73+ Surprising Networking Statistics to Boost Your Career

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With the progress of technology, staring at screens is now a big part of our lives. Freelance and remote work is gaining popularity by the minute. So is the number of people who have never had a real-life meeting with their employer or colleagues.

That’s unfortunate.

Talking in person can do a lot for your career. We’re here to back this up with some hard data – networking statistics.

Fascinating Networking Statistics (Editor’s Choice):

Before we dig deep, let’s check out some of the most fascinating networking facts:

  • 85% of positions are filled through networking.
  • 95% of professionals consider face-to-face communication vital for long-term business.
  • 38% of professionals find it difficult to maintain their business relationships.
  • 70% of people found a job through connections in a company.
  • Companies earn $12.50 for every dollar invested in face-to-face meetings.
  • 83% of employees work remotely at least part of the time.
  • 39% socialize more online than in person.
  • The close rate for face-to-face meetings is 40%.

Now that you’re thoroughly impressed, we can focus on each of these stats and take a deeper look!

1. Face-to-face networking can still be vital for your career! In fact, 95% of professionals say that communication in person is essential for long-term business.

(Source: Hubspot)

– There’s a reason behind this. 72% of people confirm their impression is influenced by others’ experience and their handshakes.

– That’s also why 68% of junior level find that face-to-face networking is more valuable than online.

– A business meeting in person can help you close 40% of deals.

– Investing time in personal relationships can also help you land your dream job. Statistics show that 85% of positions are filled by networking!

– Despite the obvious importance of face-to-face communication, 83% of people choose to work from home at least part of the time.

– In fact, 25% don’t invest any time in networking.

Are you part of this 25%? Humanity got this far by communicating face to face. We are wired to maintain personal relationships. And that’s in-person personal relationships.

Considering what percentage of jobs are found through networking, it’ll likely be worth your time. Still, if you haven’t placed much importance on your relationships, you’re not alone. (Well… )

2. Actually, 38% of professionals have difficulties staying in contact with their network, even though they realize it’s important.

(Source: LinkedIn)

LinkedIn’s research also confirms that most jobs are found through personal connections – 70% of them, to be exact!

– Therefore, it’s not surprising that 61% of professionals agree there are opportunities to be found through regular online communication.

– In fact, statistics indicate that 35% of LinkedIn users got job offers from casual communication on the platform.

– Still, 49% of people don’t maintain professional relationships, as they don’t have enough time.

So, basically, networking is like going to the gym. Everyone knows they should do it and that it would be highly beneficial to them. However, roughly half of people can’t find the time to do it.

3. Despite the fact that 83% of professionals work remotely (at least part of the time), only 39% socialize more online than in person.

(Source: GreatBusinessSchools.org)

– This is also why 84% of people prefer to meet in-person.

– Despite this, only 41% are willing to travel for remote meetings, instead of communicating online.

– However, network stats indicate that 28% of business will be lost if your contact is strictly online.

– There’s a deeper reason here too. For every 10.43 ideas, an online meeting generates, there are 13.36 that come from real-life communication.

– Networking and in-person interactions also guarantee a higher value of ideas. On average, they’ll be 3% more original and 17% more flexible.

– Hence, companies continue to fund business trips. It’s worth it – they get $12.50 back for every invested dollar.

– In fact, companies will lose an average of 17% in profits if they stop all travel.

The idea of never having to leave your home may sound tempting at first. Thing is, online communication doesn’t quite cut it. You’ll need to get out there to really take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.

Communication Basics

So, face-to-face communication is vital and can open many doors, find you jobs and advance your career. But why don’t chat and conferencing services like Skype calls have the same effect – you’re still interacting with people, aren’t you?

4. Statistics indicate that face-to-face communication is not only more effective but also perceived as more credible and positive.

(Sources: GreatBusinessSchools.org, OptinMonster)

– Body language makes you look more sincere.

– To get the best of both worlds, businesses turn to video – in fact, 94% of them consider it an effective tool.

97% of companies believe that videos help users understand their business better.

– This makes sense, as 45% of people watch over an hour of video every day.

– Actually, 60% of users confirm videos have changed their world view.

Talking face to face is very important. Even without statistics, you know it’s the better route for business or networking – this was true a hundred years ago and it remains true in 2019. However, videos are the second-best way to connect and are much more effective!

5. Here’s a surprising fact for you – communication is mostly nonverbal!

(Source: Fit Small Business)

– The words you say are just 7% of what others perceive!

– In fact, 55% of communication depends on your facial expressions and posture.

– The other 38% come from the way you speak.

Look at it from a different perspective – if you’re confident, you’ve got 93% of communication covered.

6. To up your in-person communication game, focus on making eye contact 60% to 70% of the time.

(Source: Fit Small Business)

– During a regular conversation, we make eye contact between 30% and 60% of the time. As you may guess, this is largely due to mobile phone use.

– Statistics show that to create an emotional connection and guarantee effective networking, you need to make eye contact at least 60% of the time.

Here’s a pro tip. Even though it will forge a relationship, you should avoid staring into people’s souls 100% of the time. You’ll hardly benefit from the results unless a restraining order is what you’re after.

Statistics on the Benefits of Networking

Time to take an in-depth look into networking and all the ways it can be useful for you.

7. Stats show that 49% of professionals prefer in-person communication, as it allows for more complex strategic thinking.

(Source: GreatBusinessSchools.org)

77% agree that a big benefit of face-to-face meetings is the ability to read others’ body language and expressions.

75% of professionals enjoy social interaction and the ability to bond with clients or colleagues.

– However, only 44% believe that meetings help decision-making.

The jury is out on whether face-to-face meetings will help build a better strategy or make proper decisions. However, it’s clear that there’s a lot to gain in personal relationships.

8. Traditional networking is the most effective of all employment sources.

(Source: GreatBusinessSchools.org)

– In fact, 46% of people got their current position through networking.

26% found a job from internet boards.

– Agencies and recruiters helped 14% secure a position.

7% of people were successful with the direct approach.

– Another 7% got their position by other means.

– Only 1% found a job in print media like newspapers or leaflets.

So, there you go. Network stats show that investing time into personal relationships is the most effective way to get the position you want!

9. Networking at trade shows can get you up to 20% of your new customers.

(Sources: Novoresume, Bizzabo)

41% of professionals believe that f2f marketing at business events is the most effective way of finding customers.

– Networking is among the most cited reasons for attending trade shows. 48% of interviewed participants wanted to build rapport with vendors and 43% were interested in prospects.

– Naturally, these statistics aren’t lost on companies and over $30 billion get invested yearly in face-to-face communication at trade shows.

Visiting trade shows may be expensive and time-consuming. Still, facts show that conferences are a great place for networking and the investment will be worth it.

10. Here are some surprising professional networking statistics for 2019 – 90% of business owners found that business cards generated new business!

(Source: Moo)

– It may seem like business cards are a thing of the past. However, 68% of small business owners still find them impactful!

– In fact, statistics show small business owners see benefits beyond simple networking – for every 100 business cards handed out, they could expect at least a $5,000 increase in yearly profits.

– Digital business cards aren’t too popular – 63% of small business owners have never used one.

Herein lies a possible competitive advantage. If you’re planning to start a small business, consider printing out some of these bad boys!

11. Face-to-face networking pays off – according to 2018 statistics, 46% of freelancers got work via friends and family that way.

(Source: Upwork)

– Freelancing is growing in popularity. Currently, it makes 4.8% of GDP – that’s more than construction, transportation, and mining!

– It’s one of the fields with most to gain from networking – in fact, most sources of finding work are connected to it. Here are the most mentioned ones:

  • 46% found work from friends and family;
  • 40% – from social media;
  • 38% – from previous clients;
  • 36% – from professional contacts.

– The same 2018 statistics found that 29% of freelancers were looking to learn more about networking skills. This was the second most popular choice after the 33% interested in computer skills.

In case you’re interested in freelancing, you might want to invest time in your relationships with the people around you. Statistics agree that face-to-face networking will continue to be the best way of finding new opportunities, no matter if it’s 2008 or 2019!

Trends in Network Stats

You get it – there are a lot of benefits to maintaining your professional and personal relationships. However, our world is ever-changing. So how has that affected where and how we communicate?

12. 38% of professionals agree that bars and restaurants are great spots for networking.

(Sources: Fit Small Business, Shepa Learning)

– So what do statistics say about the favorite networking spots of small business owners? The gym is a close second with 23%. Airplanes take third place with 17%.

– Other unexpectedly great places include:

  • Volunteer events;
  • Private clubs;
  • TEDx events;
  • Events and festivals;
  • Sporting events.

That’s right! Networking can be a lot of fun. However, although these places are great for meeting people, it’s not where you spend the majority of your time. For most people, that would be either at home (not really great for networking) or at work. If you don’t enjoy spending your time in an office, you’ll like the next network stats!

13. Coworking spaces are gaining popularity – by the end of 2020, there will be over 26,000 of those available worldwide!

(Sources: Statista, Fit Small Business, SmallBizGenius)

– This is not a surprising stat – after all, 70% of millennials believe that going into an office isn’t necessary.

– Don’t forget that 83% of employees work remotely at least sometimes!

– So it’s not surprising that currently there are 3.1 million coworkers. Their number is expected to double by 2022!

These amazing statistics make it clear that coworking spaces are great spots for professional networking. You also won’t need to go out of your way to create meaningful relationships!

14. 97% of people prefer small meetings with less than 10 participants.

(Source: Loughborough University)

– In-person communication allows for better discussions. In fact, over 78% of professionals consider this the biggest benefit.

– Other advantages include more efficient knowledge sharing, fewer barriers to communication, improved concentration, and the opportunity to read body language and facial expressions.

– Statistics also indicate a meeting of this type tends to have a better engagement – an average of 85%.

Smaller meetings mean you’ll be able to interact in a meaningful way with most, if not all the participants. This is a great opportunity to build professional relationships and effectively exchange knowledge and information.

Networking Statistics of the Futures

Yes, you read that right! We’ll leave 2019 behind and explore where the networking statistics will lead us! This being a tech website, we’ll take you there with the power of science. Also, our fortune teller is on sick leave.

So, please, step in the DeLorean, put on your seatbelt, and let’s accelerate into our future!

15. People will know a lot about you before you even meet.

(Sources: Ferrovial, Our World in Data, Statista)

– As it is, nearly half of all people are active on social media – 3.5 billion (and about 3 billion on Facebook alone) out of 7.7 billion. And new users keep coming.

– Naturally, it’s not all cat videos and cooking tips. In fact, LinkedIn is the 15th most popular social media with 310 million active users worldwide. If you are using LinkedIn for business purposes, here are some tips on the perfect time to post and engage with the audience on LinkedIn.

– Statistics show that the most popular networking app this year is WhatsApp. It got 7.26 million downloads – and that’s from iPhone users only!

Social media allows us to communicate with so many people around the world. While nothing beats face-to-face communication, the chat is better than no interaction at all. Meaningful relationships can still be forged online – the 43 billion messages sent via Whatsapp prove it. Additionally, there’s the benefit of getting to know a person by the content they like, even without directly interacting.

However, there are disadvantages. Social media grants people access to a lot of their private information. So be careful with what you share – especially when it comes to controversial opinions. You wouldn’t want to miss out on a job opportunity because of your intense love for pineapple on pizza.

16. Google Translate currently serves more than 500 million people each day. As it evolves, pretty soon the language barrier will be a thing of the past!

(Sources: Ferrovial, Google)

– Ever since 2006, Google has been working on improving Google Translate. Currently, it supports more than a hundred languages!

– Over 100 billion words are translated daily!

– Google Translate isn’t only focusing on teaching AI to recognize context. The developers are also working on amazing new features! Here’s a couple of the most impressive ones that have already rolled out:

  • Real-time voice translation – you can record a simple question and play the translation back.
  • Sign translation – just point your camera toward the sign and voilà! You’ll see the translation on your screen!

Well, it’s true that Google Translate is currently more useful to travelers than businessmen. These features are also only available for English to and from French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

However, imagine how much such a thing can change our lives. Being able to talk to anyone, without any kind of language barrier? We can’t wait to see what the network stats would look like then!

To Sum It Up

We’ve already got devices in our pockets that our ancestors would have deemed black magic! Still, underneath all the fancy smartwatches and AR glasses, we’re just human.

If all these networking statistics show one thing – it’s that we need to communicate with each other. Preferably face to face. And no wonder – it’s how we got this far!

So, as Stephen Hawking said and Pink Floyd immortalized in song – all we need to do is make sure we keep talking.

ABOUT AUTHOR

I've been a tech-addict all my life. I still remember the sound of a successful dial-up connection. I started my writing career at a very young age for a gamers' magazine. I'm fascinated by each new technology, as a kid with a long-anticipated Christmas gift. My hunger for knowledge and child-like fascination with everything with wires or codes helps me cover a wide array of articles here, on Review42.com. Whenever I'm not staring at a display I enjoy exploring new places.

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