being a new way of recruiting, both senior and junior women in organisations find themselves fighting against segregation. By this, they are referring to women-only led networks.
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There is clear value to women-only networks but they aren’t the answer to ensuring equity in that women progress in their careers in the same way as men. They reinforce gender segregation, which is unhelpful. Many of the senior women in organisations that DTN works with know that building networks need to be across gender lines for true career advancement. Exploring the real reasons behind this hesitation in organisations to change is important. Women-focused events, mentorships and professional organisations can be brilliant avenues for women to connect and advance their careers but they aren’t enough. It is up to CEOs and leaders to ensure that gender division does not muddy the waters of inclusivity and diversity when advancing careers and hiring talent.
Many women we have spoken to have worked hard, thinking the world is a meritocracy and that getting their heads down and working hard will win through eventually. Unfortunately, those women (and men) at the top of their organisations will tell you that while that kind of commitment is needed, it will not necessarily progress you. Actually, it is always who you know and the relationships you are nurturing.
What we hear from women in terms of networking and preference is that mixed networking is key to their progression. One senior woman in a large organisation said to me: “Why would I want to be in a room with only women? Communicating with men is very different from women. It requires different skills often. The more exposure women have to mixed networking, the better so that they can enhance this skill.” Women often feel uncomfortable in mixed networking situations. Not being listened to is often cited as the top of criticisms, the danger is that they will then return to what is comfortable and for many, those are female-only networks.
The zeitgeist is to take networking away from the traditional arenas of the pub and the golf course and look at modern types of networking that are inclusive”
Another study found that in the UK, women hold about one-quarter (25.1%) of senior management or leadership roles. That figure is up slightly from 24% in 2022 and 23% in 2021. It means that equity and parity in terms of women in senior roles still have a long way to go. Networking is key to changing this which is why we have to be careful in how we undertake it. Networking looks very different to what it has been historically. It is still there as a way to introduce people, to facilitate promotion in some cases and to connect but the way it’s done is different.
We work with law, finance and large corporations. Unpicking the hiring strategies which are holding organisations back in terms of diversity and inclusivity is crucial. The zeitgeist is to take networking away from the traditional arenas of the pub and the golf course and look at modern types of networking that are inclusive. Those strategies include working out which members of the organisation can serve as advocates, mentors, and sponsors and who we think in or out of the organisation can make a difference to the other. We all need allies and those allies shouldn’t be gender specific.
Cross-functional networking sessions are a good example of ensuring that gender division is less likely. These are often less informal gatherings of a group of people but rather an opportunity for leaders to organise a structured networking event that brings together diverse employees across roles and departments. A framework for these events helps mitigate the tendency for genders to naturally cluster. This kind of structured yet perhaps more informal networking on a one-to-one basis can work very well when growing your network in terms of DEI.
What does non-gender-specific networking actually look like? It is about creating inclusive spaces where people of all genders can connect, share ideas, and build professional relationships without gender-based biases or barriers. It is about thinking about communication in a non-gender-specific way, so think about neutral language. It’s making sure we ensure events and spaces represent all genders, that one gender does not dominate the discussion and that topics include everyone and are not skewed one way or the other. I set up DTN to include everyone in the networks because I kept hearing that diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives had ironically become more about exclusion.
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