Gen Z are rubbish at networking

Google 'Gen Z are rubbish at networking' and you will get a lot of opinions, mainly in the affirmative. But every past generation seems to look poorly upon the rising generation. Even the ancient greeks despaired of 'the youth of today'. But changes in work habits have changed the norm when it comes to networking. This is very relevant to event planners as networking is one of the main reasons people attend your events.

The need is there, even if they don't know it

Work from home and a lack of exposure means many young professionals don't even know what they are missing out on, so they do not seek out the networking opportunities as was the case a few years ago. That lack of experience means that when the opportunity arises they are not quite sure how to best take advantage of it, so they conclude it is not of much value. Anyone who has built a business network over time knows this is not the case.

A helping hand

Gen Z need a helping hand to rediscover the value of networking. Networking needs to be managed. The good news is that this is both easy to do and also does not need to add any cost to the event.

As one planner told us:

'It can be as simple as an invitation to network from the MC or host. Here's something to try. Before a break get the MC to tell the audience to speak with 3 people they have never met before. Then go and watch: You will be amazed at the change of behaviour. That simple granting of permission to go and speak with anyone takes the fear out of that initial step. The room will be buzzing and those Gen Zers will begin to understand the value of networking'.

Your thoughts

Do you have any other great networking ideas you would like to share?